This was a very important meeting for Rotary Surat Riverside as it was a District Event. After the New Members Orientation Program, this was the second District Event that our club had the privilege to host.

Everyone gathered on Sunday 11th April 2004 at the K.B.Marfatia Hall, near P.T. Mahila College, Vanita Vishram ground at 9:30 a.m. The event chairman was our young and cheerful Rtn. Rajesh Patel. The DG Kulbandhu Sharma, DGE Ashok Kapadia and DGN Ashis Roy were present as keynote speakers besides the district IYE chairman Rtn. Devang Munim.

The IYE Orientation program was for both the short and long term outbound students. Also farewell and best wishes were offered to PP Rtn. Jugal Shinglot and his team who were to leave for Malaysia under a short term exchange program.

The meeting dispersed after lunch at 1:30 p.m.

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Orientation Program for Outbound IYE Students:-

Riversiders were fortunate to have had the privilege of hosting the farewell ceremony cum Orientation of the outbound IYE students from our district on the 23rd of July which was a preponed meeting from the 26th. And with a welcome change in the venue, the AC hall of social welfare centre of the Umra Police Station was filled with Rotarians and parents of the outbound students from all over the district.

The meeting which had an unusual schedule of 5:30 to 8:30 started with the Four Way Test being recited by our evergreen Jugal followed by the welcome address from the host president Divyang who welcomed all the students, and explained them the purpose of the meeting.

It was then the turn of IYE chairman Devang Munim (who has started to fondly being reckoned as theBhishma Pitamah of the IYE program).

He in his candid style threw light on the important aspects of the long term program that these young annets were aspiring to undertake. His was a fatherly speech (as everyone present would agree) underlining the DOs and DONTs during their stay abroad.

There were a couple of experienced exchange students present in the meeting. Diana Martin and Neha Dhamanwala - our own annets took over the stage and enlightened the audience with their experiences, and instructed the outbound students about things they should be careful about.

Neha's wonderful presentation was a perfect example of the miracles such an exchange program can do in grooming one's personality.

Then it was the turn of the faculty of IYE in the form of PP Raju Pandit, PP Hitesh Jariwala and Ann Sumita Shah to guide the students with the finer aspects of the program. It turned out to be a one to one interaction with the students as well as their parents who were seemingly concerned for their children. Our expert panel very patiently assured all of them about the smooth execution of the program throughout the year.

How could a farewell meeting end without our traditions? Rtn. Rajesh Patel bid all the outbound students farewell as Ann Nita Dhamanwala blessed them with 'tika' 'shreefal' and Rs.11/-. Mixed feelings of anxiety, apprehension, excitement and gratitude towards Rotary reflected from every student's face as was evident from annet Vasundhara's speech. They all vowed to give their 100% to serve as ambassadors of goodwill and friendship. All the incoming IYE students were also greeted with flowers at this juncture.

At this juncture, Ann Poonam Parag Shah (RC Bharuch) came up with a surprise element as she urged all parents to avert themselves from pampering or over protecting their children in hard times during their stay as she believed that these hurdles test the real mettle of our children and subsequently groom them to take on bigger challenges in life. After all isn't this the very purpose of the exchange program?

Everyone was contended with the meeting as Mihir Shukla made his secretarial announcements. It seems Pres. Divyang has formed a habit of throwing up delightful surprises as the excellent Gujarati Dinner served at the spacious campus crowned the meeting as Sone Pe Suhaga.