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Inbound Student Agreement

 As part of your formal application, you and your parents agreed to and signed the “Rules and Conditions of Exchange” prescribed by Rotary International and your sponsor Rotary District.  Those rules also require that “you must abide by the rules and conditions of exchange provided by the host district.”

As an Inbound Student hosted in District 5080, the following specific rules and conditions will apply to your exchange, and it is important that both you and your parents fully understand them.  Neither the host Rotary Club nor host families may alter these rules and conditions [or those included in the student’s Rotary International application form].

General Conditions of Exchange

1.             The term of the exchange is 10 ½ to 11 months, and students should not expect to return home before the end of that period except in an emergency or under other unusual circumstances agreed to in advance by both District 5080 and the sponsor Rotary District.

2.         Students are required to pay a non-refundable Inbound Student Fee of US $600 to cover the cost of the Inbound Orientation Camp and other District sponsored activities during their year on exchange.  This fee (in the form of a certified cheque, money order, or bank draft in US funds and payable to “District 5080 Youth Exchange Committee”) is to be sent to John Linch, Treasurer, District 5080 Youth Exchange Committee, 1027 Old Priest River Road, Priest River, Idaho 83856, USA, before you leave home.  The deadline for payment is June 30th!

3.         Students are required to purchase health and accident insurance through District 5080 unless otherwise agreed in advance with the sponsor Rotary District.  Insurance coverage is effective from the date students actually leave their home country.  If you are required to purchase health and accident insurance from District 5080, an information package and application form will be enclosed.  The completed insurance application and required premium payment [in Canadian funds for students coming to Canada, and US funds for students coming to the USA] must be mailed to Bev Phillips, HG Insurance Agencies Ltd., 100 – 630 17^th Street, Castlegar, BC, V0G 4G7, Canada before June 1^st.  Payment may be made by certified cheque or money order payable to “HG Insurance Agencies Ltd.”, or by MasterCard or Visa as provided for in the application form.  The insurance policy will be mailed directly to your host Rotary club.  [If you have any questions about the insurance coverage provided through District 5080, please contact our Insurance Coordinator Bev Phillips by fax at [250] 365-2313, or by e-mail at bphillips@hgins.ca ].

4.           Students are required to maintain a $500 “emergency fund”, [in Canadian or US funds, depending on hosting country] which will normally be under the joint control of the student and the host Rotary Club.  When any money is spent from this fund, the total must be brought back up to $500 immediately.  Other funds should be available for clothing, optional travel, and other personal expenses.  The host Rotary Club will provide a monthly allowance to help cover the cost of incidental items, and exchange students are not expected to pay for meals at Rotary meetings they attend.  Any remaining money in this fund will be returned at the end of your exchange.

5.             Upon arrival, students may be asked to turn over their passport and return airline ticket to their host Rotary  Club Counselor or Youth Exchange Officer for safekeeping.  This can be critically important in the event of an emergency situation during the exchange!

6.             All exchange students hosted in District 5080 are required to participate in a week-long International Friendship Tour within the District, and to attend the District Conference held in May or June.  Students must not plan to take part in school graduation activities or any other events that will conflict with the District Tour and Conference.

7.           At the end of the exchange period, students must return directly home by a route mutually acceptable to the host and sponsor Rotary Districts, and the student’s parents or legal guardians.

8.           Students are under the authority of District 5080 while on exchange, and must abide by these rules and conditions.  Parents or legal guardians must not directly authorize any extra activities, and any relatives you may have in the host country will have no authority over you while you are on exchange.

Strict Rules of Exchange [violations will normally result in the student’s immediate return home!]

1.           Students must obey the laws of the host country (Canada or the United States), and of the province or state in the host country.  If you are found guilty of violating any law, you can expect no assistance from your sponsor club, district, or home country, and you will be required to return home at your own expense as soon as the authorities release you.

2.       Students are required to register at the high school selected by the host Rotary Club, attend classes on a full-time basis, make an honest attempt to achieve good grades, and participate fully in all school activities.  It is sometimes possible, but not common, for students to receive credits in their home country for courses taken while on exchange.  The possibility of doing so should be discussed with the student’s home school before leaving on exchange.

3.       Students are not allowed to possess or use illegal drugs.  Legal medications that are prescribed to you by a physician are allowed.

4.       Smoking is not permitted in public buildings and most commercial buildings in District 5080, and many homes are now also “smoke free”.  Under the circumstances, students hosted in District 5080 are not permitted to smoke at any time.  Note that it is illegal in both the US and Canada for those under the age of 18 to purchase cigarettes or other tobacco products!

