England GSE

Full Circle

2009-04-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Rotary Friends:

We have now come FULL CIRCLE. The Incoming Team UK has just departed for home.

As Team leader for the GSE Outgoing Team from District 7770, I can attest to the fact that we all enjoyed a month of hospitality from our colleagues of District 1070. On return, I was given the opportunity to coordinate the agenda for the Incoming Team. I have developed an enhanced appreciation for all of the behind-the-scenes work which is required to put a visit together. I want to thank once again DG Iain Vernon, GSE Coordinator Colin Bain and all of the coordinators and host families who made our visit spectacular.

We hosted the team in my area, the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, for their first stop of their stay. The leader and the members were an absolute delight. We designed a very fully agenda for them and they held up well. We have closely monitored their exploits on their excellent blog site - http://d1070-d7770.blogspot.com . From the entries, I think it is safe to say that their “Adventure of a Lifetime,” was every bit as fulfilling, satisfying and exhausting as ours.

Many of our host families re-joined the UK Team at our District Conference in Columbia, SC. Both the Outgoing and the Incoming Teams were provided ample time to make PowerPoint Presentations to the assembly. 3 members of my team attended, and everyone took the opportunity to Party Hearty.

I want to share with you some awesome news. The District Conference was one I will never forget. During the Saturday Night Banquet, awards were presented. To my great surprise, I received the Rotary International Service Above Self Award for my mission work in Haiti. This is presented to only 150 Rotarians. I was INCREDULOUS.

In researching this honor, I have learned, “The Rotary International Service Above Self Award is Rotary's highest honor for individual Rotarians, recognizing those who have displayed exemplary humanitarian service with a focus on active involvement in helping others through Rotary.” We have had only 9 members of District 7770 (S.C.) receive the award since it was instituted in 1991.

On this past Friday, my team joined many Rotarians in Charleston for the going away party. Everyone again enjoyed true Rotarian hospitality. It was so sad to see them go.

The following morning two team members, Mary Dolan and Eric DiLorenzon, ran a Half Marathon across the Cooper River Bridge. I have yet to hear their results.

This will be the final entry in our GSE Blog. Thanks again to so many who made our Rotary GSE experience so memorable.

Sincerely,
Bill Greene
USA Team Leader

PS Bob Parfit from the UK deserves special recognition. Without a doubt, he is the most prolific emailer I have ever seen. He often sends a half dozen witticisms to us each day. We have thoroughly enjoyed his sense of humor and insights on a variety of subjects. Bob, please, keep it up.

Dat,dat,dat,dats All Folks !

2008-10-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

I have returned safely, though exhausted, from England.

My only two regrets from the trip are:

1. We could not take our alternate members and team leaders with us.

2. Time constraints would not permit my team members to join me for my last 3 days sightseeing in London.

I had a ball, albeit alone. I stayed in the theatre district at the Strand Palace Hotel, on the advice of a Rotarian friend. I learned that a significant amount of money buys a very small room in London.

The first day, I took the open top, double-decker bus around the city. That evening, I got a ticket to see a Broadway play, “The Jersey Boys,” considering myself to be from New Jersey. I then strolled around to see the night sites.

The second day, I was still permitted to ride the bus, so I saw the remaining western portion of the city. I went to the Tower of London, and viewed the vast royal jewel collection with the Beefeaters’ tour. After earlier visits to wonderful cathedrals (Peterborough and Lincoln), I was blown away at St. Paul’s in London.

The third day, I went to the Natural History and Science Museums and Kew Gardens (botanical gardens). I took a train ride to a hotel near Gatwick to stay the night, and left without incident the following morning, for the long journey home.

I want to recognize each of the members of my team: Mary, Colette, Joe and Eric.

I believe the secret to our success was our recruiting. We had 18 candidates for 4 positions, so we were able to choose the best of the best. We really experienced no significant problems. The members were outgoing, intelligent, respectful and appreciative of all that our hosts provided. They bonded well and were supportive of one another.

Their “stage presentations” were resourceful, humorous and articulate. They were excellent representatives of the USA and of the Rotary clubs which sponsored them. I want to thank them for all of their individual efforts to make us a success. I believe our most important performance was at the District Conference. The praise we received made me very proud.

On the day before our departure, District Governor Iain Vernon presented me with a gift of a beautiful flower vase, with an etched glass Rotary wheel and the District 1070 insignia. The attached card thanked the team for a job well-done.

I have hurriedly uploaded more than 1,000 photos to share with those who have followed our blog. Unfortunately, my camera and computer did not keep them in chronological order. Feel free to download and use our photos from the following sites:

http://picasaweb.google.com/GUDOC96/WebAlbumWG101408?authkey=20Jl5oHKFe0WebAlbumWG101408?authkey=20Jl5oHKFe0#

http://picasaweb.google.com/GUDOC96/GSEphotosWG?authkey=PMg5aUrE31A#
http://picasaweb.google.com/GUDOC96/GSEPhotosWG2?authkey=91bRq-xFXYo
http://picasaweb.google.com/GUDOC96/GSEPhotoFunnyEric?authkey=a91uqRcRT8U
http://picasaweb.google.com/GUDOC96/GSEPhotosColette?authkey=R9cwdugAeFA
http://picasaweb.google.com/GUDOC96/GSEPhotosJoe?authkey=cEtwnuT4DWc
http://picasaweb.google.com/MaryM.Dolan
http://picasaweb.google.com/cdegarady/EnglandGSEPhotos#

Our team members will be available for presentations at Rotary clubs in District 7770 in the coming months. We have wonderful stories to share, and welcome invitations from clubs that have interest in GSE.

