“We never appreciated so much of another culture in such a short space of time”. That was the conclusion of Amelia Coleman and Emma Wilson, the two representatives chosen by us for the 2023 Mini Group Study Exchange (MGSE).
Amelia and Emma came to speak to our Club on Tuesday about their experiences at the 2023 event, held in the Belgian university town of Leuven in August last year.
MGSE is a joint project between our Club and four European contact clubs in France (St Quentin), Belgium (Leuven), Germany (Lüdenscheid) and Holland (Leiden). Each club arranges for two young people to meet together for a week of social, cultural, and educational activities in one of the partners’ hometowns.
Amelia and Emma both attended the Simon Langton Girls’ School in Canterbury and are now in their second year of University. Amelia at Warwick and Emma at Edinburgh.
Both were struck by the speed at which they bonded with their MGSE compatriots from the other European clubs and how quickly they began to feel part of ‘Team Rotary’. They enjoyed comparing cultural differences between the five nations and say they were able to dispel stereotypical views of the British having a ‘stiff upper lip’ and being standoffish.
Amelia and Emma spoke warmly of their hosts detailed organisation of the programme over the week (which had a theme of art history and political development). Events during the visit included visits to nearby cities of Brussels, Bruges, and Antwerp. And, being Belgium, a visit to a local brewery!
In Bruges they learnt to salsa dance after encouragement from German delegate Peter, and in Antwerp they had a guided tour of the extensive port facilities and later tasted what they describe as the "best omelette" they have ever had!
When asked whether they do it again, both were unequivocal in saying "yes"; they both said the whole experience was very enjoyable. Both also said it's increased their confidence when meeting and mixing with new people from different backgrounds and cultures. They’d recommend any 18–25-year-olds in the Canterbury area wishing to broaden their horizons to apply for a place on future MGSE events. (The 2024 event will be held in Lüdenscheid in Germany and the 2025 MGSE will be held in Canterbury.)
Details and an application form for MGSE 2024 in Lüdenscheid in Germany can be found at: https://www.rotarycanterbury.org.uk/activities/mgse.html
Picture: Amelia (left) and Emma (right) pictured when they came to give their talk. Picture credit: Martin Ward/Rotary Club of Canerbuty.
With thanks to PP Mertin Ward for help with this article.
