Working the Circuit

This Monday began with my son and me gathering with our sponsoring Rotary Club of Fort Wayne. The guest speaker was from Fort Wayne Community Schools and spoke about the their programs to help students learn English. Interestingly, there are 70 languages spoken by the children in our city schools. I once heard that in one middle school alone there were 27 languages! Coming from the educational field, she wanted us to get a glimpse of what extra effort many of these children have put forth in their everyday classes. She challenged us to pair up and then spend just a few quick moments trying to tell the other person what we had done that morning without using any words with a "s" or an "n." We all fumbled and bumbled and looked a lot less intelligent than we really are. Just adding that one extra process really slowed us down. I sat there thinking about Aaron next to me and the daily, almost constant, struggle he will encounter upon his arrival in the Slovak Republic. In 18 days, they say he will begin to encounter a headache that may last from 2-4 weeks. It will be caused by the constant processing his brain is performing in attempting to make sense of the language. I'm glad his host mother is a medical doctor and will know how to help with the headaches!

Club banners to be given as gifts.

Before leaving, we collected four small banners from the club to be gifted to Aaron's host club and host families. We also verified the time of the arriving Germany student. His plane was due at the airport about 6:45 p.m..

In the afternoon, Aaron set out on his own to seek a few in-kind donations. First, he visited Sweetwater Music Instruments and Pro Sound. Actually, it was there that he started out by seeing if the V.P. of Human Resources had a couple minutes so he could ask him about becoming a luthier, one who makes stringed musical instruments like guitars. Aaron explained that he had applied and been accepted to a trade school for this purpose and wanted to know what the guy thought of the Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair. At which point the fellow pulled out a business card and explained he had just written the school on the back of the card as a recommendation for Aaron. Some of their most prepared employees have graduated from the school. Aaron was pretty excited when he learned this. He feels better about investing the money in the education at the trade school. As they wrapped up that discussion, Aaron shifted to asking him if he knew who he could talk to about possibly getting help with obtaining a very sturdy guitar case he had spotted at their annual Gear Fest. He hopes it will protect the guitar he plans to take to Europe. The man referred him to someone else and told him to write a short cover letter to the solicitation letter he already has that would specifically state what he was looking for. He thought they might be able to help in some way.

Welcoming inbound German student, Richi, at the Fort Wayne airport.

Then Aaron dropped off another letter to our minor league hockey club, the Fort Wayne Komets. His goal is that they might donate a jersey for his first host family whom he knows enjoys the sport. By this time, he was pretty tired having trucked around in his vehicle with no air-conditioning and loud muffler.

So I graciously picked him up, and we headed to the airport. There we met a small group of Rotarians along with the first host family of the incoming student. We greated him and his weary body, took a few pictures, collaborated with some of the stragglers in the group and then left.

Bottom view of a 12-position rotary switch
showing wiper and contacts.
(Photo Credit: Wikipedia/Rotary switch)

Quickly following the jaunt out to the airport, we returned to the New Haven area and caught up with the New Haven Lions Club. Members of the club had partnered with Aaron in May by having a chicken dinner fundraiser. We wanted to thank them again and provide them with an update on how his experience is going.

Creating and keeping connections on the circuit board of life is just part of the Rotary Youth Exchange experience!