On Friday, August 13th, Chloe Chilver, our GRSP student for the school year 2010 – 2011, arrived in Georgia from her native Wales. Not even 24 hours in the States, and she participated in her first official act, and volunteered with our Club’s Beautification Project: Adopt-A-Road.
Chloe is from Overton, a small farming village on the border of Wales and England. One thing to know about Wales is that it takes part in the International Eisteddfod, which is like competition for musicians and poets from all over the world. Chloe says she is into sports and likes to stay fit. Her interests include badminton, archery, and clay pigeon shooting. She is 18 years old, and just graduated from high school. She will be enrolled at Brenau University, in Gainesville.
Sponsoring clubs include Lawrenceville, Buford / North Gwinnett, Gwinnett Mosaic, and South Hall. Paula and Beatty McCaleb are the host family. Her first Lawrenceville Club visit will be on Monday, August 16th.
GEORGIA ROTARY STUDENT PROGRAM
Since 1999, the Rotary Club of Wrexham Erddig has been sponsoring students to participate in the Georgia Rotary Student Programme. Every year up to 70 students from all over the world are accepted into the scheme, and thanks to the massive generosity of Rotarians in the state of Georgia, USA, the cost of their food, accommodation and college fees are fully paid. The students just have to meet the cost of their flights, insurance and spending money.
Three students are participating in the scheme in 2010-2011. They are Christian Dickenson, Christian Chalk and Chloe Chilver. They depart to Georgia at the end of August. All three are former students at Maelor School, Penley.
Rotarian Philip Squires from the Wrexham club says: “GRSP has provided this unique opportunity for young people from around the world since 1947. Each year, over 60 students meet initially and spend two days getting to know each other, before joining their respective college or university. This will is a great experience for these young people provided through the generosity of our fellow Rotarians in Georgia, USA”. This is not an exchange scholarship, although a number of countries do reciprocate in a small way. By way of thanks, and in recognition of the generosity of Rotarians in Georgia, Wrexham Erddig club have, on several occasions hosted two young people from Georgia for a three week cultural visit to North Wales.
Each student will have a host family in Georgia to look after them throughout their stay. One of the ideals of Rotary is to promote world peace and understanding. This scheme started by Rotarians in Georgia, USA, in 1946 just after the Second World War, exemplifies those aims.
Visit the American GRSP website.