Regrettably, we are only permitted to be members of one GSE team.

But, we have returned from our adventure with memories and friends who will last a lifetime.

ROTARY JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER.

Wrapping up

2008-10-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

As the journalist in this group and a lover of words, it would seem on the surface as though it should be easy to summarize our trip, summarize our experience, summarize what we learned. But, as I sit at home in Sumter, South Carolina, a day after returning from a whirlwind four-week tour of England, I find myself at a loss for the right words. It's impossible to capture and convey all that I'd like, but I'll do my best.

I should start by saying, first and foremost, this trip proved to be life-changing for me and my teammates. I think no one would argue we are walking away forever changed by this experience. But now I must back up.

It's amazing how quickly the four weeks went by. It's even more amazing when I think this trip only materialized for me and my teammates four and a half months before we boarded a plane for England. We interviewed for spots on this GSE team back in April, and shortly thereafter, we were notified of our selection. Prior to that point in time, none of us knew one another and none of us knew we'd be traveling across the Atlantic in the middle of September for a month-long stay.

But as the weeks of summer progressed, our team began to meet, began to make our plans, began to create our group presentation. And on Sept. 12, we gathered, no longer strangers, at the airport in Charlotte and embarked on our journey. Four weeks later, on Oct. 11, we gathered once again -- and this time not just as acquaintances, but as friends -- and returned back to the States.

So much happened in between.

During the four weeks my team and I were in England, we stayed with eight different host families, immersed ourselves in the country and the culture, took part in vocational experiences and toured buildings and towns and cities steeped in history.

Our trip was to Rotary District 1070, situated in the East Midlands of England, and therefore the spots we visited, for the most part, were within that district. We stayed in Peterborough, Lecicester, the Deepings, Sleaford, Stamford, Northampton, Wellingborough and Brackley, with a weekend stop in the coastal city of Torquay thrown in the mix.

What made this trip truly exceptional -- at least in part -- was that we did stay in people's homes, rather than in hotels. We gained so much from this. The people we stayed with opened their homes to us as though we were family, sat down with us for meals and engaged us in riveting conversation. The kindness and hospitality we were shown was incredible.

And when we weren't at home with our hosts -- enjoying delectable English cuisine -- we were seeing the sights or learning about our careers in that country. Days alternated between tours of churches, cathedrals, castles and museums and visits to places of work comparable to our own back home. So much learning took place on both accounts. We amassed a great deal of knowledge and understanding of the rich history of the buildings and cities we visited. And our vocational visits allowed us to compare notes with how we did things back home. We gained information to take back home that will aid us in our careers and tried to pass along some helpful hints of our own.

And now, after a month of meeting some of the kindest people I've ever met, learning more than I thought was possible in four weeks' time, accumulating memories I'll keep with me forever and making several terrific new friends out of my teammates, I'm back home. I now am charged with the seemingly impossible task of expressing my gratitude to everyone who made this trip possible.

I am so incredibly grateful to Rotary International and all of the Rotarians who enabled me to have this experience. I have been impacted both personally and professionally, and I will forever be indebted.

Cheers,
Mary

Conference at Torquay

2008-10-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

The gala at The George Hotel on the Saturday of conference weekend:

Our big presentation at the conference:

Beautiful Torquay!

Northamptonshire

2008-10-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

Some shots from our time in Northamptonshire:

The view just outside the cottage where I was staying -- what a beautiful village green!

Stowe Gardens:

(I felt adventurous when I saw this tree -- it's the perfect tree for climbing!)

Our walk through North Brington:

This is Althorp, Princess Di's brother's home and where Diana lived for a while.
This is the church with Diana's family, the Spencer family's, crypt.
The Northampton group taught us how to play skittles!

Some vocational shots

2008-10-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

One of the best vocational visits I had was to the Northampton Chronicle and Echo. I was there almost a full day, and I got to speak with editor Peter Clarke, several reporters and staff members, and even went over to court with the court reporter.

I loved the old equipment they kept on site as a reminder of days gone by!

And we're back

2008-10-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it -- four weeks of immersion in the UK have come to an end. It went by so fast, and yet, it also felt like we'd been there forever and had made friends we'd known for years. I'm sorry I was unable to update more often; my limited computer/Internet access made it tough to find ways to update. But I promise to post more pictures, as well as a final synopsis. GSE England's still going strong!

Final note from Colette

2008-10-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its almost time to go home on Saturday. This had been such a tremendous visit!

You can see from Bills Blog that we enjoyed Torquay and gained a lot from the district conference!

My hosts Lionel and Mary, stopped by Stratford-upon-Avon on the way home and gave me the Shakespear tour.

