Interact Interact is one of Rotary Internationals nine

Interact

Interact is one of Rotary International’s nine structured programs designed to help clubs and districts achieve their service goals in their own communities and in communities abroad, fostering fellowship and goodwill in the process.

What is Interact? Interact is a service club for young people ages 14 -18. Sponsored by local Rotary clubs, Interact clubs give young people an opportunity to participate in fun, meaningful service projects while developing leadership skills and meeting new friends.

Interact Goals • Develop leadership skills and personal integrity. • Demonstrate helpfulness and respect for others. • Understand the value of individual responsibility and hard work. • Advance international understanding and goodwill.

A Part of the Rotary Family Interactors and Rotarians are partners in service. Rotarians mentor promising youth in their communities. Interactors bring new energy to a Rotary club, inspire fresh ideas for service, increase support of projects, and help develop future Rotarians.

Interact History • Interact stands for international action. • The first club was chartered in 1962 at Melbourne High School, FL, USA. • Today there are more than 10, 900 clubs in over 121 countries with an estimated membership of 225, 000 youth worldwide.

About Interact • Sponsoring Rotary clubs provide support and guidance, but Interact clubs are self-governing and self-supporting. • Club membership varies and can be single-gender or mixed-gender, large or small. • Members are drawn from one school’s student body or from several schools in the community.

Program Guidelines Interact clubs are encouraged to • Be school-based or community-based. • Have a Rotarian adviser and a faculty adviser for school-based clubs. • Meet at least twice a month. Interactors must attend 60% of regularly scheduled meetings. • Require no financial support from the sponsoring Rotary club.

Service Projects Interactors carry out activities to • Benefit schools and communities • Expand international understanding

Service Projects Popular projects include: • Fundraisers • Blood drives • Benefit concerts • Clean-up campaigns • Pen-pal exchanges • Visits to nursing homes, orphanages, and homeless shelters

How to Organize a Club 1. Form an Interact subcommittee. 2. Identify the membership base. 3. Hold informational and organizational meetings. 4. Complete the Interact Club Organization List. 5. Submit the list to Rotary International.

Preliminary Work • Member of the Club Interact subcommittee meets with school officials • Work together to determine membership requirement, time, meeting location etc. • Obtain School administration & Board of Education approval • Organize a meeting to introduce Interact to the students

Preliminary Work Contd. • Explain the goals of Interact including Rotary’s history • RI material that can be used for this purpose include – Serious Fun Video (650 -EN), Interact Brochure (600 -EN), etc. • Invite Interactors from nearby schools to share their experience • Q &A

Chartering the Interact Club • Minimum of 15 charter members • Complete club organization list and send to RI and District Governor • Certification is then received by the sponsoring Rotary Club • Present to the newly formed club • Plan a installation ceremony

Rotary Club Support Successful ways to provide guidance: • Invite Interactors to Rotary club meetings. • Create an annual Rotary-Interact service project. • Assist in production of a Interact club bulletin. • Help develop membership recruiting strategies. • Establish a recognition program. • Publicize activities to the community and the Rotary world.

Interact Club Structure The Interact board of directors is the club’s governing body. It consists of the following elected officers: • President • Vice president • Secretary • Treasurer • Other officers as needed

Interact Club Committees The Interact club president appoints four standing committees to effectively help carry out the club’s activities • Club committee • Finance committee • Service committee • International understanding committee

District Interact Committee District Interact chairs are appointed to assist Rotary clubs as they administer, promote, publicize and oversee the activities of Interact clubs. Interact activities at the district level provide opportunities for • Joint projects • Training new club officers • Sharing ideas for strengthening club service • Promoting Interact extension into new areas

District Interact Committee • Committee member’s objective is to ensure the success of Interact Clubs • Will assist the Rotary Clubs in Interact related actitivities • Each committee member will assist multiple Interact Clubs and their sponsoring Rotary Clubs

District Interact Committee • District 7640 Interact Committee include the following 14 Rotarians – Joel Kopke, Chair, DGE Ralph Owens, PDG Bernadette Jennings, PDG Ken Thorpe, Phyllis Antonelli, Mike Bolicki, Charles Donovan, Melanie Druziako, Kathy Genzano, Jim Moffatt Allison Munch, Lisa Sciamanna, Uday Shah, Kathy Varallo

What can you expect? • Three District Interact Programs & two District Interact Projects every year • Training for Club Advisor on RI requirements • Joint projects between Interact and Rotary Clubs • Advanced planning for the year • Service projects benefiting the community and providing social interaction • Opportunities are endless

Goals for 2008 -09 Year • New Interact Clubs and increase membership • Register all Clubs with RI • Interact Clubs to attend Rotary Club meetings twice every year • International Project by Interact Clubs • Interact Bowl of Academic Champions (Oct-Nov’ 08) • Mid Year Assembly (Jan 17, ’ 09) • Interact Challenge Camp (April 12 & May 3, ’ 09) • World Interact Week (Oct 26 -Nov 1, ’ 08)

Goals for 2008 -09 Year Contd. • Rotary Day at the United Nations (Nov 1, 08) • Continue the effective and creative use of District Interact Website – www. interact 7640. org • Funding from Rotary Clubs • Develop sponsorships for District Interact Programs

World Interact Week Every year, Interactors and Rotarians celebrate the charter of the first Interact club during the week of 5 November. Together they participate in a variety of activities to increase Interact awareness in their communities.

Participate Interact clubs • Allow Rotary’s new generations to be involved in community life and develop skills to become responsible and productive members of society • Are one of the most significant and fastest growing programs of Rotary service

Resources The following resources are available on the RI Web site: • Update Interact Information on RI Website - http: //www. rotary. org/en/Students. And. Youth/Youth. Progr ams/Interact/Pages/Updatecontactinfo. aspx • Interact on RI Website – under Students and Youth • Following documents are available on RI website, but we have included them on our district website for your convenience: • Interact Brocure • Interact Handbook

Resources • Document on district Interact website: • • • Interact Brochure Interact Handbook Incoming Interact Officer Data Form Interact Project Data Form Interact Club Organization List Interact Recognition Certificate Goals for 2008 -09 District 7640 Interact Calendar for 2008 -09 Interact Sponsorship Brochure