District Governor for 2008-2009, Larry Calabrese, has announced that our matched Group Study Exchange District for 2008-09 will be District 4570 in Brazil. District 4570, which covers the greater Rio de Janeiro area, has about 1,450 Rotarians in 72 different clubs. Rio is Brazil’s second largest city with a population of over 6 million people. The Group Study Exchange Committee of District 7150 is now receiving applications for Team Leader. The D7150 Team will be in Brazil for the month of May 2009. Applications for Team Leader can be downloaded here Team Leader applications. The 4-page application should be sent to GSE Committee Outbound Chairperson, Henry MacDonald, 17 Homer Street, P.O. Box 249, Union Springs, NY 13160. Mac is a member of the Auburn Rotary Club. Applications will be received from now through August 1, 2008.

The team leader acts as advocate, confidant, mediator, organizer, intermediary, consultant, colleague, friend, motivator, arbitrator, and protector of team members. As the only Rotarian on the team, the team leader is expected to assume complete control of the team and put its interest first. The team leader must be an experienced Rotarian, not be the current District governor, immediate past district governor, or district Governor-elect, remain with the team for the duration of the exchange, be willing and able, physically and mentally, to keep pace with the GSE team, and not be accompanied by a spouse, companion, or other relative or dependent.

The team leader should help coordinate the exchange by facilitating the submission of pre and post departure documents, develop and conduct the team training and assist in the selection of the team. An ideal team leader is not more than 20 years older than the oldest team member, possesses outstanding interpersonal communication skills, has presentation and public speaking skill and is able to help the team prepare for speeches at Rotary clubs, and has the ability to imbue a team with a sense of mission.

Experienced Rotarians who have an interest in developing their leadership skills above the club level, Rotarians who have traveled internationally, and Rotarians who have sharpened their leadership skills at the local club or district level make ideal candidates.

Interested Rotarians in District 7150 are urged to apply for the all expense paid exchange to Brazil. The native language of District 4570 is Portuguese.

Qualifications for Team Leader & Team Member

• All interested candidates need to have their candidacy endorsed by a Rotary Club in the community where the applicant works or lives. Endorsed applications are sent on for district level consideration.
• Team members must be between the ages of 25 and 40; be employed in a full time recognized profession; not be a Rotarian, honorary Rotarian, Rotary employee; or lineal descendant or spouse of a Rotarian; or spouse of another team member, an honorary Rotarian, or an employee of Rotary; or anyone who has been affiliated with Rotary for the past 36 months.
• Team members must be a citizen of the country in which they reside, and in good health. The candidate must be neat in appearance and able to express himself or herself clearly and logically. They should have a sound general educational background, be interested in and clearly enthusiastic about their chosen vocation or profession. They should be open-minded, tolerant and flexible. The candidate should be comfortable working as part of a team with a schedule that is at times physically and emotionally demanding but incredibly rewarding.

A team member must 1. Be able to participate in team orientations and take the four weeks away from work and family 2. Be non-Rotarian and not a blood relative of a Rotarian, 3. Be between ages 25 and 40 to insure maximum impact on long term career development, 4. Be a US citizen in good health, 5. Be neat in appearance, 6. Be articulate and able to speak before a group, 7. Have a sound educational and professional background, 8. Be enthusiastic about his/her chosen vocation, and 9. Be currently employed on a full time basis - engaged in that business or profession for at least two years. Team member applicants should be open-minded, tolerant, flexible and above all be able to live within and adopt a different culture during the exchange period. They must be willing and able to follow the direction of the Team Leader. An essay of intent is required from each applicant. A brief resume would also be helpful to the selection committee.

There are many ways to recruit team members. Contact the CEO or owner of companies or establishments in your area. Contact your local government heads. Make them aware of the program and ask if they have an employee to nominate. Point out that team members return to work with an understanding of how a similar job is performed in another country and can potentially become better employees. Explain that the program expenses are paid by Rotary and that the employer needs only to provide four weeks off work using a method of his/her choosing i.e. vacation time, leave without pay, etc. Offer a copy of the RI GSE brochure and then followup. Encourage your club members to talk with friends and fellow employees to identify potential participants and then ask your Club's International Chair or GSE Chair to followup.

As a Rotarian reading this, you can help find the young men and women who will make up the District 7150 outbound team. They may be someone you work with, or works for you. They may be your child’s teacher. They may be a friend, or a friend’s child. They may be a neighbor, or your neighbor’s child. We need the help of every Rotarian in District 7150 to identify and encourage young people to apply for this wonderful all expense paid vocational adventure.

The 2007-08 D7150 GSE Committee needs your help in spreading the word at your meetings to assist us in selecting the very best team members possible. If you are a club that has not participated in this program in the past, but would like to get more involved, please contact Inbound Team Chair Dick Kemmis so we can identify clubs wishing to host the incoming GSE Team. This is a great opportunity to meet and get to know people from another culture, and to improve opportunities for understanding and world peace. Download Member applications & the GSE Brochure.

Qualifications for Team Leader & Team Member

• All interested candidates need to have their candidacy endorsed by a Rotary Club in the community where the applicant works or lives. Endorsed applications are sent on for district level consideration.
• Team members must be between the ages of 25 and 40; be employed in a full time recognized profession; not be a Rotarian, honorary Rotarian, Rotary employee; or lineal descendant or spouse of a Rotarian; or spouse of another team member, an honorary Rotarian, or an employee of Rotary; or anyone who has been affiliated with Rotary for the past 36 months.
• Team members must be a citizen of the country in which they reside, and in good health. The candidate must be neat in appearance and able to express himself or herself clearly and logically. They should have a sound general educational background, be interested in and clearly enthusiastic about their chosen vocation or profession. They should be open-minded, tolerant and flexible. The candidate should be comfortable working as part of a team with a schedule that is at times physically and emotionally demanding but incredibly rewarding.

A team member must 1. Be able to participate in team orientations and take the four weeks away from work and family 2. Be non-Rotarian and not a blood relative of a Rotarian, 3. Be between ages 25 and 40 to insure maximum impact on long term career development, 4. Be a US citizen in good health, 5. Be neat in appearance, 6. Be articulate and able to speak before a group, 7. Have a sound educational and professional background, 8. Be enthusiastic about his/her chosen vocation, and 9. Be currently employed on a full time basis - engaged in that business or profession for at least two years. Team member applicants should be open-minded, tolerant, flexible and above all be able to live within and adopt a different culture during the exchange period. They must be willing and able to follow the direction of the Team Leader. An essay of intent is required from each applicant. A brief resume would also be helpful to the selection committee.

There are many ways to recruit team members. Contact the CEO or owner of companies or establishments in your area. Contact your local government heads. Make them aware of the program and ask if they have an employee to nominate. Point out that team members return to work with an understanding of how a similar job is performed in another country and can potentially become better employees. Explain that the program expenses are paid by Rotary and that the employer needs only to provide four weeks off work using a method of his/her choosing i.e. vacation time, leave without pay, etc. Offer a copy of the RI GSE brochure and then followup. Encourage your club members to talk with friends and fellow employees to identify potential participants and then ask your Club's International Chair or GSE Chair to followup.

As a Rotarian reading this, you can help find the young men and women who will make up the District 7150 outbound team. They may be someone you work with, or works for you. They may be your child’s teacher. They may be a friend, or a friend’s child. They may be a neighbor, or your neighbor’s child. We need the help of every Rotarian in District 7150 to identify and encourage young people to apply for this wonderful all expense paid vocational adventure.