We also stopped to see the 14th Century Warick Castle.

But its not only historic sight-seeing. I'm also learning a lot from my vocational visits with more conservation organizations. Today I spent time with RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), a sister organization to the Audubon Society, to learn about restoration of heathlands from non-native woodlands. A highlight was observing a pair of green woodpeckers foraging on the ground (a-typical of the woodpeckers from the US).

District 1070 Assembly : SHOWTIME

2008-10-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

Our weekend visit to Torquay on the southern shore of the British Isles became the high point of our GSE adventure. Host families took us on a 6 hour journey, southeast from the Midlands, to the Grand Hotel.

Nearly 1,000 Rotarians convened for the annual event. It was Gov. Iain Vernon’s blow-out celebration and the Rotarians provided a magnificent program in true British fashion. On Saturday, we had 2 morning plenary sessions, a House of Friendship, delicious meals and then, a magnificent banquet that evening. We befriended President DK Lee's personal representative to the conference, Mary Beth Growney Selene, a Yank from Minnesota. She is a past District Governor who shares my passion for mission work in Haiti.

A dance band energized everyone to “strut their stuff” on the dance floor. In another room, a Las Vegas-style gambling venue provided additional entertainment.

Many of our cherished host families came for the celebration. This gave us the opportunity to spend time with those who had immersed us in their genuine British hospitality.

Sunday was Showtime. Our presentation to the District Conference was the culmination our visit to 1070, the most important part of our adventure. I awoke at 4:45 AM. My apprehension made it impossible to sleep. I re-worked my portion of the Powerpoint, to fine tune it.

During the preceding 3 weeks, the team made a priority to amass a large volume of photos, with particular emphasis on funny photos. We have discovered that team member Eric has particular talent with humor.

We shortened our ordinary club presentations, in order to have time in the 30 minute slot, to tell about our GSE experiences and then to showcase our humor. Eric narrated the last portion, and brought the house down.

It had been apparent that many local Rotarians had reservations about the value of the GSE program. When we finished, the applause was loud and long. DG Iain Vernon took the opportunity to explain to the gathering that our presentation made clear how important GSE is to the Foundation and to the Rotary experience.

Afterward, we received high praise from many of the participants. One Brit told us it was the best GSE presentation he had heard in 20 years. I feel that we provided an excellent program for our hosts, and we demonstrated our appreciation for their unparalleled hospitality. When we closed, we offered gifts to Iain and his wife Jo, from the team and from our DG Anne Walker.

The remaining week will be a cake walk with this performance behind us. We will visit with the clubs from Wellingborough Hatton and Brackley. The team returns home next Saturday, Oct. 11. I will remain for 3 days of London sightseeing and return on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Life in the U.K. is good. Our GSE experience has far exceeded our expectations.

Hello from Northampton

2008-10-02T11:16:00.001-07:00

And the journey continues...

After an absolutely terrific time in Stamford, we moved on Monday to Northamptonshire. We so enjoyed our time with the Stamford St. Martin's club, who are a young, very lively club, full of new ideas. We won't soon forget their farewell evening, a dinner full of games and surprises that included Eric dressing up like an 80s rock star and me applying makeup to a poor soul while I was blindfolded!

Monday was fairly low key. We had a pub lunch with our new Rotary hosts and then spent some time walking around the village of North Brington. We walked by Althorp, which was a childhood home of Princess Di's and visited the church that houses her family, the Spencer family's, crypt. That was truly fascinating to see.

Then on Tuesday we spent the first part of the day in court -- no, not for doing anything wrong -- to get a glimpse of the legal system and make some comparisons between ours and theirs. Then in the afternoon we visited their Closed Circuit TV headquarters, because CCTV is quite prevalent in the UK as a means for crime prevention and crime solving.

Wednesday was a vocational day for each of us, and I think we all truly enjoyed ourselves. I spent the day at the Northampton Chronicle & Echo where I talked with a number of folks and racked up some great ideas to take back with me to the States.

Then today, part of our group -- Colette and Eric -- headed with their hosts to Torquay, a coastal city in the southwestern portion of the country. Joe, Bill and I will follow with our hosts tomorrow. Torquay is the site of District 1070's annual conference. Our group will be presenting on Sunday, so please wish us luck!

New color scheme for Myrtle Beach Police Cars

2008-10-02T01:25:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday October 1st I spent the day with Northampton Police. I was able to do a ride along, saw the police dogs training, saw the firearms training area (have lots of new ideas) and the police training center. While I was walking around HQ I came up with the thought of, hey why don't our cars in Myrtle Beach look like this? Let me know what you think...

Northampton Police didn't think it was a good idea that I take a bite from one of thier dogs, escpecially after they told me that the Shepard isn't a fan of letting go of the sleeve. But here are a few pics of the dogs at work. (I have some video which I will share when I get home)
This is Sam, one of the female dog handlers and her German Shepard. The dog is playing with his ball just after knocking the other handler to the ground after taking a bite on the sleeve.

See you soon....

