Rotary celebrates World Interact Week
By Ryan Hyland
Rotary International News -- 1 November 2011
Rotarian P. Madheswaran installs Interactor M. Saravanan as president of the Interact Club of Government Deaf School, Tamil Nadu, India, during a charter ceremony in August.
Photo courtesy of The Rotary Club of Bhavani Koodal
During World Interact Week, 31 October-6 November, Interactors and Rotarians worldwide commemorate the charter of the first Interact club in 1962.
To mark this occasion Interact clubs are encouraged to participate in joint projects with their sponsor clubs. Rotarians can celebrate by including Interactors in their weekly meetings, or inviting an Interactor as a guest speaker.
"Interactors should be celebrating this week by getting together to review their accomplishments over the past year," says Martin H.F. Bridge, chair of the RI Rotaract/Interact Committee and member of the Rotary Club of South Holland, England. "It is a great time to reflect on the vision of those who started the program nearly 50 years ago."
The success of Interact is crucial for the future of Rotary, says Bridge. "Interactors will, in time, understand all about Rotary, and should make good future Rotarians."
In turn, reaching out to Interactors "keeps Rotarians young at heart" and provides insight into the thoughts and concerns of younger generations, he added.
Bridge says communication between Rotarians and Interactors is important. Interactors should take every opportunity to meet with Rotarians in both their sponsoring club and neighboring clubs.
Here’s a roundup of recent Interact service projects, in honor of World Interact Week:
- The Rotary Club of Bhavani Koodal, Tamil Nadu, India, sponsors the Interact Club of Government Deaf School, which plans to conduct fundraising and service projects to help people with hearing impairments.
- The Interact Club of Webster Thomas High School, New York, USA, collected and delivered 34 boxes of clothing, shoes, and sporting goods -- each weighing 50 pounds -- to orphans in the Dominican Republic. The airline JetBlue waived the baggage fees for the students, who were traveling to the country to help run a summer camp at the orphanage.
- Members of the Interact Club of Juneau-Douglas High School, Alaska, USA, camped outside in cardboard shanties they had made to raise money and build awareness of homeless students in their school district. The group raised more than $1,500, which benefited a food pantry and a local homeless charity.
Interact clubs can showcase their projects by participating in RI's third annual Interact video contest. Learn more.