Rotary Group Study Exchange Australia - Kent

Were coming home (via Paris)

2007-11-13T01:20:00.000+10:30

After more than 4 weeks the team have all dispersed to different parts of Europe prior to heading home. For me it has been a couple of nights in Paris (via the Eurostar). Seeing the sites and even managing to ride a bike through the Boulevards of Paris has been a great way to finish the trip. I am currently sitting in a Cafe outside the Piccadilly Circus station getting ready to catch the tube to Heathrow. The 20 hours on a plane doesnt worry me as I know I have some very special girls at home that I wont to hug and kiss.

A day in London

2007-11-08T02:50:00.000+10:30

As we had a free day on Wednesday the team decided to jump on a train to London. Our first stop was the National Science Museum . For lunch we caught up with a friend of Ruths after which we headed for a spot of shopping at Harrods. Before we knew it we had to jump on a train back to Orpington in time for our farewell presentation.

Serious study

2007-11-06T09:47:00.000+10:30

Studying another culture's beer...it's a hard life! On Saturday night Ruth and Alison came across a beer festival.

Kidnapped!

2007-11-06T09:25:00.000+10:30

Saturday afternoon we were met by the previous districts (D1120) GSE team that went to Virginia, USA in 2006. Alex, Rachel and Helen arranged to take us out for some relaxation and laughter. I was disappointed that we didn't make it to a football match (sorry Emir), but we did have a great time. After lunch and drinks at the club, we tried to go ice-skating, but found out we were too old for that time slot, so went bowling instead.

The dockyard

2007-11-06T09:23:00.000+10:30

Saturday morning was spent with Denis, our very knowledgeable guide, showing us around the dockyard and Ropery.

Indian Restaurant

2007-11-06T03:01:00.000+10:30

On Friday night my hosts, John and Moira, took Ruth and I out for an Indian. We certainly were rewarded for our fundraising efforts (and for looking silly with the ears) and were taken to Moira's favourite restaurant. We enjoyed some great food and even better company. Thanks!

Fundraising

2007-11-05T08:33:00.000+10:30

On Friday night Ruth and I went with my host, John, down to the river for the fireworks display. Once there we donned fluro tops, grabbed a bucket and helped collect donations from patrons arriving to watch the fireworks. At first we were not doing so well, so John bought Ruth and I some flashing bunny ears to attract attention, this seemed to do the trick! In no time at all our bucket started to get heavy with coins, we even managed to score the first note of the night. I am still impressed the most by a guy offering me some hot chips!

Cider Baked Pork Chops

2007-11-05T04:33:00.000+10:30

A recipe for the best ever pork chops

Ingredients
4 oz mushroom sliced
2 cooking apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
1 onion sliced
Salt and Pepper
4 pork chops
1/2 Pint Cider
2 oz breadcrums (brown bread)
4 oz Cheddar Cheese (grated)

Preheat oven to 400' F
Grease a 3 pint shallow overn proof dish?
Place mushrooms, apples, onions in the dish. Season with salt and pepper
Lay the pork chops on top
Cover with apple cider
Sprinkle on top of chops with mixed breadcrumbs and cheddar
Cook for 1.5 hours

Best pork chops you ever had!

(sorry you will have to convert to metric)

Schools

2007-11-02T03:13:00.000+10:30

On Thursday I managed to visit 2 primary schools. First I had a tour of Stone St Mary's Church of England Primary School in the morning. Then I went into a yr5/6 class at Cecil Road Primary School to watch a science lesson. Mr Chris Rutland had the students drawing mindmaps in the classroom, to gage students prior knowledge. He then took them outside to examine a variety of things under microscopes, to get them thinking about the world around them and to practice using the microsopes. It was really good to meet a teacher who enjoys teaching, is passionate about science and willing to take time out to talk to me. Got to talk about the teacher training process, science programs and resources, NIT and the inner workings of primary schools. Could have picked his brain a lot longer, but time was against me.

Dressing up

2007-11-02T03:07:00.001+10:30

Kent seemed to like dressing up on Wednesday. Not only did he wear a drysuit at NRLI, but also took the opportunity to dress up when visiting a fort in the afternoon. Well it was halloween!

Getting into the suits

2007-11-02T03:03:00.001+10:30

The suits were rather large and were quite an experience to wear. Not only did it take a while to get into them & do them up, but was also interesting getting the air out of them.

