WHAT IS A GSE VISIT?

The Rotary Foundation's Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 in the early stages of their careers.

The program provides travel grants for teams of GSE candidates to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, see how their own vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

Individuals who participate in this rewarding, once-in-a-lifetime experience return home with a broadened cultural perspective and new understanding of a nation's history, language, commerce, and government and hopefully with some new lifelong friendships.

Teams are composed of 4-6 non-Rotarian team members, usually of various business and professional backgrounds, and one Rotarian team leader. The GSE experience spans 4-6 weeks. During the exchange, teams visit local businesses, government offices, and community organizations in the host district, tour historical and cultural sites, stay with Rotarian host families, and make presentations about their home countries and professions.

THE 2010 GSE TEAM FROM SOUTHERN INDIA

L-R Hariharan, Anand, Baskar, Nirmala and Sowmya

RC HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING SHARE THE HOSTING IN 2010

The Rotary Club of Houghton-le-Spring has long supported the GSE Programme, sometimes by arranging suitable professional visits on a vocational day. In 2010 The GSE team was coming from Rotary District 3201, the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in Southern India and was staying in District 1030 for four weeks. The week before the District Conference they were hosted by the Clubs of Group 5. The Rotary Club of Houghton-le-Spring had the responsibility to organise a day of cultural visits, which gave us the opportunity to proudly show off our own little corner of North East England. One of our members, Past President Michael and his wife Linda had the added privilege of hosting two of the young Indian team, Baskar and Sowmya who were both Indian dancers. Communication and learning is a two way process and we all enjoyed and learned much from the company of these young people.

Our day out concentrated on the beautiful city of Durham. We arranged a tour of the Cathedral, guided by a local Rotarian Tony Elliott. His knowledge and presentation was superb and even the local Rotarians learnt something about our own heritage. After lunch in the Cathedral undercroft we strolled along the banks of the river stopping at all the usual vantage points. Unfortunately it was not the sunniest of days, but even in the grey mist the Cathedral looked majestic.

Back at College Green we had a tour around the castle. The original foundations were laid on the orders of William the Conqueror in 1072 to defend the peninsula formed by the meander in the River Wear. For centuries it was the home of the Bishop of Durham but in 1832 Bishop William van Mildert gave it to the new Durham University. It must now be the most romantic University student accommodation in Britain.

In the evening we all met again at the Chilton Country Hotel for an expanded Club evening. Our guest speaker was our Rotary Youth Leadership Awards candidate Samantha who kept us all amused with tales of her recent exploits at Youth Camp.

At the weekend Baskar and Sowmya were to give dance presentations at the District Conference so Linda and Michael had the privilege of watching them rehearse in their home. After a brisk walk up Penshaw Hill it was time for the GSE candidates to leave their hosts and gather at the Conference. It is hoped that they gained as much pleasure from their days with our Club members as we did from meeting them.