Bill MacKay Sr. recalls the beginnings of the Youth Exchange program in District 707. “In July of 1970 I was incoming president of the Rotary club of Belleville and took my wife and 4 children ages 8 to 15 on a bus trip of Europe. On the bus was a tour operator Mrs. Johnson from Durban South Africa accompanying a senior lady client. Mr. Johnson her husband was incoming president of a Rotary club in Natal province. That club was exchanging students with the United States and was interested in expanding the program to other countries. When we returned home I contacted the District Governor and asked him to appoint me District Youth Exchange Officer. He did so, I contacted the exchange officer in South Africa and we agreed on an exchange. In January 1972 Sonja Johnson (daughter of the Johnsons') and Dale Lumley arrived in Belleville as the first exchange students in the Rotary district.
Now how did I come to be involved in this program that was in its infancy?
Our high school in Belleville was famous for its great auditorium and we had many great shows, travelogues, presentations and assemblies. One afternoon we were called to the auditorium to hear from two students who were on a student exchange from South Africa. The person introducing them was a local Rotarian, Mr. Bill McKay. Sonja and Dale were wonderful in their presentation about life in South Africa, the exchange program and their life as students in a foreign country.
Sonja and Dale shared their experiences with emphasis on the life changing aspect of the youth exchange program. This was a new program in our area and the concept of a year long exchange was daunting. However, Dale and Sonja seemed to be thriving with their life in Canada. The final message was that the opportunity was open to anyone who qualified and wanted to apply. We were invited to talk to the school guidance counselor. The next day I met with Mr. Bob McKnight (who subsequently became a Rotarian) and we discussed the program and the application process. That night I went to my parents and convinced them that this is what I wanted. Once they assured me that I had their support and that I wouldn’t have to cash in all my savings to make it happen, we went forward with the application and in February 1972 I received the acceptance letter from Rotarian Bill MacKay.
In March 1972 the two first outgoing students from District 707 were introduced to the Rotary Club of Belleville, Peter Cox and Ian Acton.
We had several meetings with Rotarians to find out about the program and what was expected of us. We were encouraged to learn about Rotary, South Africa and the customs of our soon to be new home. Letters were exchanged and our destinations were confirmed with introductions to our first families. As well, we were expected to represent our home country and community so we prepared slide presentations to show our life in Canada. South Africa was a world apart from Canada with its policy of Apartheid and colonial African heritage. We were schooled in the rules of the Youth Exchange program and this specifically included no political involvement.
The Rotary Club of Dundee were tremendous hosts which included the 4 families chosen to be my host families. The hosting experience allowed me to learn about life in South Africa from 2 English speaking families and 2 Afrikaans families with many generations of history in Africa. They welcomed me into their homes and included me in many family activities. The reality of the time was that there was limited technology so my own family relied on the postal service for letters and audio tapes that I would record messages to my family. The phone service was limited and in my host town of Dundee we had crank phones and a central phone exchange. Most noticeably was the fact that there was no television in South Africa. TV didn’t arrive there until 1975. We enjoyed family activities, music, reading and fun with friends.
Dundee High School provided its own version of culture shock for a kid from the Belleville public school system. Based on the British school system we had uniforms including winter and summer versions. I developed some tremendous friendships at school and with my host families that have continued with the help of social media.
The Rotary Youth Exchange program in South Africa had an earlier start than in District 707. In my host District 230 there were a number of organized group activities bringing together students from Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada. These included retreats to different parts of the country to learn different aspects of life in South Africa. We toured sugar cane and pineapple farms and even a Rhino rehabilitation centre. Students were brought together for a week long Youth Leadership Course as well as the District Conference. In January 1973 District 230 had 28 outgoing students with 2 coming to District 707. Meridy Elliott and Janet Stanford were hosted by Scarborough.
There have been a number of connections to Rotary since my exchange. My parents became a host family, my father Pete Acton joined Rotary soon after and became President of the Belleville club in 1982/83. After school I moved to western Canada and over the next 30 odd years I would travel back and join my Dad at club meetings. My career in television production provided me an opportunity to move back to Belleville in 2005. With my continued interest in Rotary my old friend Bill MacKay sponsored my membership in 2006. I have had the pleasure of club leadership with the Board and served as Club President in 2012/13. I continued to be involved in many different club activities through the years including the exchange program.
A testament to the growth of the program in District 7070 and across Canada was evidenced by my opportunity to act as a Rotary Chaperon for the 2017 Eastern Canada student bus trip. This included sights and activities from Niagara Falls, a Blue Jays game, stops in Ottawa, Montreal, and ultimately ending in Halifax. These students experienced some of the wonders of our country and took home with them many tremendous memories and friendships.
Congratulations to you, your club and District 7070 as you continue to provide wonderful opportunities for young people to experience the world of Rotary.
Many thanks.