Oh what a ride

2007-11-01T19:42:00.000+10:30

We were taken for a ride on a rescue boat that is operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute. We were fully kitted up with a drysuit and helmet. We were grinning like school kids!!!

Charlene's injury tally!

2007-10-31T05:21:00.001+10:30

Think I am doing remarkably well, haven't got any major injuries (other than the ones I came with). My body has been left fairly unscathed, well there was one time when I got hit with a branch in the face, but other that body has been safe.
However, the feet have taken a beating.
So far they have been:
hit with a shower head- still unsure how, but Alison says I make a fine alarm clock!
hit with a conditioner bottle
hit with a body wash bottle
(the shower is a dangerous place!)
attacked by mosquitoes

Also, I have:
trod on a bag of kangaroo pins
trod on a thumb tack
got a sewing needle stuck in toe

Overall, things are good!

Hosts in Eastbourne

2007-10-31T05:09:00.000+10:30

This is Trevor, Ann and John, who I stayed with for 3 nights in Eastbourne and who I have just left. They were my 5th hosts, still have 3 more to go. While I was there they soon learned how accident prone I am. They are probably at home at the moment with their feet up, a glass of wine and sighing with relief that they never had to take me to the hospital!

I am proud to say that I am one of the few people who has witnessed John dancing, in fact couldn't get him off the dance floor Saturday night!

Next vocational visit

2007-10-31T04:59:00.001+10:30

On Monday 29th October my host, John, took me to the Herstmonceux Observatory and Science Centre in East Sussex. Ruth and Kent also accompanied and enjoyed themselves playing with the physics exhibits. We got to go and look at the different telescopes and learn about the Newton telescope. Unfortunately we were not there at night to witness the telescopes in use and to examine the stars for ourselves. I did get to learn about the different programs on offer at the science centre, where the exhibits got made, their funding and a little about the other science centres in the country. I am sure I wore them out with all my questions!

http://www.the-observatory.org/

my farewell gift

2007-10-31T04:46:00.000+10:30

When leaving Eastbourne, Mark presented me with a parting gift.

Another pub sign

2007-10-31T04:36:00.000+10:30

A day near Eastbourne

2007-10-30T09:37:00.000+10:30

Any idea of what we got up to this afternoon?

Sign in pub

2007-10-29T20:23:00.001+10:30

My hosts in East Sussex

2007-10-29T08:19:00.000+10:30

I have had two wonderful couples host me for my stay in East Sussex. Rod and Moyra Davidson had me to stay at their house on the outskirts of Herstmonceux (with Lucky and Floyd as well....two gorgeous retrievers) in what I must say is the house with the lowest ceilings I've ever been in...it was very very cute. In Eastbourne I am staying with Carole and John Thompson in Sovereign Harbour a new marina development....literally 10m from all of the yachts!!!! Both hosts have been absolutely lovely and I've loved spending time with them. Thankyou for all of your effort, support and hospitality!!!!

Photos of the Ball

2007-10-29T04:07:00.000+10:30

Ruth, Gary, Naoko, Tricia, Charlene and Mike.

Saturday night

2007-10-29T03:12:00.000+10:30

Saturday night was the banquet and ball. We all frocked up and headed back to the conference, it was nice to to be out of uniform. The food and company was great, although the behaviour at the table was surprising. Rotarians really know how to let their hair down (those who have it). We managed to all keep our eyesight, despite the balloons flying everywhere. The waiters must have been dancers as the kept the balance and dodged all the missiles.

The dance floor soon filled up after dinner and we all (yes, even Kent) danced the night away to great mix of 50's, 60's & 70's music. We couldn't quite bring ourselves to participate in the barn dancing upstairs though.

Enjoy looking at our selection of photos of the night.

Rebellion

2007-10-29T03:02:00.000+10:30

On Saturday, the team (minus Kent -our team leader who was flying the flag) had a break and went shopping briefly. The idea of returning and eating more healthy food did not appeal......so our one act of rebellion was to go to an English sweetie shop and stock up on sugar. Wanting a balanced diet we went in search of some fat, and ended up in Maccas.

Gary's 2 1/2 minutes of fame

2007-10-29T02:48:00.000+10:30

As part of the Rotary Foundation presentation Gary spoke for 2 and 1/2 minutes on our GSE experience (the censored version). The rest of us were very supportive, sitting on stage- looking beautiful and smiling nicely, we even all stood on cue. We are very well trained!

