What does Rotary mean to you?

Larry Boudon, (Pastor at Lord of Life Lutheran Church) in an interview with Rotarian Frankie Berti, discusses the influence Rotary International had on his life...

"I actually participated in two Rotary-sponsored exchanges. The first was a "grand exchange" between our district in Western PA and West Germany in 1976. More than 100 kids aged 14-18 (I think) went to West Germany for a month in the summer of 1976 as part of an overall effort to establish permanent exchanges between that country and our district. It was the first time I had been on a plane or traveled outside of the US (Canada excepted). A friend of mine and I stayed with families in Hamburg and they took us to Berlin (still divided), Heidelberg and Freiberg. It was an awesome experience and played an important role in my decision two years later to be an exchange student.

In my senior year at Port Allegany Area High School, I decided I wanted to be an exchange student. When I applied I listed France, Switzerland, and Sweden as the countries to which I would like to go, in that order (I had studied French in high school and my last name is French). Rotary suggested Japan, but that fell through. Next they said Ecuador and that also did not pan out. Finally they said Colombia and that is where I went in August of 1978. As I said at the meeting, it was a year that completely changed the course of my life. I stayed the whole year with a wonderful family who also sent one of their kids to the US as an exchange student (Philly area). I attended two different schools, learned Spanish (to the extent that I double majored in it during college), and fell in love with Colombia and Latin America. When I started college a year later I focused as much as possible on Latin America, especially during my MA studies at the University of Virginia. After UVa I ended up in DC, working for a non-profit called Council on Hemispheric Affairs. I later got a job as a journalist with Agence France-Presse (AFP), where I used both my Spanish and French. I returned to school at UM in 1992 and focused on Latin American comparative politics and international relations. After a few years teaching as an adjunct at various DC-area schools, I landed a job at the Library of Congress, working as editor of the Handbook of Latin American Studies.

So as you can see, that one year as a Rotary Exchange Student influenced my life for many years.

As for how I see Rotary in the world, I have been away from it for too long to say anything authoritative. But one thing I will say is that it builds bridges around the world, not only through the exchange programs but through links that are established between different clubs around the world. And the more we get to know our neighbors, the more likely we will be at peace with them."

Interview by Frankie Berti