Last Friday, 10 in December, the Rotary Club Dénia gathered many of its members on a very special night full of memories that served to commemorate more than 30 years that the club has been organizing exchange programs.
Julio Sorjus, Paco Chapa, Jaime Portoles, Eduardo San Martin and Graciela Waen, all of them Presidents of the exchange committee at a national level throughout their history, highlighted the importance that these exchanges have had in the boys and girls who they have been carried out and the great work done by the Rotary Club of Dénia in that theme, work that has helped it to position itself as a reference club for the rest and as one of the best in Spain.
During the act they intervened the current macero, Maribel Roselló; the president of this year, Javier Seguí; and the District Governor, Luis Santos, who intervened through a video. All of them agreed on the importance of this type of programs for the growth and education of the person in values.
Throughout the night a multitude of anecdotes were told both by those who intervened and by the exchanges that could attend the event. All agreed that, throughout this year of experience, security, tolerance, Rotary values and the conviction that we are not unique in the world are acquired, as Julio Sorjus emphasized.
The first delegate of exchanges in Denia, Paco Chapa, spoke about his experience as a father, both in having sent his children and having received other children at home. Through them he learned what life is in different societies. He offered some words of remembrance to Gloria Sanz, Denia's first Rotary exchange who could not attend. He also stressed the importance of the Rotary Club of Denia in the matter of exchanges that made it position as the best club in Spain thanks to the work done during all these years.
Before concluding the event, Graciela Waen, recounted her experience a few years ago and reflected on the important role that parents who receive exchange children play in this process. They also change with experience because they must take care of a "new child", but they always learn from them.
