Rotary-Sponsored Venezuela TeamTouring CT

A Rotary-sponsored exchange team from Venezuela spent a day in Newtown recently, on their first day of a month visiting Connecticut under the guidance of  local Rotarians Chris Hoeffel and Ed Osterman. The team consists of a Rotarian Team Leader and four young business and professional people between the ages of 25 and 40.

The program is promoted by Rotary International to enable people throughout the world to get to know each other. One of Rotary’s main missions is “World Peace Through Understanding One Another.”

While in Newtown, the team visited Curtis Packaging Corporation, The Newtown Bee, and attended Newtown Rotary’s dinner meeting.

Each of the team members are staying with a Rotarian family for a week and will then move further east each week before reaching the New London area to conclude their four-week period. The idea is for the team members to get to know the culture, history, commerce and government of Connecticut, which can be invaluable to their country, their company’s future, and their own personal development.

A team from Connecticut is presently visiting Venezuela, living with Rotarian families and learning about Venezuela. When they return they will presenting a program of their experiences in Venezuela throughout Connecticut.

There are over 500 teams traveling between countries each year. The hope is that as people get to know each other, there will be fewer conflicts and more friendship throughout the world.