Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is NORTHEAST LINK?

NORTHEAST LINK is an orientation, typically at the beginning of October, for participants of the Rotary Foundation educational programs (Ambassadorial Scholars, Rotary Peace Fellows) that assists them in understanding their role, as it pertains to their continued education, need to reach out to communities, develop friendships and be good representatives (Ambassadors of Good Will) wherever their lives take them.  It deals with cultural issues, sexual harassment, public speaking, diplomacy, finding opportunities for further projects, and welcoming ways of representing themselves and their home countries. The NORTHEAST LINK program does so by providing a variety of speakers who have relevant knowledge, from the diplomatic service, academia, Rotary, including alumni of these Foundation programs. There are breakout sessions specifically for new outbound & inbound scholars and teams, as well as their supporting Rotarian Host & Sponsor Counselors, plus some fun games that provide added insight into Rotary.

What is NORTHEAST LINK for GSE/VTT?

NORTHEAST LINK for GSE/VTT is an orientation, typically in January, and similar to the October NORTHEAST LINK, but designed to help prepare Group Study Exchange and Vocational Training Teams for their trips to another country.

What happens if a GSE or VTT trip is planned to begin before the January NORTHEAST LINK?

GSE/VTT teams are very welcome to participate in the October NORTHEAST LINK. The organizing committee will make specific breakout sessions available to them at that time.

Who is a Rotary Foundation Alum?

A Rotary Foundation Alum is any person who has completed their participation in a Rotary Foundation program. Specifically:

• been an Ambassadorial Scholar
• been a Rotary Peace Fellow (previously World Peace Fellow)
• been the recipient of a University Teachers Grant
• been a Rotary Volunteer
• been a Leader or Member of a Group Study Exchange Team (GSE)
• been a Leader of Member of a Vocational Training Team (VTT)

What is the Rotary Foundation's Future Vision Plan?

For several years the Rotary Foundation has researched the effectiveness of its programs and concluded that they need to be more targeted to six Areas of Focus:

• Peace & Conflict Prevention/Resolution
• Disease Prevention & Treatment
• Water & Sanitation
• Maternal & Child Health
• Basic Education & Literacy
• Economic & Community Development
  

Consequently the Ambassadorial Scholar and GSE programs will be phased out by July 2013 and replaced with new programs giving greater flexibility while requiring participants to already possess significant experience in the areas of focus in order to participate.

What are Pilot Districts?

Rotary assigns a District Number to all parts of the world that have Rotary Clubs, on the basis that each District has approximately 3,000 members. As such there are currently 535 Districts worldwide and 1.2 Million club members. In order to refine the new programs of the Future Visions Plan, the Rotary Foundation has tasked 100 of these Districts, the Pilot Districts, to work under the rules of the Future Visions Plan for three years. As of July 2013, all Districts will have to comply with the new rules.

What is the significance of Pilot Districts?

International projects are usually between two countries, via a District in each of them. Currently, Districts that are NOT Pilot Districts can continue to participate in GSE and have Ambassadorial Scholars under the still current Rotary Foundation program rules. However, Pilot Districts have already to operate under the Foundation’s Future Vision rules and are essentially only allowed to do projects with other Pilot Districts. As of July 2013 all Districts will have to operate under the same rules that currently apply to Pilot Districts; those of the Future Vision Plan. In the New England area, examples of Pilot Districts are Districts 7930 and 7980.

Event Registration Questions

Where can the details of the NORTHEAST LINK Program be found?

Click here for orientation details. This information is as close as we can make it at this time to the real program that will be available in the NORTHEAST LINK binder all registered participants will receive on arrival.

Even so, the provisional program currently on this website gives a good overview of the variety and content of the orientation. The program strives to maintain the interest and attention of all participants throughout the day, while also allowing time to network and share experiences with alumni and Rotarians.

It is worth noting that Rotary Foundation Alumni are always part of the NORTHEAST LINK organizing committee, and it is to their great credit that the program has changed significantly over the years to help meet the needs of new scholars and teams.

How much does it cost to attend NORTHEAST LINK?

FOR THE FALL EVENT: The cost depends on what option is selected, in regard to days, meals, and hotel room.

FOR THE WINTER EVENT: There is typically one standard fee amount for all participants.

Fees are listed on the Registration Info page.

What does the Registration Fee include?

FALL EVENT: The Registration Fee covers meals, hotel room and registration materials for whichever days are included in your particular Registration Option category. Saturday meals are Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner; Sunday meal is Breakfast.

WINTER EVENT: The Registration Fee covers registration materials and meals for the day (typcially Continental Breakfast and Lunch).

Do sponsoring clubs/districts cover any of the costs for current Scholars, VTT or GSE team participants?

The Rotary Foundation makes clear to participants what costs are covered (almost all, except for personal expenses), but that varies slightly dependent upon where scholars are going. Additional expenses, such as for a blazer, passport, visa, medical certificates, etc, are often paid for by the sponsoring club or sponsoring Rotary District. However, that is not so in every case since clubs are autonomous, so request information first from the sponsoring club and then from the appropriate Rotary District Chair, e.g. for Scholarships, GSE, VTT.

How do hotel reservations get made for the October NORTHEAST LINK?

Participants at NORTHEAST LINK have differing accommodation needs, depending upon whether they are current scholars, team members, Rotarians or alumni, but for all of them the hotel reservations are made only through NORTHEAST LINK by using the registration process on this website. We request that you DO NOT make your accommodation reservation directly with the hotel.

Current Scholars (Ambassadorial Scholars, Rotary Peace Fellows) are expected to attend both days of NORTHEAST LINK, staying Saturday night at the hotel and to share a room. This is not just to save on the cost of the accommodation, but also to bring scholars together and be able to share cultures. The NORTHEAST LINK committee matches the attendees who will share the room. In specific cases, attendees can request with whom they wish to share the room.

Other Attendees of the NORTHEAST LINK orientation (Host & Sponsor Counselors, Foundation Alumni, Committee Members, Rotarians & Guests) are encouraged to attend both days, but may choose to only attend part of the 2-day orientation. If hotel accommodation is needed on Saturday night, they too should enter this when registering via the website.

Alumni (any Rotary Foundation program alumni, not just those who had previously attended NORTHEAST LINK) who are only attending the Reunion Dinner on Saturday evening, can also choose to stay overnight at the hotel. However we request that they make their hotel reservation via the NORTHEAST LINK registration process on this website.

“Last minute” accommodation changes can be made by registering again via the website; the Registrar will make sure that you are not registered twice, but will make the changes. HOWEVER, please do respect the need of the organizing committee to work with the hotel, which typically means that changes are difficult to make in the 24 hours prior to the start of NORTHEAST LINK.

In the event of registration difficulty, simply contact the Registrar or NORTHEAST LINK chair directly; see the CONTACT US link at the top of each web page.