The Rotary student foreign exchange program has been working well in Shawano for several years. It is just one of the many ways the Shawano Rotary Club helps locally and internationally.
“Shawano has generally hosted an inbound student,” President Glen Gilbert said.
This year’s exchange student, Livia, is from Brasil. In other years, students from Sweden, Chile, Peru and Italy have spent a year of high school in Shawano. (Rotary policy prohibited officials from giving the Leader full names of exchange students.)
Grecia, who is from Peru, was here five years ago and came back for a visit.
“I loved it, that’s why I’m back,” she said.
Students from here haven’t gone abroad, though.
“We’ve had trouble getting people interested,” Gilbert said.
The club’s budget includes a stipend for the students when they are here. They come to the meetings to talk about themselves, their country and how things are going. They are sent by the corresponding Rotary Club in their country.
Gilbert said the students are well screened before they are accepted into the program. The club goes to the high schools in the area and presents the program, which helps fulfill the mission of Rotary is to promote world peace.
“It opens up the world,” Gilbert said. “You learn about people from other cultures and you realize there are similarities between us.”
The Rotary also supports the Shawano City-County Library reading program, sponsors a Shawano Area Community Foundation Youth Award, donates to Shawano Pathways and the Shawano County Historical Society, Badger Boys and Girls State, SAFPARC, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and high school scholarships. They helped pay for the gazebo at Sturgeon Park.
Internationally, they give one third of their budget to the Mission Doctors Association in Zimbabwe and Power Flour, a nutritional program for famine areas.
Rotary clubs for many years have also supported Polio Plus to eradicate polio from the earth.
The local club earns funds through a reverse raffle, the Red Barn and a popcorn wagon at the flea market in the summer. Gilbert said they are looking for new ways to generate income.
Gilbert has been in Rotary for six years. This is his first year as president.
“It’s the fellowship and friendship of other club members,” he said. “There are network opportunities and it’s a way to give back to the community. It’s an opportunity to learn what’s going on in the community.”
Rotary is in more than 165 countries with more than 31,000 clubs that provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and build goodwill and peace in the world.
Other local officers are Dave Zelinger, vice president; Steve Grover, treasurer; Cherie Zelinger, secretary; and Rhonda Strebel, past president.
Rotary meets at noon every Monday at Angie’s Main Café. Quarterly dues are $116, which covers the lunches. Each meeting includes a guest speaker. Youth Rotary students are invited to speak at the meetings. Gilbert said they are impressed by them and their level of involvement in school, sports and outside activities.
“They give you faith that the world isn’t ending,” Gilbert said.
For more information, call Gilbert at 715-526-7552.
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