Interact Clubs

In my first club visit to Spartan West on July 2nd, the club had two Interact members from Dorman HS at the meeting. They talked about their experiences at RYLA. (Idea 1: RYLA scholarships are only available to Interact members.) The students also talked about their career cluster choices (Idea 2: that should be an opportunity for vocational service within the club.) My next five visits also had Interact Connections: Clemson (Daniel HS), Pickens (Pickens HS), Greater Anderson (Westside HS) and Electric City/Anderson (Hanna HS). In general, the Interact clubs had the brightest students and the star athletes, but as Rotarian Kelly Banks (Spartan West) said, "the key is the school staff." Kelly's wife Lesa was originally responsible for the club at Dorman. In general, the Rotary Clubs ask a few Interact members a week to attend Rotary meetings. Clemson has the officers of the Interact Club preside at a Rotary Club meeting once per year. Clemson also asks the Interact Club to participate in Service Projects and the club participates in Interact Projects. Greater Anderson is organizing a competition between Westside and Hanna to create meals for third world countries like we did at District Conference. They are inviting other service clubs in the schools to participate, as each service club in the school is responsible for 70 hours of community service per month. I'm not sure how I could have been a Rotarian for 26 years and been so ignorant of what clubs are doing for Interact and what Interact is doing for the students and the community.