GSE Team from D9800 to Visit D5230 (California)

Last week we were treated to a presentation by the departing Indian team from District 3030 but this week we met our team going out to District 5230 in California and heard and saw how they will present themselves to the Rotarians in the clubs of that District.

And what a show it was. They sang, they acted and gave a presentation so memorable that they cannot fail to be great ambassadors for Australia and to earn the respect of the clubs they will visit. They even call themselves "G'day"!

At the same time though, they showed how Australians lived and what we enjoy and what we stand for, as well as their own interests and ambitions.

It was no surprise that they would be so entertaining as their leader, PDG Greg Ross is renowned for his ability to achieve great results through his long association with stage, theatre, television, radio and films. He supplied the background of Rotary in Australia and the particular achievements of District 9800 that includes Melbourne, that was the first club to be chartered in Australia.

Briana Cowan and Jacinta Lean, both from Bendigo, spoke of the great Victorian architecture of that town and the multicultural population that has existed since the gold-rush days of 1850. In the same breath Briana spoke of the town’s world standard Art Gallery and the fame of inventing the Chiko roll. Briana hopes to be able to study customer service and customer relations while Jacinta is looking forward to extending her knowledge of haemotology oncology that has become her life’s work, after switching from being a classical pianist.

All the members of the team have travelled extensively but Adam McKie, who runs his own consulting company, has spent time in all seven Continents including a Christmas in Antarctica. His skills include locating business fracture, redesigning operating models and developing complex training programs; and he hopes to extend this knowledge on this visit. He is also a property investor, a mentor and a trained mediator.

The nominee from our club, Andrew Wood from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade has a passion for social justice particularly promoting multi-culturalism as well as fire-fighting. He and his wife have been volunteer teachers in Laos and he spent 9 months in Alaska working with troubled young people on a project to give them confidence in themselves and respect for others.

It will be a team that distinguishes themselves and further enhances the value of the Group Study Exchange program.

By Jack Ings