World Interact Week - November 12, 2007

WORLD INTERACT WEEK

Anguilla’s Rotary Interact Club has been newly revived. Congratulations to all who are participants in this exciting and inspiring venture.

Last week – November 5 through 11 – was Rotary World Interact Week. What is INTERACT?

Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people. Made up of members ages 14-18 or secondary-school age, Interact gives young people an opportunity to participate in fun, meaningful service projects. Along the way, Interactors develop their leadership skills and initiative while meeting new friends.

Through their service activities, Interactors learn the importance of

• Developing leadership skills and personal integrity
• Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others
• Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work
• Advancing international understanding and goodwill

Interactors have access to the many resources of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation of RI. Rotary International provides the administrative support that helps Interact clubs thrive.

When RI President Harold T. Thomas traveled the world during his year in office in 1959-60, he discovered a deep and widespread feeling among Rotarians that Rotary’s potential for developing youth service had not been fully realized. In 1960, Thomas appointed a committee of five Rotarians to explore the issue, and two years later, 23 students at Melbourne High School in Melbourne, Florida, USA, came together to form the first Interact club.

The word Interact stands for “international action,” and today nearly 200,000 young people in more than 110 countries belong to some 8,700 clubs, making Interact a truly international phenomenon. All over the world, young people are spreading fellowship and international understanding through a wide array of Interact service activities.

The newly-revived Anguilla Interact Club meets at 3:15 p.m. every Wednesday in Room 6 at the high school.

For more information about Rotary, check the website http://www.rotaryanguilla.org or speak to any local Rotarian. The Rotary Club of Anguilla meets every Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. upstairs at the English Rose.