Niagara Falls Lunch Rotary Club is hosting an exchange student from Japan
It has been a while since any Rotary Club in St. Catharines has hosted an exchange student.  The main hurdle is that there is a paucity of members willing to host a student, usually for a 3 month period, over the 12 months that the student would be here.  Student exchange is a wonderful program not only as a learning experience for the foreign teenager who is here for the year, but also a catalyst for members to expand their dream of Rotary Fellowship. 
 
I recently was on a hike from Woodend to Fireman's Park.  Those hiking are members of the Niagara Freewheelers Bicycle Club, and included John and Linda Beyer, who are members of the Niagara Falls noon R.C.  They brought with them their exchange student, Hisataro Bando, from Kanazawa, Japan.  The photo is from the "Screaming Tunnel", a notorious site on the Bruce Trail Route between Woodend and Fireman's Park.  The hike was led by Freewheeler Ron Matsushita, who took this photo.  Hisataro is standing on the rock, and John Beyer on the right.  In the middle of the ladies is Linda Beyer.  About 2 hours to complete, the hike was great exercise, and no one got spooked going through the tunnel.
 
After explaining all that Hisataro had done that week, which seemed to be a lot, Linda said that they are struggling to keep him busy.  So if you would like company on your next visit to a hockey game, on go on a hike, or a snow ball fight, or whatever, call the Beyers and see if he's interested.  Hisataro speaks decent English, so you can learn a lot from each other.  Call me too, as I am always keen to go somewhere, if available.  Have a great Christmas, and enjoy the comfort of your home while the storm blows through today.  Dan  905-227-9288