New Rotary Rule- It's ridiculous.

I am stealing the words from Amy, because she simply says it best. I 100% agree with every word of this, so I'm just copying and pasting. Please take the time to read what she has to say.

Everyone who has ever talked to me knows that I love Rotary a ridiculous amount. It’s pretty much all I talk about. I’m obsessed.

What I am less obsessed with is the new rule that our district is putting into place starting next year. For a few years, our district has wanted younger kids to go on Rotary, with good reason. The younger we are, the easier we pick up a new language and adapt. Or so the science has proven. I received the news today that starting next year, only juniors and under will be allowed to apply for Rotary. This is to ensure that younger blood goes through the program. The thing I protest is that this means that next year’s seniors will be ineligible to apply for Rotary, and they had no warning about this new development. One of my good friends emailed me, completely shaken by the news. She had been so excited to apply to Rotary next year, and told me that if she had known about the new rule, she would have applied last year. Now she has no chance whatsoever to do Rotary, unless somehow, our district makes an exception for the Rotary applicants of 2012-2013.

Here are my points:

1) I personally feel that Rotary is one of those things in life that you have to be ready for. And you decide when you’re ready. Not your parents, not your teachers, not anyone but you. I know I wasn’t ready to go to a foreign country at age 14, or even age 16. Some kids are. I know two remarkable young ladies that are either on an exchange year currently, or are planning to embark on one next year, who are only in their freshman year. The fact of the matter is that most aren’t. Which is a huge reason why 95% of our outbounds from D7170 choose to go around ages 17-18. Leading me to point number 2…

2) I know several people who have also applied for Rotary between their junior and senior year. They’ve had great exchange years, don’t get me wrong! However, I feel that the time between junior and senior year is hyped up with college applications, college testing, and you’re thinking in a totally different track. Taking a Rotary journey may be a good way to step back from all that, but in another way, I feel taking an exchange year between high school and college is perfect. You can really focus on Rotary itself. Your personal journey. I’ve heard that going back to high school after Rotary is hard. You’ve matured and grown so much; you’ve experienced a new and totally different culture. You may be bilingual. You’ve gone through challenges your peers haven’t perhaps dreamed of yet. Many things in high school now seem petty and trivial. You are not with your graduating class–okay, well that may not be such a huge issue, but it does factor in sometimes.

Over 95% of the 36 kids that went off to foreign countries this year were either 18 when they left, or will turn/turned 18 while they were there. Most had already graduated from high school. Most of the applicants that go next year will also be 18. A bit of a trend, I would say. I guess I want to say: this is such an incredible experience for me. I know if I had been told that I didn’t have this opportunity because I was a “senior” or I was “too old”, I would have been a mixture between outraged and heartbroken. To me, it doesn’t matter how old you are when you go on Rotary. You could be fourteen or you could be eighteen and a half. It’s what you make of it. How mature you act. I know some incredibly mature fourteen year olds and I know some incredibly immature nineteen year olds. I find it rather incredible that we would hold back an entire year of kids who want to experience what Rotary has to offer. The best exchange students are the ones who are truly passionate and excited about their experience.

I think I understand the intentions behind the new rules, but I do wish that there could be an exception made for the senior class of 2012. It’s not fair at all, to have this wonderful opportunity be taken away from them.

If you agree, please post a comment. I know a few of us want to write a petition to see this changed for next year’s applicants. Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?