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It’s Farewell, Not Goodbye: A Night We’ll Carry With Us

by Anna D. Banks, Public Image Committee Chair, Rotary District 7475

Rotary District 7475 closed an unforgettable chapter with a heartfelt farewell dinner honoring our Japanese Short-Term Youth Exchange students from District 2670.

The students shared the beauty of Japanese culture through dance, singing, poetry, keyboard, flute, and violin performances—offering one final gift to the host families and Rotarians who had shared their journey.

After weeks of friendship, discovery, and experiences across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, the evening was a powerful reminder that Rotary Youth Exchange is about much more than travel. It is about building relationships across cultures, opening hearts, and creating memories that last long after the journey ends.

It was farewell—but certainly not goodbye.

Rotary District 7475 welcomed 20 students from Japan’s District 2670 for a day of global learning at the United Nations and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Now in its 48th year, this Youth Exchange partnership continues to build friendships, cultural understanding, and the kind of connections that help young people see the world—and one another—differently.

Why Join Rotary? Five Reasons Rotary Still Changes Lives shows non-members how Rotary creates real impact through service, leadership, friendship, global connection, and purpose.