Visit of Group Study Exchange from India 2011 Press Release

Visit of Group Study Exchange from India to the Rotary Clubs of Mounts Bay and Penzance

By Des Hosken

The Rotary Group Study Exchange programme (GSE) is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for business people and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers.

Last week saw a group of six people from India in West Cornwall where they were hosted by Rotarians from the Mounts Bay and Penzance Clubs. The programme provides travel grants for the teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries.

This team from India are visiting the Rotary District 1290, covering Plymouth and Cornwall, and they are having the opportunity to experience our culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practised here, enabling them to develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.
The programme in West Cornwall included a visit to St Michaels Mount, a tour of the area including Lands End and spending time with their host families. For each team member the Rotary Foundation provides the most economical round- trip airline ticket between India and the UK.

The visit concluded with a presentation evening at the Queens Hotel Penzance hosted jointly by the Rotary Clubs of Mounts Bay and Penzance. This was the first time that this had happened as a joint exercise between the two Clubs and the guests were welcomed by Penzance Club President Les Burridge who introduced the team led by Prem Kathuria, a member of the Rotary Club of Alwar, who has served as Club President and as Assistant Governor of District 3050. There was a short slide
presentation on Incredible India and then each member of the team gave a slick slide presentation about their families and their business life, which everyone present found most interesting. The President of the Mounts Bay Club, Peter Norman gave the vote of thanks and a buffet meal then followed. During the evening there was an exchange of Club banners.
Before coming to Penzance the team had been to the Isles of Scilly, where they were hosted by the Rotary Club on St Marys and the team then departed for a visit to the Falmouth area