Other parts of the presentation were made by Rachel Sellwood, a returning GSE Virginian team member, and Naoko Hasegawa, an ambassadorial scholar from Japan.

The Show Must Go On

2007-10-29T02:44:00.000+10:30

Moments before going on stage at the conference, Ruth had a problem with her pants. The hem on them had come undone and she was likely to trip over it. Not wanting to fall on stage in front of a thousand people (that is more likely to be Charlene's trick) she hunted for a solution backstage. Armed with electrical tape, she set to work.....

Red Hot Musicals

2007-10-29T02:35:00.000+10:30

Friday evening after a formal reception at the Cavendish (Charlene was rather bemused by the two serves of fruit in one meal....fruit....that's not chocolate!!!) we headed back to the conference hall for the "Songs from the Shows" an overview/glimpse of the musicals from Westend incl Miss Saigon, Oklahoma, Les Mis. The voices were fantastic, though the early start the next morning for our hand over and formal conference presentation rehearsal meant we were all home to bed at a reasonable hour!!! Very sensible of us I must say!

The House of Friendship

2007-10-29T02:26:00.000+10:30

Friday the 26th of October signalled the start of District 1120 Annual Conference at Eastbourne in East Sussex...apparently known as the Sunshine Coast....we're doubtful of this!!!! So far three days in Eastbourne = 0.5hrs of Sunshine!!!!

After attending the opening session we headed to the House of Friendship....after stealing a table......we set up a display of all our brochures, furry toys and odd hats in the prime possition at the entrance to the hall.....like usual we Aussies stole the show!!!!

At last a rest!!!

2007-10-29T02:23:00.000+10:30

Friday came with a sigh of relief....it was time for a sleep-in and a rest!!!! We weren't due at the conference till 1pm so we apologise for our lack of photos but we did nothing....nadah...zip....zilch!! Ahhhhhh!!!!!

A medieval castle

2007-10-28T20:13:00.000+10:30

Mike took me to Bodiam Castle, a medieval castle in East Sussex.

My morning walks

2007-10-28T20:00:00.001+10:30

While staying in Battle with my hosts, Mike and Wilma, I have been going for walks through Battle Great Wood. Mike and I have watched as Chaz, their dog, has tried to find every muddy pool in the woods. Chaz also likes to show off by carrying large sticks!

The big bad sheriff!

2007-10-28T19:44:00.001+10:30

Tuesday morning we were invited to attend a Mayoral welcome in Canterbury where we met the Mayor of Canterbury as well as the Sheriff of Canterbury (friends with the Sheriff or Nottingham).

This is Kent with the sheriff.

This is Naoko, the ambassadorial scholar, with Brian, the president of RC Canterbury.

Another pub lunch

2007-10-26T02:18:00.000+09:30

We enjoyed a lunch with our hosts from the Battle and Bexhill-on-Sea rotary clubs. I have only put on 1kg in 2 weeks, lucky there is only 2 more weeks to go.

We went to Battle!

2007-10-26T02:14:00.000+09:30

Apparently in 1066 the English had a real blue with the Normans (technicaly not French I was told) and this is where they had it. Apparently unlike Aussies they didnt go to the pub afterwards instead the winner got to rule England. I wonder if that was a wise choice?

Charlene grows six inches!

2007-10-26T02:12:00.001+09:30

Lunch at Rye

2007-10-26T02:08:00.000+09:30

We had our handover at a very quaint town called Rye which some hundreds of years ago was a seaport but now is many miles in land.

Environmental Management within the Agricultural Sector....so far

2007-10-25T00:38:00.001+09:30

I have had two vocational visits with a strong focus on the relationship between agriculture and environmental management so far. The first was with the Kent Wildlife Trust based out of Maidstone at Tylands Barn. I had a fantastic day, spending the morning with the rangers at a series of reserves being managed to improve the quality of the grasslands in both biodiversity and as public spaces. They are managing chalk grasslands through grazing by domestic stock to encourage rare herbs and orchids to be able to compete with the dominant pasture grasses and bramble scrub. They have some wonderful old English sheep varieties and 6 very tame cows, though it is not being managed as a commercial herd of sheep, more like a large accumulation of pets (yes they come when called and all the cows on this reserve and the neighbours farm have names) mainly due to the animal rights movement within some of the trusts members. As a result the stock are purely a management tool and therefore quite an extensive cost. The rangers would like to change this but are meeting significant resistance to the sending of the stock to an abattoir.

