GRSP Alumnni gathered at the Fox Theater's Egyptian Ballroom as part of the first all-class reunion for this 71-year old Georgia program.

When Rotarians gathered in Atlanta last month for the Rotary International Convention, more than 100 GRSP alumni gathered too - along with GRSP directors, trustees and host families, for the first ever all-class GRSP reunion. The reunion offered great opportunities to showcase the 71-year old program, with alumni from as far back as the 1960s.

• Groups gathered for special GRSP events at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens on Saturday evening ... and again at the Fox Theater's Egyptian Ballroom on Tuesday of convention week for fun, fellowship and testimonials from past students about the difference GRSP made in their lives. We heard from a couple who met during their GRSP year and were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary - as well as the fact that their son was a 2016-17 GRSP student. Another student shared that the love of rowing she developed while attending school in Georgia led to her joining her country's national rowing team and competing in the Olympics. And many shared that GRSP had changed their perspectives on the world - and that they felt the program was more important now than ever as an agent of promoting peace and understanding among the people of the world.
• On Sunday, 40 GRSP alumni joined forces with students from Rotary Youth Exchange to bring in the flags of the world at the Opening Ceremonies of the RI Convention. The flag ceremony has always been a special part of RI Conventions - and it was even more special to have students participating from our most recent class of 2016-17 all the way back to the class of 1995-96. GRSP alumni were privileged to carry in the Rotary flag at both opening sessions.

And now we are getting ready to welcome the class of 2017-18! Students will begin arriving in August. As clubs and host families prepare for students to arrive:

• Take a look at your student’s “suitcase” to be sure that they have the things that they need to make their stay in a dorm a pleasant one. It is very easy to just recycle everything that your student from last year had, but it is a gift to your new student to take a look at what you have and throw out a few things that may have become worn out over the years. Some students take excellent care of the items in their suitcase, but others...................well....... not so much.
• Make sure you are ready to greet your students at the airport - communicate with your student now if you haven't already so you know exactly when they are arriving. Try to get a group to be there and think about making signs to add to the welcome.
• Be sure your student knows when your club meets - encourage them to attend meetings and invite them to participate in your social activities and service projects. Students should be speaking at your clubs early in the Rotary year - to tell you more about themselves and their countries.
• Encourage club members to invite your student to their homes or special activities throughout the year - your student, your members and your families will benefit from getting to know each other. And start to think about plans for the holidays - how can you best share those special times with your GRSP student.