Group Study Exchange – Frequently Asked Questions
When are GSE applications due?
The application deadline for team leader is September 15 and the application deadline for team
members is October 15. Application materials are available on the D-6040 website,
www.rotary6040.org.
What should my club do before submitting an application?
 Meet with the potential candidate and discuss the information in the FAQ, RI Group Study
Exchange Brochure and Country Summaries (available on the D-6040 website).
 Ask the potential candidate to have initial conversations with his or her employer to determine
the employer’s support. The employer’s commitment to support the member’s participation
should be received before the district team member interview.
 If the team member remains interested in the program, they should fill out the application form
on the district website and submit it by the deadline date to the district GSE chairman.
 Members of the club should conduct an interview with the team member to prepare him or her
for the district interview. This should enhance the applicant’s confidence and prepare him or
her for the type of question they will be asked.
 If there is more than one potential applicant, arrange a club selection process. If there is more
than one well-qualified candidate, another club may be willing to sponsor the second or third
candidate. Contact other club presidents directly or contact the district GSE chairman.
What are the qualifications for team members?
GSE team member applicants must:
 Be between 25 and 40 years of age
 Be employed full-time with at least two years of work experience in their chosen field
 Be in the early stages of their careers or professions
 Reside in or be employed in the sending Rotary district and also be citizens of the U.S.A.
 Be personable, articulate, cooperative, motivated team players who are enthusiastic about
learning in a new culture
 Be able to handle the rigorous demands of international travel and active participation in an
extensive itinerary and flexible to the needs of the GSE program
 Fully participate in GSE orientation
 Agree to all team requirements and commitments
 Be willing to present programs to Rotary clubs and other organizations upon returning from the
exchange
Note: Spouses of participants may not accompany teams. In addition, the following are ineligible: A
Rotarian (team leaders are Rotarians); an employee of a Rotary club, district or other Rotary entity, or
Rotary International; any Rotarian’s or Rotary employee’s spouse, ancestor (parent or grandparent by
blood), lineal descendant (child or grandchild by blood any any legally adopted child); or a spouse of a
lineal descendant.
What are the qualifications for team leaders?
Preference in selecting team leaders is given to Rotarians who:
 Have participated in hosting group study exchange
 Have experience in or with people living in the host country




Are active in their club, attending at least 50% of the club meetings and serving in leadership
positions
Support The Rotary Foundation
Have experience in facilitating leadership development and team building
Are willing to submit their name to serve as GSE chair in the year following their participation as
GSE team leader
What are a club’s commitments in sponsoring a team member?
Clubs will be asked to support their team member in the following ways:
 Provide financial support for team member expenses, i.e., team uniforms, passport, shots (if
necessary), luggage charges, host gifts, etc. In the past two years, clubs have been asked to
contribute from $300-500 toward their team member’s expenses.
 Provide the team member with sufficient club banners to distribute during the exchange. This
could be 20-40 banners. Unused banners are returned to the club, of course.
 The GSE team member may ask club members for items that could be given as host gifts.
Examples of these might be pins representing the city, pens and pencils, water bottles, key rings
or handmade items that might serve as host gifts.
 Invite the team member to the club for several meetings before departure so that club
members may meet and encourage the team member in his or her travels and study.
 Invite the team member to give a program to the club following his or her return from the
exchange.
What is required of team members?
Full, detailed requirements will be given to applicants at the time of their interview. This will include
details such as team uniform, etc. The general requirements are:
 Participate in all orientation sessions and group meetings
 Obtain all necessary travel documents, immunizations and medical insurance
 Accept the decisions of the Rotarian team leader
 Fulfill any requirements to speak at Rotary host district gatherings
 Remain with the group throughout the study tour
 Maintain standard of behavior that will reflect positive on Rotary and the U.S.A.
 Prepare and submit final reports as required.
 Speak about the GSE experience to Rotary Clubs and other groups
What is provided to the team members?
 Full round-trip air ticket between the home and host countries by the most exonomical roundtrip air ticket available through The Rotary International Travel Service.
 Meals and home hosting in the host district.
 Each team member is responsible for all personal and incidental expenses incurred before,
during, and after the study tour, including any personal travel arranged after the exchange.
When I’m recruiting for a team member, what should I cite as benefits?
The benefits will vary by the team member and their engagement in the exchange. However, these
benefits could be expected:
 Broadened cultural perspective
 Understanding of this country’s and the host country’s history, language, commerce and
government








Leadership skill development
Team building skill development
Increased self-confidence
Increased understanding of the global workplace
Understanding of their own vocation as practiced in another country
Increased personal and professional relationships
New communication and facilitation skills
Preparation for addressing community needs
How can my club participate in hosting when the D-2241 team is in Missouri?
Notify GSE Chair, Cassy Venters, cdventers@me.com, as soon as possible about your interest in hosting.
The in-bound itinerary will be formulated based on the expressed interest of D-6040 clubs and the
teams’ needs. Rotary guidelines stipulate some requirements. In addition, since the schedule is
generally intensive, short home stays of 2-3 nights are avoided and Rotary encourages 7-night home
stays. It is generally not possible for the team to visit all clubs interested in hosting each year. Joint club
hosting (host families from clubs within an area/zone), joint club meetings, and joint social events are
encouraged.
What are some recruiting tips for finding prospective team members?
 Make announcements at civic club meetings and other organizations to which you belong. Ask
to submit announcements in their newsletters.
 Submit a news release to a local newspaper and radio.
 Post information on your club website, Facebook, and Twitter.
 Ask club members to nominate the children of their friends or their friends that are between 2540 years of age.
 Watch the local newspaper for the names of young leaders in the community and contact them
with information about the program.
 Talk to high school and college teachers and administrators, career service directors at local
colleges, Boy and Girl Scout leaders and other youth professionals.
 Consider all of the young professionals with whom you come into contact during your day:
manager at a local business, fitness instructor, librarian, school teacher, co-workers, etc.