Stamford

2008-09-29T00:56:00.000-07:00

Some photos of our guided tour of beautiful historic Stamford:

Some tributes

2008-09-29T00:48:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd take a moment to make some tributes to recognize a few people/moments in recent days that are worth noting:

Norry Bell, perhaps the most colorful character we've encountered on our travels, was Eric's host in Sleaford. He showed up one night looking like this:

And the Scotsman showed up another time looking like this:

And now, a tribute to the American donut. Poor Eric, our resident police officer, had been feeling the hunger pangs of a donut craving. Fortunately Colette's host Nick was able to help him out.

Stamford St. Martins

2008-09-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had my vocational day at the hospital, "cutting up." I was welcomed by Drs. Linda, Charlie and Chris. Life in the Urology Theatre is much the same as in the U.S.
Last evening, my hosts Pres. Helen and Martyn Gatehouse offered a home-cooked meal of coq au vin. We then went to the local theatre for a quality production of "The Pirates of Penzance," performed by locals in Stamford.
Our British friends have been sadly misinformed that the American Bloaks are malnourished. Every time we turn around there is another banquet or trip to the Pub. Southern hospitality could take a lesson from our friends across the Pond. A daily run has become an absolute necessity, to assure that the pants (oops, they call them trousers; pants are underwear) that we brought with us will fit at the end of the trip.

Tomorrow, we sing our theme song again, by Willie Nelson, "On the Road Again." We are off to Northampton. We look forward to attending the District Conference in scenic Torquay, 6 hours away at the end of the week. I spent my "free day" on the computer, preparing for our presentation that will KNOCK THEIR SOCKS OFF.

Now, we are off to a banquet hosted by Stamford St. Martins. Life is tuff.

Free Day !!!

2008-09-28T02:16:00.000-07:00

While my teammates are trucking all around the UK today, I am enjoying my free day at my host's home. Now that I have a few spare minutes I figured I would share some more pics with you.

I spent Wednesday 9-24-08 with the Lincolnshire Constabulary (Police), my partner for the morning was PC Andy Jarvis (below) took me around to the Police Training Facility.

This is Chewy, short for Chubacca, who is a pup that is being raised at the dog training center in hopes to one day be a working police dog. The Lincolnshire Police raise their working dogs from pups. Handlers take their dogs home with them and many of them have 2 dogs assigned to them, one patrol & tracking (mostly Shepard's), the other is for drugs or explosives (mostly spaniels).

That's me, in one of Lincolnshire's fastest cars, a Subaru Impreza, fully equip with tag reader, camera, radar, CPU etc. PS the tag reader is in the back window and is tiny compared to the ones used in the states.

Moving on to Friday, I went to London and worked with Metropolitan Police. I went via train to St. Pancreas / Kings Cross station (London's version of Grand Central Station) and spent the day with one of their Counter-Terror officers who is stationed at the train station. We then went to New Scotland Yard (which is actually the name of a building, not a police force).

Tower bridge and a WWII ship

I then took a walk over to the National Police Memorial, this memorial is fortunately much, much smaller then the one in DC, being they have fewer officers killed. Underneath the stone shown below is a book behind glass that is open to the page that shows the names of the officers killed in the last few years.

And, on a much lighter note, the Stamford St. Martin's Rotary Club was very gracious in getting me a jelly donut so I felt like I was home. It was good, but I'm staying loyal to the Donut Man..

The team is headed off to our fifth home on Monday, below is a picture of Stamford which is the area that we have been staying in, very nice area. Cheers!!

A note from Colette

2008-09-27T11:20:00.001-07:00

I've had some great vocational experiences, I had to share...

At rutland water preserve learning how livestock are used to manage grasslands.

Wetland habitat for wading birds and osprey.

Joe and I had the opportunity to visit Hill Holt Wood which is a 34 acre woodland used to help educate troubled boys. Nigel and his wife Karen have created not only a center for education but also a sustainable system for them to live, contribute to society, and remain financially stable. It was very inspiring.

It was complete with compostable toilets and woodworking shops to create items from the wood grown on site.

I've also been able to enjoy some English style horseback riding while I've been here. Thanks so much to Anita (and Mary) and Stephen for making it happen!!

And now some pics from Sleaford

2008-09-26T00:13:00.001-07:00

Walking down Steep Hill in Lincoln. The hill is aptly named.

We visited Lincoln Cathedral, famous for its imp carved in stone among the Angel Choir. No one knows quite for sure why the imp is there. Regardless, there he is. Some of the others got some better shots of the imp. I wasn't using my good camera that day.

There's the imp on a table. He's become quite the mascot of the cathedral and the town.

Lincoln Cathedral was built at the end of the 11th century. It's a stunningly beautiful building. Some of The DaVinci Code was filmed there!

The original Norman Baptismal Font.

And now we transition to our day on the farm...

I think Colette dubbed herself the Straw Queen of Sleaford if I'm not mistaken.

Mary with corn.

Mary with baby cows.

Sleaford Rotarian Michael Brearley showed us around his farm Roxholme Estate. We tasted raw corn and sugar beat!

Airplanes and war history...

Our Sleaford friends took us to RAF Coningsby and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Visitors Centre, where various British WWII aircraft are on display. It was quite interesting.