5.       Drinking or possession of alcoholic beverages is expressly forbidden including students who are of legal drinking age.  If your host family offers you an alcoholic drink it is permissible to accept it under their supervision in their home.  

6.       Students are not permitted to operate any motorized vehicles.  This includes an automobile, motorcycle, motor scooter, motorboat, “jet ski”, snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle, or ultra-light aircraft, whether or not that vehicle requires a federal, state, or provincial license.  Students are also not permitted to engage in hang-gliding, para gliding or parachuting, and may not be a passenger in privately owned light aircraft without the specific written permission of their natural parents or guardians. Students may not participate in driver education programs.

7.       Students must follow District 5080 travel rules.  Travel is permitted with host parents or for Rotary Club or District functions authorized by the host Rotary Club or District , with adult chaperones.  Other travel must be approved in advance and in writing by District 5080, the host Rotary Club, host parents, and the student’s parents or legal guardians.

8.       Students may not accept formal employment, on either a full-time or part-time basis, while on exchange.

Common Sense Rules for a Successful Exchange [violations could result in the student’s return home!]

1.       Communicate with your first host family before leaving home.  You will receive host family information before your departure.           

2.           Respect your host family’s wishes.  Become a real part of the family, assuming duties and responsibilities normal for a student of your age or for children in the family.

3.       Any costs related to an early return home or any other unusual costs (special tours, etc.) are the responsibility of the student’s parents or legal guardians.

4.       Visits by parents or legal guardians, siblings, or friends while students are on exchange may only take place with the consent of the District 5080 and the host club, and within their guidelines.  Typically, visits may be arranged only in the last quarter of the exchange or during school breaks.

5.      Body piercing or obtaining a tattoo without the express written permission of the student’s natural parents,         host parents, host club, and host District, is prohibited for health reasons.

6.       Serious romantic activity is to be avoided, and sexual activity is forbidden.

7.      Talk with your host club counselor, host parents, or other trusted adult immediately if you encounter any form of   abuse or harassment.

8.     Students must make every effort to learn the English language and may be responsible for any cost for tutoring, language camps, or other special language instruction. Learn as much English as you can ahead of time.  Teachers, host parents, Rotary members, and others that you meet will appreciate the effort

9.     Attend Rotary and host family events, and show an interest in these activities.

10.   Don’t spend all of your time with other Exchange Students!  Get involved in school and community activities. 

11.   Electronic communication, instant messaging and phone calls with parents, siblings, and friends from home need to be limited and must not interfere in any way with the student becoming involved in the host culture, community and family.  Excessive or inappropriate use of electronic communication is unacceptable.  Accessing or downloading pornographic materials is expressly forbidden.

12.    If you have the opportunity to go on a trip or attend an event, make sure you understand any costs you must pay,  and your responsibilities before you go.

13.    Choose friends in the community carefully.  Ask for and heed the advice of host families, counselors, host Rotary Club and school personnel in choosing friends.

14.    Do not borrow money.  Pay any bills you incur promptly.  Ask permission to use the phone and internet and reimburse your host family for costs incurred.

In case of difficulties, students should consult – in order – their host family (if appropriate), their host Rotary Club Counselor, the host Club’s Youth Exchange Officer, the District 5080 Youth Exchange Committee Vice Chair responsible for their country,  the District 5080 Youth Exchange Committee Chair.  Contact information will be provided by the host Rotary Club and at the Inbound Student Orientation Camp.

The District 5080 Youth Exchange Committee will not hesitate to remove a student from the program – and send that student home at his or her expense – if the student violates any of the rules or does not adhere to the general intent and conditions of the exchange program.

DECLARATION

Having read and understood the program rules and conditions of exchange included in this document, we each agree to abide by these rules and conditions, and understand that any violation may result in abrupt termination of the exchange, and we further agree that the host Rotary Club and Rotary District 5080 shall have final authority in enforcing these rules and conditions and any other rules and conditions which may be imposed with due notice.

Date:                                                                                                       Father:                                                                   

                        [year/month/day]                                                                                        [signature]

Student:                                                                                                 Mother:                                                                 

                           [signature]                                                                                                [signature]

Name of Student [please print]                                                                                         

[Note: Signatures on all copies must be original and written in blue ink.]

D-5080 Inbound Student Agreement

2008.04.27 [Revised]

- and keep one copy for yourself and one for your parents!

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