Get Ready to Get Dirty!

 2013 Coastal Cleanup

Lorraine Sheldon, Community Service Chair 

 

Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 21st.  That's the day this year for our club's favorite Community Service Project, Coastal Cleanup.  It's the day when people all around the country spend the day picking up thousands of pounds of trash from the coastlines all around the USA.  

Our appointed spot is Matheson Hammock Park.  We meet there at 8:30 a.m. to get our trash location, our garbage bags and the very important reporting list that catalogs and itemizes all the different kinds of trash that we find.  And boy do we find stuff!  Whole households of utensils, dozens of pairs of shoes, more plastic bags than you can ever imagine.  Bottle tops and clothes.  Fishing lines and gear.  And sometimes things that you would never expect.  It's a weird kind of "treasure hunt".

If you have a kayak, bring it down.  The kayaks are great for picking up the trash on the outside perimeter of the bay.  The places where even the most hardy Rotarians can't go on foot.  

So wear your crummy clothes.  Bring your mosquito repellant, your sun screen, gloves and a "picker" and meet us all down at Matheson on Saturday the 21st.  It's a great day for accomplishing something good for our community.  It's also a great way to get to know your fellow Rotarians.  We have a lot of fun, do a lot of good and all go out for lunch afterwards.  

Sign up at the meeting or email terryclong@bellsouth.net to register.  BE THERE!  

 

 

Kickoff Party for the 2014 Rotary Charity Golf Classic

Ashley Clinton, 2012-2013 Youth Exchange Rebound

I Smile When I Think About It!    

When I heard the news I was to live my exchange year abroad in Sweden, I went oh ... They told us to choose 5 countries that we wanted to go to, Sweden was my 5th choice.  But nonetheless I left my home and off to start my life as an official Rotary Youth Exchange student in Sweden.

 FUN FACTS: The population of Sweden is 9.5 million, the population of just the state of Florida is approximately 20 million, and the population of Miami is 5 hundred thousand. For the first 3 months there I knew Swedish just as much as I knew Chinese. 

The language by far was a difficult task for me, but as time went on I found myself having conversations with Rotarians at the Rotary meetings. In fact, one of the first nights in Sweden we had just finished dinner and my host mom asked me if I wanted more food and I said "nej, jag ar full" and then my host sister Hanna leaned over and said "That means you're drunk. You say jag ar met". And from then on I knew the difference. Learning Swedish in school also helped a ton. I attended Bstra Gymnasiet in Skog:\s, where my first 4 months of school was just Swedish lessons. Later on in the year I switched into the Nature line at my school.

Saint Augustine said "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."  Having the opportunity to leave my home country and travel to Europe has let me read more than one chapter of my book and surely bring me more to come in the future. Travel makes you modest, and you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. This year abroad has really opened my eyes and saved me from making choices that I didn't want to make, this year has taught me so much about myself. I want to go places and see people. I want my mind to grow. I want to live where things happen on a big scale. 

 At the end of the year all of the Exchange Students in Sweden went on an l8-day Euro tour.  We visited nine countries and had the most amazing experience that any l8-year-old would die for. We traveled to Berlin, Cracow (Poland), Auschwitz, Prague, Saltzburg & Zellam See (Austria), Slovenia, Venice & Lido di Jesolo (Italy), Paris, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Copenhagen. In those 18 days I saw more than most people see in their whole lives and it was such an amazing experience to travel, I get excited just thinking about It.

Living there for a year I've come to appreciate things that I took for granted back home like the hot sun and the cool beach of Miami. Sweden has taught me to really appreciate home and the things I have here but also be so thankful that I got such an amazing, cultural and exciting country to live in. I want to cry because I have never been so in love with another country as I am with Sweden. 

Exchange is so much more than pictures of statues or historical Sites, more than simply living in another country, more than learning a new language.  It's an opportunity of a lifetime that cannot be described in words.because it’s the feeling you get, the moments you have there and only another exchange student can understand it.  