Sleaford Club President Stephen Bath, some of our team and others from the Sleaford club listening to our guide.

A WWII plane.

Outside of Petwood Hotel, where we ate at Dambusters Bar, named for the WWII British Dam Buster planes that bombed Germany.

Tattershall Castle, built in 1432 by Ralph Cromwell (no relation to Oliver), who was Lord Treasurer of England. I think I'd like to have a castle. Nothing says you're somebody like a moat.

Some more pictures from our time in the Deepings

2008-09-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

After our croquet match, we were given PRE-PRINTED runner-up certificates! Sounds fishy to me!

I know this has absolutely anything to do with anything, but I fell in love with little Daisy while I was staying with Joe and Barbara.

I figured I had to include a shot of the whole gang enjoying time with our hosts at a local pub, The Goat.

Hello from historic Stamford!

2008-09-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from our time in the Deepings:

Joe tries his hand at croquet during our UK/US matchup.

Turns out Colette was holding out on us and has some mad croquet skills.
Good form, Eric, good form.
Meanwhile Daisy and I relaxed while I brainstormed my next move.

The Burghley House -- some scenes in Pride & Prejudice and The DaVinci Code were filmed there!
The Burghley House -- built by William Cecil in the 1500s for Queen Elizabeth I.

Our trip is just about at the halfway point -- crazy!! Where has the time gone? We arrived today in Stamford after a wonderful few days in Sleaford where we all had fantastic vocational days, roughed it on a couple of farms (trying raw corn and sugar beat, mind you!) and had an overall great experience.

2008-09-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Arrival at Gatwick in England
District 1070 Iain Vernon
Our gracious hosts Bob and Sue Bartlett in Peterborough
A welcome party by Martin and Mary Helen in Peterborough
Bob and Sue Bartlett

2008-09-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Peterborough Cathedral
Town Hall, Leicester
Foxton Locks
Hosts Howard and Moira Bartlett in the Pub

Final night at the deepings

2008-09-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Deepings, I started off the morning walking with my host family and Joe. Here are a few pictures of what I saw on the walk...

After our long walk we were treated to a "proper" full English breakfast prepared by my host Gordon and Elaine Wiggins:

Once we finished our breakfast I rested up for our big Croquet against Team Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We gave them a good fight but in the end we ended up losing, sorry to say.

After our defeat at Croquet, we were treated to scones prepared by Mary Martin. Again, no I will not bring you back any...

And congrats to the winners!!!!

Becoming more English every day

2008-09-21T03:26:00.000-07:00

I think our team of five Americans is becoming a little more English with every passing day! Saturday we went on a heritage walk around Market Deeping, which was really informative and allowed us to walk through streets of beautiful homes and buildings and churches. Then in the afternoon we toured Burghley House in Lincolnshire, which was built as a part-time home-away-from-home for Queen Elizabeth I -- wow!!!

Then last night the group all converged on Colette's hosts, Mike and Val, for a dinner of fish and chips. YUM. We dined on tasty fish, chips with vinegar and mushy peas. Yes, mushy peas. :) After we'd eaten ourselves silly, we headed to The Goat, a local pub for a bit. Colette and I tried to be daring in our first round of lagers, trying one called Bitter and Twisted -- a bit TOO bitter for us, I must say. Then I settled on Stella Artois, which was quite nice. I think a good time was had by all during our evening at The Goat.

Today we've got to put our game faces on for a US vs. UK game of croquet! Wish us luck!

2008-09-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

It is 1 A.M. I hope you find these photos interesting. Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, I have said enough for today.

2008-09-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

Hello from Market Deepings

2008-09-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

And so the traveling about England's East Midlands continues. After several days in Leicester, which I think we all enjoyed very much, we're now once again close to Peterborough, in an area of towns known as the Deepings, the largest of which is Market Deepings.

After a delightful lunch at a pub in Empingham earlier today, we parted ways with our respective host families. I'm staying with a family just outside the Deepings in Northborough. We each had a vocational afternoon today, which I know we were excited about. I spent some time at Peterborough's Evening Telegraph. It was particularly interesting because its a paper very close in size to my own, and through speaking with the folks there, I realize we're dealing with virtually the same set of issues.

Tonight we're having a welcome dinner with past District Governor Tony Martin and his wife Mary. Mmm, more food!!

See I am working

2008-09-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce Inspector Bill Knopp of the Leicestershire Constabulary to you. His rank and agency would be similar to a Lt. in a county level agency. In England the Constabulary (Police Department) work for the "federal" government. There are no local or state level agencies just county level police agencies who have nationwide jursidiction. Had a great time @ his agency and learned that we have the same problems and concerns in both our agencies.

2 of Leicestershire's finest

That's right I was given a Bobbie Hat, no you cannot have it.

No time to breathe

2008-09-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

I hate that I haven't been able to update this more, but, as we knew it would be, this thing has pretty much been go, go go. But I don't think any of us have minded. I think it's safe to say we're all having the most amazing time.