Yesterday afternoon I spent a couple of hours with an Agronomist, Richard, who is advising farmers and assisting with the management of farms enlisted in the new environmental stewardship scheme. Farmers are no longer being subsidised on a production basis but on the level of environmental management they are willing to implement. This includes returning arable land to grasslands, managing hedges, restoring wetlands and maintaining fallow for breeding habitat for birds. It also includes increasing diversity in strip headlands to maintain insect populations. It is an incredible scheme, how long it lasts I'm not sure, as a result of the increase in commodity prices, in particular wheat the incentive for farmers to return to cropping is high and a number of farmers are pulling out of the scheme. The problem with incentives/subsidy systems...once they finish, the reason for managing for the environment is diminished and the good work is undone.

Canterbury Cathedral

2007-10-25T00:30:00.001+09:30

Tuesday Morning we headed down the road into the centre of Canterbury to explore the Canterbury Cathedral. After hearing a talk on the decline of the condition of the Cathedral it was hard not to notice how the outside walls were showing signs of disintegration. It is however a phenomenal sight to see, very imposing and quite varied in its architecture. The tour of the building was fantastic and we felt like it could have continued all day...though we were getting rather muddled with all the jumping between Henry's...England has had a lot of King Henry's over the years. The story of Thomas Beckett had been one we'd heard pieces of along the way and now understand in quite detail...though it does seem that the only truly unique and some would say memorable thing he did was in his death (for those from Oz and not up on their English history....he was killed by four knights by order of the pope in the Cathedral....they cut the top of his head off....he was then seen as a martyr and worshiped by Pilgrims til one of the Henry's decided a few hundred years later that he wanted the loot from his shrine and charged him with treason and took all his possessions as repayment).

The Cathedral is stunning and quite varied throughout making it a wonderful place to explore.

A day with Forest of Blean

2007-10-25T00:20:00.000+09:30

On Monday Morning Gary, Kent and I headed off with Brian to visit Grain Harvesters, a grain trading, milling and feed production cooperative. We had a fantastic presentation from Richard and his two staff on the operations of the mill, value adding and the issues facing the agricultural sector in the Kent region of England. It was a wonderful insight into their operations and it was clear to see that we were facing similar challenges and objectives in both our districts, despite many of these often resulting from different causes.

After a pub lunch at the Mermaid we headed off to visit a 300 head Dairy Farm, one of the very few remaining. At 5.30 we all met up at the Canterbury Cathedral Hall for a talk from Robin Knox Johnston, a solo round the world yachtsman of much acclaim. It was a fascinating presentation part of the Canterbury Festival currently being held within the city.

Night out with RC Forest of Blean

2007-10-23T16:31:00.000+09:30

English beer

2007-10-23T16:27:00.000+09:30

Warm!

Vocational visit

2007-10-23T16:16:00.001+09:30

In Canterbury I was taken to visit a youth centre for assylum seekers and then a senior lecturer at Canterbury Christchurch university.

Host family in Canterbury

2007-10-22T17:02:00.000+09:30

This is the view of Canterbury Cathedral from my bedroom window in the morning.

My host family, Jeremy and Judy, have made me feel most welcome. They have fed me, entertained me, driven me around and organised my vocational visits- and for that I am very grateful!

Isle of Thanet

2007-10-22T16:50:00.001+09:30

The white cliffs of Dover

2007-10-22T05:35:00.000+09:30

Here we are at the White Cliffs of Dover. We went on a tour of the tunnels under the cliffs that housed the war time command.

A visit to Chartwell - Winston Churchill's Family Home

2007-10-22T05:23:00.000+09:30

A A

Agreat day was enjoyed by all at the Former Residence of Sir Winston's Churchill's former home which is now a national museum owned and operated by the National Trust.Chartwell enjoys tremendous views across the "Weald" of Kent. The Museum/Home /Grounds/Gardens displayed a detailed and impressive history of the life Winston Churchill not just as a politician of 63 years but also his "hobbies" as an artist, writer, and bricklayer. We were admirably hosted by Kitty, Malcolm and Sue from the Rotary Club of Ashford

My dessert!

2007-10-20T01:59:00.000+09:30

To France we go...

