BRATTLEBORO — The Brattleboro Rotary Club is seeking applicants for a Group Study Exchange program to northwestern Germany that will take place from May 15 through June 14, 2012. The application deadline is Oct. 15.
Sponsored by Rotary International's Rotary Foundation, the Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40. The GSE team consists of one Rotarian group leader and four non-Rotarian team members who typically represent various professional fields.
Rotary International pays for travel expenses between the home and host countries. Rotarians in the host country provide individual homestays for each team member, as well as meals and group travel within their district. Each team member is responsible for health insurance coverage and for personal expenses and incidentals. Team members are welcome to extend their stay for individual travel at their own expense after the program ends.
During the four-week program, team members participate in approximately four to five full-day vocational visits, 15 to 20 club presentations, 10 to 15 formal visits and social events, two to three days at the district conference, three to four hours per day of cultural and site tours, and three to four hours per day of free time with host families. Each person on the team will have interaction with others in their profession several times during the trip.
Before departing for the host country, team members will communicate and meet several times to participate in orientation and cultural training, to become acquainted with each other, to develop a working relationship, and to prepare a group presentation to be given at host clubs during the tour. The presentation will represent Rotary District 7870 comprising central and southern Vermont and New Hampshire.
The application process includes an interview with the Brattleboro Rotary Club; all interviews will be completed before October 30, 2011. The successful candidate will then proceed to an interviewing process at the District level. These interviews will be held somewhere near the center of the district at a time and location yet to be determined. Applicants will be notified of their status on or about Nov. 10.
Founded in 1950, the Brattleboro Rotary Club is an active community service club of about 80 members who meet every Thursday at 12:15 p.m. at the VFW Post on Black Mountain Road in Brattleboro. For more information and to download a GSE application form, visit www.brattlebororotaryclub.org or contact Brattleboro Rotarian Donna McElligott at donna@howardprintinginc.com or 802-254-3550.