Rotary Offers Free Trip To South Korea

Newtown Rotary, together with the other Rotary Clubs in the Southern Connecticut area, are seeking to send a team of young business people to South Korea for four weeks.

The purpose of the trip, which begins April 2, is to fulfill the Rotary Goal of “World Peace through Understanding.” Between 500 and 600 Rotary teams are traveling to another country throughout the world every year.

The Korea team will consist of four young businesspeople and a Rotarian team leader. During their stay, members of the team will be staying in the homes of local Rotarians and during the day will follow a carefully planned itinerary. They will study the institutions and way of life in South Korea, develop personal friends, observe their own professions as practiced abroad, exchange ideas and share personal experiences of their own country with those they meet, and observe the local customs, vocations, and lifestyles.

Each team member will spend one day a week studying his or her profession or related activity in the area. Staying in local Rotarians homes allows the members to personally experience family lifestyles.

Applicants must be between 25 and 40 years of age, and be employed with a minimum of two years of experience in a recognized business or profession. In addition, candidates must be exemplary in their business or professional conduct, enthusiastic about their vocations, and capable of deriving maximum educational value from the program. They cannot be an immediate blood relation to a current Rotarian. After their study abroad, participants are expected to speak about their experiences at Rotary meetings and other civic functions.

Last year a team from South Korea visited Fairfield County and is now looking forward to hosting a team to reciprocate in hospitality.

The area to be visited is in the southern part of the country in the area of Pusan City. On January 14, a similar team left for India to learn about then people in the area of Punjab City.

Anyone interested in applying or knowing more about this opportunity, should call Ed Osterman in Newtown at 426-0530 or Brian Barrett in Southbury at 264-7983 as soon as possible.