I can't go back in time, I can only think on the many memories,. Having bonfires with 'all the exchange students in Stockholm.  Missing the bus and having to run to the train station.  Gaining weight from meatballs an from meatballs alone.  Almost losing your breath at the sight of Stockholm City as you ride in with the train. I smile and remember what an amazing year I had and maybe inspire people to go out and do the same with their life.

So I thank the Rotary club of Coral Gables for sponsoring me this year and giving me the opportunity to travel to Sweden, experience all the culture and live like a true Swede. I'm so glad that didn't get my first choice of country, I'm glad I got Sweden. So thank you once again for having me as this year's exchange student. I will never forget these memories and the experience I' had in Sweden. Jag alska Sverige ! Tack for en fantastiskt. De har inte hej dil. Du och jag vi ses igen.

School Supplies Project a HUGH Success

 

A big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed school supplies and/or cash to the school supplies drive, benefiting the Institute for Child and Family Health kids who have mental health issues, and often live at the poverty level.

 


Sharlane Kibbs and Maria Jimenez, who represented the non-profit at the club meeting yesterday, left with a truck full of supplies and $255 in cash and checks. 

This is the 3rd year the Rotary Club of Coral Gables has supported the Institute's school supplies drive.  Rotarian Betty Metcalf has served as a psychologist at the Institute for many years and is still honored as a member of their Board of Directors.

Thank you all so much for your generosity.

Terry Long, Project Coordinator

Lorraine Sheldon, Community Service Chair

 

2013-14 Rotary Youth Exchange from Campanis Rotary Club, Brazil

DANILO MASSON, OUR CLUB'S 2013-2014 ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE STUDENT IS ARRIVING SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 AT 6:20 A.M. HIS FIRST HOST FAMILY WILL BE MADELINE MENDEZ, THE MOTHER OF OUR CLUB'S OUTBOUND EXCHANGE STUDENT, ASHLEY FUENTES. HE WILL BE ATTENDING CORAL GABLES SENIOR HIGH AND WILL BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF OUR INTERACT CLUB.  YOU CAN BE SURE HE'LL BE DOING LOTS OF ACTIVITIES WITH OUR CLUB THROUGHOUT THE COMING YEAR.

 Hi my name is Danilo Masson,

I am fifteen years old and live with my parents. I was Born in Campinas, Sao Paulo where I grew up. I have one sister ,Mariane, Who is 26 years old and lives in Sao Paulo, with her fiancee.

I am going into the second year of high school and also taking tecnical courses in chemistry,  that is why I stay in school from 7:30 A.M. until 4:00 p.m. every day. In all I have nineteen  disciplines; my regular high school classes (Math, Portuguese, Biology, Physical, History, Chemistry, Geography, etc.), in the morning and technical classes (inorganic chemistry,
organic chemistry, good laboratory practices, Physical-Chemistry and topics in chemistry experimental) in the afternoon. Every day I have 8 classes of 50 minutes each.

 My parents have their own business marking school uniforms. My father has already retired but he keeps on working and my sister and me when we are on our vacation always help my parents in their job.

At home I always help my mother clean the house and to keep my room organized since I have my own room.

My city is a big city and we have a lot of things to do, such as go to the mall, watch movies, go to Taquaral park and theater, eat in excellent restaurants and go to teen clubs at night and then mainly, on Sunday go ride a bike on the bicycle paths.

About the things that I dislike:  Well, I really don't have many, but I don't like to eat vegetables and don't like so much to read a book.

About the things that I like: I enjoy playing with dogs and children, go out with my friend, watch tv, eat Japanese food  and pasta, travel and the last thing but not less important is stay with my family.

After my exchange year I will finish my technical courses, get into a good university and grow up to be a better person. I know that the exchange program will help me achieve all my dreams.

Can't wait to this realize!

Greetings - I will see you all soon.
Danilo