2007-10-20T01:56:00.000+09:30

This morning brought no challenges when it came to getting out of bed as excitement was in the air....we were going to France for the day. Charlene was rather concerned at the lack of breakfast before departure but with reassurance of croissants once we arrived finally hopped in the car. Once Dennis had gotten over forgetting to pick up Kent we went to the station with passports in hand....after checking numerous times to make sure!! We passed the journey through the tunnel by watching the fish go by the window...or so Dennis would have you believe!! Breakfast of Croissants, jam, juice and coffee was followed by a military timed shopping expedition... where all had the same idea and brought chocolate croissants for breakfast tomorrow....we'll be eating for a week!!! Once we finally dragged Alison away from the baby shops we headed down to Boulange for a drive through the countryside and then along the coast back up to Calais where we were truly spoiled. Dennis, Mary, John and Sue had organised for us to have a 4 course lunch at Le Channel, complete with wine, hosted by the Crespo family. (http://www.restaurant-lechannel.com/) The meal was superb, with most of the group opting for the local seafood. Even though the desserts were divine Alison couldn't quite finish hers, despite encouragement. Surprisingly Charlene offered her assistance and succeeded in the challenge! Needless to say, it was harder to fit back in the car on the train ride back to England, but once in the sound of snores rang through our carriage!

Thank you to the Hythe Rotary Club and our host families for a memorable day in France.

A day in France

2007-10-20T01:49:00.000+09:30

Our hosts are going out of the way to make the stay at Hythe special. We got up early this morning and caught the Euro tunnel to France and went to Calais. One of our hosts booked us at one of the best restaurants in France. I have NEVER tasted food or had service so good (the wine was also very good for French :-). The madam even kissed us (on both sides of the cheek) on the way in and out, very French.!

Our Day at Dover

2007-10-20T01:17:00.001+09:30

On Thursday we headed off to Dover for a day with the Dover RC. Chris picked us up and after a minor case of knock and run we collected all of the team in a rather small 7 seater van and headed along to the western cliffs overlooking Dover. Here we went for an explore through some of the fortifications from the Napoleonic War and the War of Britain before heading up to the Templers Knights Church. Lunch was superb with the Dover RC and the speaker gave us a wonderful insight into the Canterbury Cathedral....and how expensive it is to maintain a cathedral. After lunch was a highlight with a trip to Dover Castle. The tunnels are amazing and our guide Chris was very knowledgeable....with some help from Don who was in the know from cold war days. Once out of the white cliffs of Dover we headed up to the castle itself, had a moment of utter touristy delight in the gift shop and then raced up and down the castle as it was due to close. The view was spectacular.....so good that we didn't realise that we'd lost Charlene and Chris B. They'd missed the closing time for the castle and so headed back to the car to wait for us. After a little bit of panic we decided to head for the car and hope they were there.... plenty of laughs later it was time ( late...again) to head back to Sandgate and Hythe for a quick change before heading to Robert and Lucy Spicers for dinner. Dinner was a barrel of laughs and a wonderful sample of Kentish wares and hospitality. The salmon was lovely(...sorry Alison!) as was the ham and dessert....absolutely superb! Thankyou for a wonderful evening Lucy and Robert!!!

Lympne Castle

2007-10-18T18:01:00.001+09:30

Robert took us on a tour of Lympne Castle, a medieval castle with great history and brilliant views. After our tour we then retired to the parlour for some tea and truffles. A great way to end such a fabulous day.

Farm visits

2007-10-18T17:45:00.000+09:30

Westenhanger Castle and barns

2007-10-18T17:26:00.000+09:30

www.westernhangercastle.co.uk

Thank you to Graham who showed us around and captivated us with the history of the place. It was interesting to see the work being done to restore the barn and the amount of work already been done in the house.

A day in the English countryside

2007-10-18T17:04:00.000+09:30

On Wednesday morning we awoke to rain, the first since we have been here. Thankfully the sky cleared up once we headed outside, we even managed a picnic on top of a hill, overlooking a farm. Thank you to Robert Spicer who convinced us to, and who provided such a wonderful lunch for all of us.

Walking tour of Hythe

2007-10-18T16:31:00.000+09:30

After our pub lunch, we were taken on a walking tour of Hythe by our new hosts. We started at the Town hall, strolled through the town streets, saw the military cannal, learnt about the history of the town and finished off at the local Parish church and crypt.

View from host family's home

2007-10-18T03:32:00.000+09:30

While visiting Hythe, Ruth and I are lucky enough to stay with Denis in his beautiful home in Sandgate. This is the view of the sea from Dennis' home, and on a clear day France is visible.

