Mark Graham, Past President, Pukekohe Club, and Funeral Director has just returned from leading a wonderful Rotary Foundation sponsored exchange to Texas, USA.
Mark led a group of five non-Rotarian adults from within Rotary District 9920 on a Group Study Exchange (GSE) to the Fort Worth – Dallas area of North Texas . The exchange took place between 9th April and 8th May. Making up the team were Sarah Miskell, a Chartered Accountant and Director of Campbell Tyson Cooper White, Pukekohe, Len Casey, a Police Constable from Ellerslie, Susan Wharerimu, a PE and Health Teacher from Tuakau College and Sarah Tuki, a Clinical Dietician with the Waitemata District Health Board.
En route to Texas, the team enjoyed
a few days taking in the bright lights and endless Hotel/Casinos on the Las Vegas Strip as well as a trip out to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. This was a great opportunity for team bonding and set us up well for the experience ahead.( This part was funded personally)
a few days taking in the bright lights and endless Hotel/Casinos on the Las Vegas Strip as well as a trip out to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. This was a great opportunity for team bonding and set us up well for the experience ahead.( This part was funded personally)
During the exchange they were hosted by a number of Rotary Clubs within Rotary District 5790. Staying with Rotary members and their families enabled us to be fully immersed in the local way of life and culture of the area. Fort Worth is a city of approx. 740000 people, known as “the city of cowboys and culture” and was once called Cowtown because of its location on the legendary Chisholm Trail where millions of Texas longhorn cattle made the long march to Kansas in the late 19th century.
Today it is a vibrant, bustling city where Art Deco style buildings mix with modern glass skyscrapers, with a number of impressive Museums and Art Galleries, beautiful Botanic Gardens, Universities and Colleges, the Trinity River Trails, along with the tourist district of the old Fort Worth Stockyards, which include the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, the National Cowgirl Musuem, Billy Bobs ( the world’s largest indoor Honky Tonk which can accommodate 6000 people for country and western performances, line dancing shows, and indoor live bull riding events), the huge old livestock exchange where thousands of head of cattle and pigs were once traded, and the Grand old Stockyards Hotel where Bonnie and Clyde once holed up in.
The local hosts were absolutely wonderful and although the organized schedule was rather full on, day in day out, we all made the most of our opportunity to take in different aspects of life in Texas.
We had the privilege of visiting a number of places only because of the doors being opened by Rotarians and their contacts. We visited Elementary Schools, High Schools, University Campus, Prisons, City Halls, Hospitals, Senior Citzens Centres, Christian Community Action, the board rooms of major corporations, US Air and Army bases, and a GM vehicle assembly plant to name some.
We also attended an NBA Basketball game between the Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Hornets and a baseball game between the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays. Although the NFL Football season was over we had an amazing tour of the Dallas Cowboys Football Stadium where last year’s Super bowl final was played and even got to do the haka on the halfway line! All these events made possible by the contacts and generosity of local Club Members.
The GSE team also attended a large number of Rotary meetings and social functions during the exchange where they promoted New Zealand as a great country to visit and shared differences in their vocations and family life in NZ and Texas. Many wonderful friendships and contacts were established with the locals who were so generous and hospitable and keen to know about life in New Zealand. The exchange concluded with the team attending the Rotary District 5790 Annual Conference which was themed “Honoring those who Serve”.
A piece of the World Trade Centre was on display and a keynote speaker gave a very moving account of co-ordinating the hundreds of New York Rotarians who volunteered to help during the clean up after the tragedy of 11 Sept. 2011.
We are now presenting to the Clubs within District 9920 to share our wonderful experiences, photos and memorabilia and to thank them for the tremendous opportunity to be ambassadors for Rotary International, New Zealand and our vocations.
Most of the team was able to extend their travels in the USA after the exchange which also gave them a look at some of the other States and compare the lifestyles, culture and attractions with Texas. But as they say, ya’ll know that everything’s bigger in Texas!!
