Dear Inbound,

you’re getting ready for your stay in Germany. The District 1820. of Rotary International is very glad that you chose Germany for your exchange. We hope that you’ll thoroughly enjoy your time and that you’ll make great experiences over here. 

In the past our young guests were usually hosted immediately by their host families after their arrival. Last summer however, the District 1820. decided to offer a language crash course for two weeks at the beginning of the exchange in order to prepare the students for their stay in Germany and for their life with their German host families. The experiences we’ve made were precious.

For all of you coming to Germany this summer we’ve come up with something extraordinary: After  your arrival in Germany and after having stayed with your host families for some time,  you’re going to participate in a language crash course for two weeks, starting July 19th 2002. This “language camp” will be placed on the sailing-school-ship „Amphitrite“  while sailing on the Baltic Sea. Our Rotarian Friend Ursula Tschorn (RC Bad Vilbel) has had the idea for this new kind of “getting-together”. 

However, this project requires a lot of organisation for which we already need a little bit of your help. Therefore, I’m getting in touch with you today in order to let you know the details of the trip.

It is essential that you arrive in Germany on July 13th 2002 at the latest! This is important, because we’ll need about a week to plan the trip all together in Germany. 

The sailing trip starts in July 20th 2002 and ends on August 3rd 2002. We’ll meet in Travemünde (in the North of Germany) and then take the bus and the ferry to go to Helsingborg (Sweden). Our sailing trip itself will start in Kalmar (Sweden) and will lead back to Travemünde. 

On Sunday, July 14th 2002 we’ll meet in Bad Vilbel (close to Frankfurt/Main) at 10:30 a.m. for the last preparations. Everyone of you is required to come!  Because we’ll give you all the important information for your trip, we’ll also invite your host families.  

Attached to this letter you’ll find a check list for all the things you might need for the sailing trip. We kindly ask you to read this list carefully so that you can co-ordinate with to your host 

parents in advance what they might lend you or  what you should buy in Germany.  It is probably not necessary to bring your own sleeping bag or your own Wellington boots to Germany.  

For the trip to the North of Germany we’ve chartered a bus, because the whole team of the sailing boat will meet at the port of Travemünde on July 20th 2002 at 9:30 a.m. This means that the bus will probably leave in Frankfurt on July 19th 2002 around midnight.

The trip will end in Travemünde on August 3rd 2002 in the morning so that you’ll get back to Frankfurt in the late afternoon.

Please get in contact to your German host parents as soon as possible. They’ll receive a similar letter to this one in the next few days, also including the check list for the luggage.  

Please pay attention that you’ll receive a “Schengen Visa” by the German embassy in your home country. You’ll need this in order to also visit Sweden and Denmark during your sailing trip.  

Please let us know immediately once you’ve booked a flight. We’re anxious to know when you’ll arrive in Germany. Thank you!

For more information please look at the following web sites:

1. http.//www.clipper-djs.org  		(about the sailing ship and the organisation)
2. http://www.rotary.de/bad-vilbel/             	(about the Rotary Club of Bad Vilbel and the   entire project. We’ll be keeping you up to date here. Please send a digital photo to ursula.tschorn@pharmazie.com, You`ll find it on the side of our project!) 

If you’ve got any questions, you can either call me or send me an e-mail. 

Best regards,

Your organisation team