Due July 31st 2010.  The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. Scholars are expected to enroll in a formal program of study but need not intend to seek completion of a degree. Award is up to $25,000.

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Dear Rotarians,

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Saturday evening the annual District 7670 Foundation Banquet was held in Hickory.  The evening was a great success with heavy attendance and great representation from the whole District.

Keynote

PRIP Frank Devlyn delivered the keynote speech, inspired us to support TRF and also recognized numerous Rotarians for their support of TRF and commitment to Rotary.  In attendance there were numerous special guests including Past RI Director Ken Morgan and his wife Winnie and PDG Mark Markanda.

Introductions

At the Banquet, Frank Dean the current DGNDE was officially presented as well as the Outgoing GSE Team to the Philippines.  Frank Dean gave an enthusiastic preview of his commitment to Rotary and the good works that the Foundation does around the world.  Frank promised a FANTASTIC year and great things to come in District 7670.

Pictures and more information are to follow soon.

The following is an email along with some photos sent by Outbound Ambassadorial Scholar (Caleb).

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Sunday, October 4, 2009

Beloved family,

I can hardly believe that I’ve now been here for over a month. The time has gone by very fast. I suppose this is due to my busy schedule.

On Wednesday, September 16, I attended a Seoul Rotary Club breakfast seminar. While my particular host Rotary Club is an English-speaking club, this seminar was for the leaders of all the different Rotary clubs in Seoul , thus the meeting was held in Korean.. I was asked to give a self-introduction in Korean. Although I was nervous speaking in front of so many people in a language I don’t speak very well, my brief speech came out as well as I could have hoped. Afterward, I was excused to attend my class. As I was exiting through the corridor I was called by someone. When I turned around to see who had called for me, I recognized the man as Mr. D.K. Lee, the 2008-09 president of Rotary International. . I had just seen Mr. Lee in a television interview the week before, so it was somewhat surreal to be talking with him face to face. I don’t know whether he heard my speech or not, but he seemed interested in me, and we spoke for several minutes. He even gave me his personal phone number and invited me to visit him in his office sometime.

The following Saturday, Sep. 19, I went on an excursion with several members of my host Rotary club, as well as members of several other Seoul Rotary clubs. We were hosted by Rotarian B.R. Son, chairman of TCC Steel, at his property in Yangpyeong, overlooking the Han River, about an hour outside Seoul . We had a high quality Korean buffet lunch and then sat back and enjoyed several hours of traditional entertainment, composed of musical and dramatic performances. Even though I couldn’t understand everything, it was a valuable cultural experience. Moreover, the weather was excellent, and I always enjoy seeing new places.

After giving my speech at the Rotary seminar, I was approached by a Rotarian from a different club and invited to join their group on a trip to Baeknyeong-do on the weekend of September 26-27. I had never heard of Baeknyeong-do, but both the Rotarian who invited me as well as my host counselor told me that it is a special place that not even many Koreans are able to visit. We left the Incheon port on Saturday around 9 am and arrived at the island around 1 pm. This was a very lengthy trip considering that it takes only about 5 hours, by car or train, from Seoul in the north of the country to Busan in the south. After arriving, we stopped at a small restaurant for lunch. As I enjoyed the delicious meal I was reminded that the food in the countryside is usually tastier. That afternoon, we did some sightseeing around the island – both by car and by boat. As there are few residents and a limited number of visitors, the island’s natural beauty remains unspoiled and clearly apparent. The next morning we did some more sightseeing, including a stop at a Korean marine corp base. Baeknyeong-do is just 10 km from North Korea and closer to Shanghai than the South Korean mainland, so its defenses are quite strong. While the atmosphere didn’t feel quite as tense as in the Joint Security Area at Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone, I was certainly reminded that the Korean War has not yet truly ended. Well, it was a lot of traveling in just two days, but I realize how fortunate I was to be able to go on that trip to such a unique location.

In case you are wondering about my Korean language class, it is going well. I’m learning a little bit every day. One very positive development is that I signed up for the Korean language buddy program at SNU, and have already met with my partner several times. His name is Kang Seok Chu, and he is an Economics major in his last semester. He is a couple of years older than I am, but he has a gentle personality and has been very nice to me. Although he has a good knowledge of English, he always speaks with me in Korean, which I greatly appreciate. Kang Seok also introduced me to his girlfriend. The three of us ate lunch together then had a nice, long conversion in a campus coffee shop. When they found out that my birthday was on September 25, they wanted to have a small party for me. They bought a cake for me and we went up to the student cafeteria where they sang happy birthday to me and we ate the cake together. They also gave me a book, written in both English and Korean, for me to study. I was really moved by their thoughtfulness..

Some other friends of mine invited me to their home for a homemade Korean dinner on my birthday. The food was delicious, but more than that I was touched by their kindness. I am reminded often of how blessed I am to have such good friends here who truly care about me.

On Wednesday of last week I visited the Yeomyung School , along with Mr. Kim, director of International Relations at Far East Broadcasting Co., for whom I have been volunteering one afternoon a week. He introduced me to the school principal, and the three of us met in the school office. After I introduced myself, the principal told me about the school and showed me around. It is a Christian school exclusively for youths who have escaped North Korea and come to the South. Some have been here for a few months, others for a few years, but most have only a limited knowledge of English, a very important skill in South Korea . I will begin working at the school as a volunteer English instructor this Thursday, teaching a beginner level class. I care deeply about these people who have already gone through so much in their young lives, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve them in some way.

This past weekend was Chuseok, one of the two large traditional holidays in Korea , in which nearly everyone returns to their hometown to celebrate with family. The friend with whom I am living invited me to visit his hometown of Mungyeong in North Kyeongsang Province with him and his girlfriend, who comes from the same hometown. Chuseok fell on a Saturday this year, but the three of us traveled down on Thursday, so the traffic wasn’t bad. My friend and I stayed at his uncle’s log cabin, which his uncle actually built. It was a very nice home, and I can’t recall ever seeing a house like it in Korea . The location was especially lovely, nestled between a small river and rice fields, with large mountains all around. We did some sightseeing during our two days there, but mostly we spent time with family members and ate. I ate very well. We returned home on Saturday, so again the traffic wasn’t too congested. Today has been a restful day. Although it was a lovely fall weather, I only went out briefly, to attend church. I want to be ready for the new school week.

Thank you all for your birthday messages. I really appreciate you thinking about me, even while I’m so far away. I’m also thinking of you all, and I hope that everyone is well.