Monday we toured Peterborough Cathedral (built in a 100+ year span between the 1100s and the 1200s) and then later that night gave our first presentation to a Rotary club. Tuesday we traveled to Leicester, where we've been ever since.

We started our Leicester experience with a luncheon Rotary meeting that involved a tour of Norman & Underwood (a lead and glass works company) that allowed us to have a go at welding (which Joe excelled at) and glass cutting. Quite interesting. We gave our presentation for a second time at this meeting.

We spent Tuesday night, our first night in Leicester with our respective host families, getting acquainted with them and with the area. It's a lovely, lovely area. Then on Wednesday we visited Foxton Locks -- canal locks and gates system -- and had a delightful lunch at a pub there. Colette and I explored Leicester the rest of the day.

Then last night, Eric and his host and me and my hosts gathered at the Wheatsheaf Inn, a wonderful little pub in my hosts' village. I had fish and chips for the first time across the pond! SO, SO good.

Today lent itself to a visit with Leicester's Lord Mayor (sounds important, doesn't it?) and a separation of ways to do some other various activities.

Hello from Joe and Colette

2008-09-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Its Wednesday, Sept 17th and Joe and I are sitting together at Mike Kellett's house after an incredible meal of green mussels, prawns, and pork spare ribs with cider. What a treat! We've had a wonderful day of visiting Leicester and taking in the downtown museums and De Montorf University (Joe's vocational visit). Mary and I had the opportunity to visit a 1390's town hall which had a stage that Shakespear once visited. We were awestruck.

We also visited the famous Foxton Locks which were an intriguing series of small channels used to divert narrow boats from one canal to another.

I (colette) have to mention some incredible sights I saw near Holmes (my previous local) pertaining to the wetland fens on the landscape. This is an area comprised of rich peat soil that has been sinking for many years. The picture below show iron posts put into the ground in 1850 that were cover to the top. In the past 160 years the ground has sunk all the way down exposing 12 or so feet of post, really amazing.

The other pictures shows part of the fen wetland restoration project (yes that is phragmites!). Many wading birds, harriers, shrews, slugs, butterflies, and dragonflies are currently using the area.

Hello Myrtle Beach and the world

2008-09-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to make a quick entry and let everyone know we are all doing great!! We just moved to our second of 8 homes and are settling in after a hectic day. I'll share a picture with you that I know my friends and family never thought they would see me in. On behalf of me and the rest of the GSE team thanks for holding things down in the USA while we are gone.

Some photos from our first day

2008-09-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

I was trying to be artsy from my seat on the airplane.

A view from out the window during our drive from Gatwick Airport in London to Peterborough.

Costa Coffee shop in a travel plaza/rest stop we stopped at soon after leaving Gatwick Airport. Thank goodness for getting away from Starbucks!

Joe, Colette and Eric deep in discussion as we took turns withdrawing pounds from an ATM before we hit up the Costa Coffee shop.

The Ramblewood Inn, a beautiful building at which we met our host families for the first time.

My host Mary-Helen Shakespeare, Colette's host Janet Cooke and our Peterborough organizer Marie Plumb gave us a walk-through of the grounds of the Ramblewood.

We made it!

2008-09-14T13:15:00.001-07:00

A seven hour flight, a questionable plane meal and a fitful night of upright sleep later, our Group Study Exchange team has arrived in the UK -- and we couldn't be happier. Bill, Colette, Joe, Eric and I boarded a US Airways flight from Charlotte on Friday evening and were met at Gatwick Airport in London on Saturday morning (English time!) by District 1070 Governor Iain Vernon and Rotarian Mac Warwick. The two greeted us with hugs and kisses and loaded us into a van (our month's worth of luggage in tow!) and chauffeured us the two and a half hours to Peterborough. We stopped briefly at a travel plaza/rest stop area for a cup of coffee at Costa Coffee -- a nice departure from Starbucks!

Then when we arrived in Peterborough, we met our host families who were waiting for us at the Ramblewood Inn -- a beautiful building with a very intersting history. We went our separate ways with our hosts, Joe and Eric jetting off with their joint host family to a rugby match in Leicester. From talking with them today, it sounds like they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and may even be converts from American football!

I went to the home of Mary-Helen and Martin Shakespeare (apparently no relation to the one who's just a tad famous!) and immediately fell in love with their lovely place. I took a very welcomed hour or so to shower and freshen up and then the festivities began. The Shakespeares hosted a small party that evening, with 20 or so guests, including Colette and her hosts Lawrie and Janet Cooke. It was quite a delightful evening of sipping wine, munching on yummy food and engaging in wonderful conversations.

This morning Iain Vernon and his wife Jo took Bill and me to church with them at Westgate Church, a United Reform Methodist church. Bill and I both enjoyed the service very much, and afterward, Iain walked us to the nearby Catholic church for Bill's sake (he is Catholic) and then a Baptist church close by (for my benefit). After that, our team gathered at the Holiday Inn for our official welcome lunch with a large crowd of local Rotarians. It's amazing to have been here only two days and already met so many wonderful people and had such hospitality extended to us.

