Great White North Youth Exchange Visits Wawa – Part 1

The Rotary Club of Wawa is hosting the Rotary Youth Exchange Students in the tri-annual District 6290 Great White North Youth Exchange Conference.

The MMCC is the hub of the events – students arrived by bus Thursday night after a long journey through the district beginning in Grand Rapids and to the top of the District – Wawa.

After being registered and swag bags distributed, the students sat down and enjoyed a dinner of pizza and Maple Leaf cookies.

Then it was time for the highlight of the day! This conference has all the ‘inbound’ students visiting from all over the world in District 6290. It also has all the ‘outbound’ students who have no idea where they are going in late summer.

Each applicant has chosen their favourite country and a couple others that they would enjoy experiencing. Thursday night – everyone was sitting on the edge of their seat wondering where they would go.

 

Invited to the ‘hot seat’ at the front of the room by Youth Exchange District Chair Howard Huyser , each outbound sat down and listened to a series of facts designed to help them guess where they are headed. Now, most of these are obscure facts (at least to me), and some are downright obvious.  However, when you are on the hot seat, in front of everybody – it is kinda hard to guess.

 

 

Some students were in shock and walked up to collect their new name tag, inscribed with their new destination, a Rotary theme pin, and a Wawa Goose pin. Others were, as you can see above – thrilled!

 

The last two students of the evening were presented with a unique flag and no questions. Confused, the symbolism of the flags were explained – their country hadn’t been chosen yet. These two will soon know their destination though.

 

Today, Saturday, February 8th, 2020, at the MMCC, the students will continue their studies and have an afternoon of ‘fun in the snow’ planned.