by Camille Ronzio, Rotary Club of Eugene Southtowne
Why Friendship Exchange?
Get more details and apply here:
QUESTIONS? WANT TO HELP OR GO? Contact the rep in your area or Camille Ronzio (Purple Bubble Below).
Rotary District 5110 encompasses the southern two-thirds of the state of Oregon and the very northern part of the state of California. Geographically the district has a diverse landscape, from the rocky shores of the Pacific Ocean to snow-covered 10,000-foot mountain peaks to dramatic deserts.
Rotary Friendship exchanges can include:
Boundary Cities include Lincoln City in the northwest; Madras and Prineville in the northeast; Lakeview in the southeast; Tule Lake, Montague, Scott Valley, and Yreka in the south; and Brookings on the very southwestern tip of our district.
There are 68 Rotary clubs and 3,800 Rotarians in the district, including one eClub. Each club has local community service projects of various types and many clubs engage in or support international service projects. We include a short service project as part of each exchange.
On the Pacific Ocean, our district includes a portion of the redwood forests in northern California. Oregon is a lush and slightly wild state offering many scenic tourist attractions. US Hwy 101 runs along the coast, a holiday paradise par excellence with resorts, beaches, and parks. Newport, one of the popular coast towns, has the Hatfield Marine Center and the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Our rivers, such as the Deschutes in the Bend area and the Rogue in Southern Oregon, cut through many scenic areas with trails and waterfalls. The McKenzie River is world-famous for fly-fishing. The Willamette National Forest features such spectacles as Sahalie, Koosah, and Salt Creek Falls.
Eugene and Corvallis are thriving university towns, with nationally-ranked athletic teams. Some of our exchanges include a visit to a college sporting event. These cities also have active arts and cultural events, featuring the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, and the internationally-recognized Oregon Bach Festival.
Crater Lake is the number one tourist attraction in Oregon. This features a wonderful old lodge and amazing views of the deepest lake in America.
The Siskiyou Mountains in Southern Oregon is the home of Oregon Caves National Monument. It has spectacular stalagmite and stalactite formations and is visited by guided tours. Nearby Ashland has the nationally-known Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
The Bend area is a mix of national forests, ski hills and dry plains. It is in the center of Oregon and features the High Desert Museum. It has excursions to the volcanic landscapes of Lava Butte, as well as Mount Bachelor Ski Resort for wonderful mountain views.
A Rotary Friendship Exchange With our District Usually Includes Three Stops.
Because of its size, we try to give a glimpse of a coastal city, central Oregon, and a stop in the Willamette Valley that includes Eugene, Springfield, or Corvallis. We can adapt stops to the interests of visiting teams.
For more information, contact:
Camille Ronzio or Ted Stevens
District 5110 Friendship Exchange Co-Chairs, 2019-20
ajronzio@comcast.net or tedstevens520@gmail.com
Upcoming exchanges
(Note: Dates are tentative as we are working with our partners in these districts to know when travel will be safe. All partners have been contacted and are planning on a future exchange with District 5110)
District 3272 Pakistan February 20-Mar13 – Outgoing team to: District 3272 Pakistan (Lahore, Islamabad, Hunza / Gilgit
June 19-July 6 – Incoming team from District 3272 Pakistan Hosting clubs to be announced
July 25-August 6: Inbound team from Pennsylvania 7430 (Mid Atlantic outside Philadelphia)
August 16 – 31 Inbound team from Philippines
Aug 9 – 22 Outbound team of 10 led by Ted Stevens to District 7820 Nova Scotia/Newfoundland (Halifax, St Pierre,St John, then across Newfoundland via Clarenville, Gander, Dildo, Stephenville and Corner Brook)
October 15-27 Outbound team of 7 led by Mary Hoskins to Pennsylvania 7430
March 7-22 Outgoing team of 12 led by Paul Spain to Philippines District 3850 Bacolod, Ililo Ililo, Roxas & Boracay. Team left early because of the virus.
The purpose of this document is threefold:
The goals of Rotary Friendship Exchanges are to experience how Rotary operates in different countries and other parts of the United States, to share service opportunities, to build understanding of different cultures and customs, and to build good will between Rotary Districts. These guidelines were created with these goals in mind. First and foremost, please be aware that a RFE trip in not a vacation experience. Second, District 5110 team members are ambassadors for our District in the world. To this end, all team members must be prepared to see and participate in Rotary projects and attend Rotary meetings as team members.
Team members often contribute a set amount to a team treasury to cover these latter expenses.
Contact Camille Ronzio or Ted Stevens, 2018-19 District 5110 RFE Co-Chairs at ajronzio@comcast.net or tedstevens520@gmail.com.
Rotary Friendship Exchange teams (RFE) are usually composed of 8 to 10 people, can be singles or couples (where one or both are Rotarians).