This afternoon, Bill and I got a chance to go sailing at a lake a Ferry Meadows park, thanks to Bill's hosts Bob and Su Bailey. The weather was beautiful, and we each enjoyed a turn in the small sailboat. I, knowing very little when it comes to sailing, enjoyed my lessons from Bob on port side, starboard side, luffing and tightening the sails!

Tomorrow, we will tour Peterborough Cathedral and then later in the evening will give our first presentation before a club. Wish us luck!

Photos to come soon...

And we're off!

2008-09-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

All the months of planning have paid off! As I write this, I'm accompanied by my team members Eric, Colette and Joe and our team leader Dr. Greene at Gate D11 at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport as we await our flight to Gatwick Airport in London. Hard to believe the day has finally arrived!

Stay tuned!

T minus three days

2008-09-10T12:25:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe it, but the time of departure is nearly upon us! It's hard for me to believe I just met my fellow team members at the end of May to start plotting and planning our trip together. Now four-ish months later, we are already a cohesive team with a plan for action and common goals. I can hardly wait for all that we're going to encounter while abroad!

I, like my teammates I feel sure, have been busy buying last minute travel essentials, doing laundry and packing my bags. It's been surreal this week saying goodbyes to the people I typically encounter on a regular basis. I've received so many "good lucks" and other well wishes, I know that we'll have a huge group of people wishing us the best and keeping us in their thoughts while we're away.

I can't express enough thanks to the Rotarians here in Sumter who have shown their support and have helped make this trip possible for me.

Well -- back to the getting ready and checking off of items on the seemingly never-ending to-do list!

We're almost there!

2008-09-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

September 2

I hosted our final meeting in Charleston August 31st to finish preparations for our trip to England, less than 2 weeks away! The whole team had a sense of anticipation as we got down to business to refine our presentations and cover logistics of the impending trip. We were delighted to have Pat Campbell with us from the East Cooper Breakfast Club who gave us all the details about the "Gift of Life" program he helps organize for District 7770. Thanks also to East Cooper Breakfast Club for sponsoring our lunch!

Bill passed around our new jackets we'll be bringing to England, and we couldn't resist trying them on.

I think I can speak for everyone when I say how excited we are to be nearing our departure day. A huge thanks to all of our sponsoring clubs, behind the scenes organizers both in SC and England, and our alternates who have supported us.

Next stop....ENGLAND!

2008-08-20T09:38:00.001-07:00

Our Rotary UK Advisor, Colin Bain has done a ton of work arranging our itinerary and lining up our host families for our visit. He sent me a map of our travels, which everyone can view by clicking:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104355077562199012890.000453b6fcef7639be242

We have been assured that we will have high speed Internet available throughout the trip. We plan to make free family phone calls to the U.S. using Skype.

Our final team meeting will be hosted by Colette DeGarady in Charleston, on Sunday, August 31.

Bill Greene

2008-08-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

Our Third Meeting, August 2, 2008

2008-08-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

August 3

The challenge riddle: What did the monkey say when he got his tail caught in the lawn mower?

Yesterday, our GSE met for the third time in Myrtle Beach at my home. We had a barbecue and a small beach party. Fellow Rotarian Richard Scott is the manager of the Carolina Oprey; he generously provided tickets for the team to enjoy the wonderful musical show in the evening. Two team members stayed overnight.

Unfortunately, Alternate Team Leader, Roy Prescott, was forced to resign his position because of illness in his family. We will miss him, although I am relieved that the contract on my life has been withdrawn (an inside joke).

David Wright has agreed to fill the position. David withdrew his name earlier because of significant threat from Colon Cancer. He has since undergone successful laparoscopic surgery followed by chemotherapy. His rapid recovery will permit him to serve with us.

We met at my home, after a change in locations to permit us to visit the annual Carolina Craftsman Arts and Crafts show. We had the opportunity to purchase gifts for our British host families.

Colin Bain, our GSE leader in Peterborough, has been working on the difficult task of creating our in-country itinerary. At present, we will stay with no less than 8 families in the 4 weeks.

We have received confirmation that our travel requests were accepted by the Rotary International Travel Service. We will drive to Charlotte on Friday, Sept. 12 and take a non-stop flight on USAIR. Flight 732 departs at 7:55 PM and arrives in London, Saturday, Sept. 13 at 8:45 AM. (Sleeping pills will be offered to all members.)

The team returns on USAIR Flight 333 on Saturday, October 11, departing London at 10:40 AM arriving in Charlotte at 2:25 PM. I will have the opportunity to remain in London for 3 days of sightseeing. I depart London on the same USAIR Flight on Tuesday, October 14.

The following items were on the agenda:

The “Memory Switch Presentation” on how to rapidly recall names.

PowerPoint Presentation practice.

Study Assignment presentations on British life by Mary, Joe and Bill.

We are still working on our business cards, tri-fold, and uniforms.

We plan to have our final meeting on August 31, hosted by Colette DeGarady in Mt. Pleasant.

The riddle answer: “It won’t be long now.”

