Welcome!

Welcome to the blog site for the Rotary District 5510 Group Study Exchange to Scotland! Our tentative dates for travel will be 08/21 through 09/22. While we don't have an itinerary yet, the district we will be visiting is 1010 which is basically the entire northeast section of Scotland. If you take a diagonal line northwest from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye, the district covers pretty much everything to the right of that line.

Our team leader is Ahwatukee Foothills Rotary member, Karen Panietz, an endodontist. Our team members are Scott Turpin, web designer; Levi Coffelt, lead pump technician/water well drilling and pump installation; Kylee Seely, independent hair stylist; Heather Bilodeau, workers compensation claims supervisor; and Caitlin King, non-profit consultant. Our two alternate members are Mariel Olson, grade school teacher; and Benjamin Powers, construction; and our alternate team leader is Scott Slusher, insurance agent.

If you haven't heard of the Rotary GSE program, it is a cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for non-Rotarians between 25 and 40 years old. The program began in 1965 and is designed to develop professional and leadership skills among young adults so that they can address the needs of their communities and an increasingly global workplace. GSE team members make vocational visits, experience cultural and fellowship opportunities, and share the culture of their home country with the host country. Check out www.rotary.com if you know of anyone interested in participating in the GSE program!

Our team is busy getting ready for the trip, meeting every other week to learn about Scotland, brush up on our Arizona history, and plan the presentation we will be making to Rotary clubs in Scotland. We are excited about attending the Scotland District conference and the potential to meet the incoming Rotary International president, John Kenny.

So what do you know about Scotland? the capital city of Edinburgh is the second largest city at a population of about 468,000, while Glasgow just to the west, is the largest city with a population of about 582,000. The total population of Scotland is approximately 5,144,000. The country has over 790 islands and covers 30,414 square miles. The highest point is the summit of Ben Nevis in Lochaber at 4,406 feet above sea level. The longest river, the River Tay, is 120 miles long. Scotland averages about 31 inches of rain a year, and sometimes get 120 inches in the Highland mountains. Winter averages about 42 degrees, and summer averages 64 degrees. Scotland is about the same size as South Carolina.

How does this compare to Arizona? Phoenix, Arizona's capital, is the largest city in the State with a population of about 1,513,000. Arizona has a total population of about 6,500,000 and covers 113,998 square miles with - sorry to say - no islands except the little uninhabited ones in various lakes! Our highest point is Humphry's Peak in Flagstaff at 12,633 feet above sea level, and our longest river is the Colorado, running 500 miles from the border with Utah, through the Grand Canyon and down the Arizona/California border to Mexico. The Phoenix area averages 7 inches of rain per year, with our winter temperature averaging 70 degrees and summer averaging 104 degrees. Edinburgh has about the same population as Mesa, and Glasgow has about the same population as Tucson.

And while Scotland may have the elusive Loch Ness Monster (which we do hope to sight on our trip!), Arizona has the equally shy Jackalope hiding throughout our deserts.
Keep checking this site! We'll try to post at least every month until we leave, and then as often as we have time and internet access during the trip.
----Heather