| Rotary Youth Exchange participants ready for an experience of a lifetime
DG Thongchai Lortrakanon instructs the children on how to be good young ambassadors of Thailand during their stay overseas.
Rotary Youth Exchange is one of Rotary's most popular programs to promote international understanding and develop lifelong friendships. It began in 1927 with the Rotary Club of Nice, France. In 1939 an extensive Youth Exchange was created between California and Latin America . Since then the program has expanded around the world. In recent years more than 8,000 young people have participated annually in Rotary-sponsored exchange programs.
 DG Thongchai Lortrakanon lights the ceremonial candle symbolising the eternal binding of the heart and body of parents and their brood.
Ingo Raueber has a big heart for children
The values of Youth Exchange are experienced not only by the high school-age students involved but also by the host families, sponsoring clubs, receiving high schools and the entire community. Youth Exchange participants usually provide their fellow students in their host schools with excellent opportunities to learn about customs, languages, traditions and family life in another country.
Youth Exchange offers young people interesting opportunities and rich experiences to see another part of the world. Students usually spend a full academic year abroad, although some Rotary clubs and districts sponsor short-term exchanges of several weeks or months.
 YE Chair Onanong Siripornmanut in her emotion packed talk on the strong bind between parents and their children.
The youth exchange program is also very popular in Thailand and every year hundreds of children compete to be selected to represent their clubs and districts as a student exchange ambassador.
In Rotary District 3340, which covers the northeast and eastern regions of Thailand, 48 boys and girls aged 16-18 who were selected for the 2009-10 program attended the final outbound orientation held at the Pinnacle Grand Jomtien Resort & Spa June 11-13.
 Dr. Prawit Kamolsiripichaiporn from the Rotary Club of Chantaburi advises the children on proper health care and personal hygiene.
Ingo Raueber has a big heart for children
The seminar was officiated by District Governor Elect Thongchai 'Tony' Lortrakanon and Past Assistant Governor Onanong Siripornmanut, co-chair of the District Youth Exchange program.
The selected students spent the weekend familiarizing themselves with the customs and cultures of the countries that they would be travelling to, which include the United States, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan, Japan, and South Africa.
YE Chairperson Onanong Siripornmanut said, "Exposure to different cultures ranks as one of the most powerful ways to promote international understanding and peace. The Rotary Youth Exchange program provides thousands of young students with the opportunity to meet people from other countries and to experience new cultures, planting the seeds for a lifetime of international understanding. Thai students will study in high schools in foreign countries for a year where they will act as cultural ambassadors for promoting Thailand 's culture and traditions to their foreign hosts."
During the sacred candle lit closing ceremony, Onanong touched the heartstrings of all present with her emotional talk of the undying love that parents have for their offspring and asked the children to honor and respect their parents and be thankful for all that they have sacrificed so that they could go on this trip of a lifetime.
District YE program co-chair, Past District Governor Pratheep S. Malhotra gives
the children his blessings and wishes them Bon Voyage.
The kids pose for a final photograph before their
departure home
and beyond to fulfil their destinies.
It was an emotional moment for parents and their children during
the candle lit ceremonies to sanctify the lifelong union of loved ones.
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