Date: Fri 19-Apr-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

Rotary-exchange-German

Full Text:

BUSINESS

German Professionals Visit The Area In Rotary Exchange

WITH PHOTO

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

This week concludes the month-long visit to Connecticut by German

professionals who are participating in the Group Study Exchange Program of

Rotary International. Team leader Ernst von Glasow was hosted this week by

Newtown resident Edward Osterman, who is an active Rotarian at the district

level.

One of the things about the US that has really impressed Mr von Glasow is the

ability of organizations here to create events to raise money and to get

people involved. "That amazed me," he said. "That is not so common in our

country."

Another difference between residents of Germany and the US is "the ability of

Americans to adjust themselves to changing situations," he said. "This has

impressed me very much. If your business is not successful - perhaps even goes

bankrupt - you can start a new one. It's not so easy in Germany."

For the past 20 years, the German businessman has been a public relations

specialist with Hewlett-Packard Company. He is now a consultant for the firm.

In Germany, he said, job-hopping is not viewed favorably by potential

employers. "Someone [here] told me within the last eight years he had eight

different jobs. That is not possible for us - we would take it for a sign of

not being reliable," he said. "We look for people who have steady, solid work

experience."

A Rotarian since the age of 33, Mr von Glasow views this exchange program as

one of the best programs offered by the organization. Although he's travelled

to the US before, it was as a youth and for business. "This is four weeks with

intensive and in-depth understanding of other living conditions. I have gained

a lot," he said. "It is exhausting for us, but I cannot think of a better

program."

Events are scheduled each day for program participants. "The complexity of the

program was interesting," said Mr von Glasow. "It has been a nice kaleidoscope

of different views."

During the month, the team visited Nautilus Museum, Coast Guard Academy, state

police laboratory, water filtration plant, Pfizer, Yale University, Greebacker

Farms and Lyman Orchards, Marlin Firearms, New Haven Brewery,a Ravens baseball

game, two power plants, a submarine base, New York City, DiGrazia Vineyards,

Woodbury Pewterers, Milford fisheries, United Illuminated Company, Danbury

City Hall, a T-shirt printing shop, and other places of interest.

The tour of DATAHR greatly impressed Mr von Glasow. Although they have

institutions of that nature in Germany, he was surprised to hear employees say

they worked there not because they made a lot of money, but for other reasons.

"They obviously benefit from working with these [clients]," he said. "It's

interesting to see how the people there accept the tools that are offered

them."

The packing process of DATAHR's recycling area was explained to the German

guests. "The [staff members] know exactly what they are doing and for what

purpose," said Mr von Glasow. "The spirit of the people who work there is

amazing - they are very dedicated.

"When you look into the eyes of the [clients] in the first moment, you don't

see a lot," he said. "But when you look into their eyes and smile and show

sympathy for them, they really enjoy it."

Mr von Glasow has lived with six different host families during his four-week

stay in the US. All the families have been very willing to show them places of

interest, and share experiences. "The hosts wanted to understand our

backgrounds," he said.

"The idea of the program is to exchange cultural, social, and vocational

[experiences]," said Mr Osterman. The Rotary slogan for the program is, "World

Peace Through Understanding," he added.

Mr von Glasow's team included a surgeon, a software developer, a programming

consultant, and a school teacher. "The special thing is the four members have

different backgrounds, and you have East Germany and West Germany combined in

this group," he said. "And it was interesting to see how we `fit' as a team -

it's worked very well."

The Rotary Foundation is a nonprofit corporation supported by Rotarians and

others worldwide. Next year, participants will go to Manila, Philippines, and

Sydney, Australia.