Applecross RYE Valentin Vorholz (2024) and Melville RYE Brian Harris (1964) WOW that was special!! PDG Brian Eddy and his guest Brian Harris from the Rotary Club of Hershey PA joined us at our breakfast meeting. Brian Harris kindly filled our guest speaker spot due to a late cancellation of our programmed speaker and we were treated to something very special. Brian was a Rotary Exchange Student hosted by Melville Rotary in 1964. Brian Eddy's father was a Melville Rotarian and the Eddys were the first host family for Brian. He was hosted by 6 families during his stay and along with the Eddys he also mentioned the Reverend Riley and Mr and Mrs Sharp. Every family he stayed with treated him just like a family member. He also made special mention of Colin Day who was Melville's president at the time whom he said "went out of his way to be kind to him". They went on trips up north where they drove for hours and hours, not seeing another vehicle and sleeping under the stars. He still gets emotional when he thinks about our clear night skys. Brian also noted the roads were corrugated and jokingly (I think), asked if the roads have now been paved. Brian also addressed our current exchange student Valentin commenting that he will learn more as time goes on just how important Rotary is. Brian was amazed at how well organised Rotary was for his RYE in 1964! Brian spoke about Hershey, the town 'built on chocolates', his Rotary Club and some of their projects and his background shaped through his RYE experience. Click here if you would like to listen to Brian's presentation. District RYE chair Jill Hanna also attended the meeting and presented Brian with various badges to start his Rotary Youth Exchange collection some 60 years later. Badges were not a thing when Brian was a RYE participant as they are today with RYE students proudly collecting and showing off badges on their blazers. District RYE Chair Jill Hanna presenting badges to Brian Harris Jill thanked Brian for his presentation and said to her this is what Rotary Youth Exchange is all about "it is about developing international understanding and goodwill and it is wonderful to see that after 60 years it is still there" RYE Valentin, PDG Brian Eddy, Brian Harris and Jill Hanna
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