Have we got a deal for you!!!
Several years ago, the trustees heard the cry from some clubs that there had to be a way to encourage clubs receiving a subsidy for their student, but not giving to the endowment, to also be encouraged to donate to the endowment. We felt it had “to be fair to all concerned," so within the confines of the rules for an endowment, GRSP officers came up with a formula to reward clubs donating at least $50 per capita to the GRSP endowment. We called it an “incentive rebate” to distinguish it from the subsidy for each student. The first year of the incentive rebate, clubs were given a credit on their invoice for their student, but trustees did not believe clubs understood the value of the incentive rebate, so in the second year, checks were given to each club earning the rebate and that method continues today.
The GRSP office sends out an endowment giving report at the end of each month to all trustees, so your trustee should know where your club is in relation to giving, as a per capita number is included in the report. The membership number as of June 30 is used in calculating “per capita” giving. Trustees should review these reports with their clubs in June, if the club is interested in receiving an incentive rebate. If your trustee has not contacted you and you want more information, then by all means feel free to contact your trustee.
Class of 2018-2019
It seems that it is getting more and more difficult to attract quality students to the United States and, in addition, universities are requiring additional information in order to accept a student from another country. We are still waiting to know if several of our selections will be accepted to the university, which our clubs chose as the home of their student for the coming year. Kennesaw State University has required analysis of transcripts to admit students to their program and Georgia State University has been looking closely at transcripts and not just SAT scores, which means that we are still waiting on several of our students to be accepted. Applications were down this year, but we had several clubs in the state that jumped into the program either for the first time or after taking a break. Selection was the most difficult in recent memory, but so far, we have not had a club that wanted a student that couldn’t get one.
Planning for Your Student
Every president, host family and trustee who has a student coming through the program should be sure to write their student as soon as they are given information to contact the student from the GRSP Office, but not before. Please copy your trustee and the GRSP home office with your first communication to the student, so that they know that you are in contact with your student. It is very disheartening to receive emails from students that have not had any communication at all with their hosting club. Do not be afraid to ask the student to arrive at a time that is convenient for you. Sometimes there will be no choice, but many students in their effort to get good airline prices may arrive in the middle of the night, unless you work with them on arrival times.
It is also best to have the student arrive the week before school or orientation starts so you and your club can bond with the student and have the student acclimate to the time change. Remember to go through the GRSP “suitcase” during the summer before your student arrives, to be sure that linens are in good shape and that you don’t have your male student sleeping on pink sheets. Try to schedule a Skype phone call, if possible, so that you can meet the entire family. You never know when that meeting might actually prove to be important. Work with the university over the summer to get your student the classes that will interest them. Have your student look through the university catalog to choose several classes that could be of interest to them and then try to work their schedule so that they can still attend Rotary meetings. Yes, this is possible. It will require a good working relationship with the university, but it can be done. Call on your trustee for advice in this area.
And when the day comes to meet your student for the first time, be sure to meet them with signs and flags, so there is no doubt that they are welcome. August will be here before we know it!!