Bill Greene

PS For those who have been following the progress of my tennis team, we won the SC State Championships, which qualifid us to go to the Sectionals in Mobile, Alabama (a 12 hour drive from home, but, we flew). There, we competed against 9 other states. We won all 4 of our preliminary matches and qualified for the finals against Georgia. We then won one match, lost one match, and my partner and I played in the #1 position. We won the first set 6-2. We lost the second set 6-2. We then played a 10 point tie-breaker. We led 6-0, then 8-2. Georgia then ran off 8 points in a row and won 10-8. We were only 2 points away from competing in the Nationals. C'est la vie!

Greetings World!

2008-07-13T04:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since this was updated, and I'm excited to finally bring you some news about GSE Team England. This is team member Mary Dolan bringing you the latest.

Our team of four, our fearless team leader and our alternates have now had three meetings, during which we've plotted, planned and gotten to know one another in preparation for our trip to England on Sept. 13.

And, for the first time, we'd like to introduce ourselves! Above: (back row) Joe Fortune, employed by the University of South Carolina; Dr. Bill Greene, retired urologic surgeon; Eric DiLorenzo, sergeant with the Mytle Beach Police Department (front row) Colette DeGarady, conservation ecologist; Mary Dolan, journalist

We met for the first time on May 31 in Myrtle Beach at Eric's workplace, the city's police headquarters. We had an excellent first meeting, featuring two exciting team-building activities: a police car driver training course -- complete with us squeeling tires and screeching around cones! -- and a simulated virtual weapons exercise. It was a long day, filled with getting to know one another, the receipt of some great first words of guidance and well-wishes from outgoing District Governor Mary Martin and past District Governor Bob Squatriglia.

Our second meeting was hosted by Joe at his stomping grounds, USC, and we advanced even further in the planning process, beginning to really nail down our departure time and place, what we'll be wearing as team uniforms while we're abroad and crafting the PowerPoint presentations we'll deliver to Rotarians across the pond. Perhaps most enlightening during this meeting was a pretty well-rounded mini boot camp in etiquette from Harriett Showman. We learned a little about the dos and don'ts of conversation and table manners, and I think we all were thankful for the crash course.

We just completed our third meeting, which was held yesterday in my hometown of Sumter. I work for a small daily newspaper, The Item, and we set up camp in the conference room for another day of planning. Unfortunately, we couldn't be joined by Colette or Eric, but we know their thoughts were with us, as ours were certainly with them.

Small in numbers this go round, we still managed to be very productive. Joe, Dr. Greene and I were joined once again by our awesome alternates Bentham Reed and Chris Tilley. And Foundation Chair Kay Oldhouser-Davis and District Governor Anne Walker joined us as well. They both shared with us some much-appreciated information about Rotary, the foundation, what's expected of us and tips for what we need to be planning.

Australia GSE team member Shannon Mewborn was kind enough to stop by and share some about her trip last year to Western Australia, and her encounters with snakes, gigantic spiders, and some of the kindest people she said she's ever met.

Dr. Green, finagling with a PowerPoint presentation.

I gave Dr. Greene, Bentham and Joe a tour of the newspaper.

Kay Oldhouser-Davis, Shannon Mewborn, Mary Dolan, Chris Tilley, Joe Fortune. Shannon filled us in on her trip last year to Australia.

It was a great group discussion.

Team is Chosen

2008-05-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

On April 27 in an all-day interview session, 16 talented candidates were screened. We chose 4 team members and an alternate to create our personable, talented and dynamic GSE team.

The Team:

Eric DiLorenzo, a Police Sargent from Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Mary Dolan, a journalist from Sumter, S.C.
Joseph Fortune, assistant Director for University Housing from Columbia, S.C.
Colette DeGarady, a Conservation Ecologist from Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Alternate Team Leader:

Roy Prescott, a businessman and company president from Columbia, S.C.

Alternate Team Member:

Bentham Reed, an entrepreneur and real estate broker from Sumter, S.C.

We intend to hold monthly training sessions. The first will be Saturday, May 31 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Bill Greene

EnglandGSE begins

2008-04-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

April 4, 2008

Three weeks ago, I was chosen as Group Study Exchange leader from Rotary District 7770 in South Carolina, to Peterborough, England. We will spend 4 weeks from Sept. 13 til Oct. 11, sharing our culture, vocations and fellowship with the bloaks across the Big Pond. It will be my first trip across the Atlantic.

What initially sounded like an invitation to an all-expense paid vacation, has more realistically evolved into an intense (12+ hour/day) opportunity to experience another English speaking culture, and share our American lives with other committed Rotarians.

Penny Summers, Garry Powers, and Elizabeth Smith head the committee which will provide the leadership and direction in choosing our team. Roy Prescott is the alternate team leader. We are actively recruiting 4 candidates to join the team. More information on GSE requirements can be found at ROTARY.ORG, then insert GSE in the search box at the top right. The application can be downloaded and completed. Team members must be between the ages of 25 & 40. They must have no affiliation with Rotary, and must be able to leave their homes, occupations and families for 4 weeks. Transportation is paid by R.I. Lodging and meals are provided by the host clubs' members. Time is short for completing the applications.

It is my intention to maintain this blog site (along with future team members), with narratives and photos from our adventure, for so many Rotarians and family members, who will follow our travels.

Dr. Bill Greene