First pub visit

2007-10-18T02:59:00.000+09:30

On Tuesday we were handed over to the Rotary club of Hythe in the morning and then taken to The Globe for our first English pub lunch. We enjoyed a Ploughmans lunch, a couple of warm beers and some good conversation with our new hosts.

Our Stay at New Barn

2007-10-17T02:39:00.000+09:30

For the first 3 nights of our stay in England, Alison, Charlene and myself were hosted by Stewart and Sheila Grainger. Steward is the GSE Chair for District 1120 and has done a fantastic job of organising our itinerary and our vocational visits. They made us exceptionally welcome in their home and we really enjoyed our time at Studley Cresent. Thankyou Sheila and Stewart. Here are some photos from our time in the Grainger household; An albino squirel, Charlene, Sheila and Alison on our walk into Longfield, Sowing winter wheat, a pond near New Barn and Alison outside 24 Studley Cresent.

Big Ben and I

2007-10-15T03:37:00.001+09:30

A trip to London town

2007-10-15T03:34:00.000+09:30

After spending the morning in Greenwich our hosts kindly offered to drive us into central London to see the sites. As you can see in the photo we dropped into Buckingham Palace for tea but unfortunately she was busy!

Greenwich

2007-10-15T03:30:00.000+09:30

In the morning we visited Greenwich Park which included a visit the the observatory were we stood either side of Greenwich mean time. A case of were west meets east.

A musical night

2007-10-15T03:24:00.000+09:30

On our first day in England we joined our host families at a Musical Chariety event. There were lots of corny jokes and old fashioned songs such as 'roll out the barrell'. The team did a great job of mostly staying awake after little sleep in the previous 40 hours.

We are here!

2007-10-14T01:16:00.000+09:30

After a grueling but uneventful flight we touched down today (Sat) at Heathrow at 6.05 am. After a 6 hour flight from Adelaide to Singapore we had a 6 hour stopover prior to leaving for the UK. Some 13 hours later and not enough sleep (besides Kent!) we arrived bleary eyed but excited. Our hosts greeted us at the airport and we have spent a quite day with them.

Our current challenge is to stay awake all day and go to bed tonight UK time. In a hours time we are heading of to a Rotary musical. Will post some photos when in my next blog. Tooooo tired to type any more. Jet laagggg.

Our Itinerary

2007-10-07T22:04:00.000+09:30

Click here to download a copy of our itinerary .

Farewell Presentation

2007-10-07T21:51:00.000+09:30

Today we had our farewell presentation at the Edinburgh hotel (Brownhill Creek RC). A great turn out attended our maiden presentation and even laughed at our lame jokes. Once our jackets were presented (by our host clubs) we took our victims (I mean guests) on a journey from the Outback to the Sea. What else can I say besides the food was great and the company even better. All we have to do now is pack our bags and cut our presentation down to 25 minutes total!

Kent here we come!

One Week till Departure

2007-10-04T12:48:00.000+09:30

With one week till we leave Adelaide bound for the UK we are surprisingly organised ( I think). We fly out on Friday the 12th of October at 11.55am bound for Singapore. After a 7 hour flight we have a 5 hour stop over in what is meant to be the best airport in the world. We then board again for a 13 hour trip to Heathrow. Arriving in London at 5.55am we will be greeted by the District Governor, Foundation Chair and GSE Chair of District 1120 and the President of the Rotary Club of Dartford. A very impressive line up for what I dare say will be a very tired but excited group of Aussies.

I will try (note; technically challenged therefore may need to pass this duty over to Gary our IT guru) to upload our trip program which includes all of our trip details including itinerary, host details and our blurbs.

We have our farewell lunch on Sunday in Adelaide which will be a lovely afternoon and hopefully give us the opportunity to practice....I mean display our well rehearsed....presentation that we'll be giving to all of the Rotary Clubs we visit in Kent and East Sussex. A journey from the "Outback to the Sea" will hopefully present the diversity and splendor of our unique country and the District 9520.

Looking forward to telling you all of the start of our adventure!!!
Cheers
Ruth

Welcome to our Blog

2007-08-03T13:33:00.000+09:30

This blog has been setup to share with you our experience as we prepare and experience a Rotary Group Study Exchange to the Kent District in the United Kingdom. Our team is representing the Rotary district of 9520.

Our exchange will start on October the 11th 2007 and end on November 14th 2007.