Community & Clubs:

Looking for an all-expenses-paid four-week trip to a beautiful and exciting island? Well, look no further, said Bret Gerdes, Rotary District 5320’s governor.

The district is looking for applicants for the 2010 Group Study Exchange team, which will visit District 3500, in northwest Taiwan, between March 14 and April 11.

Home to the verdant mountains of Wulai and the spectacular cliffs of Penghu, Taiwan is a jewel unknown to most Americans.

Named Formosa (Beautiful Island) by Portuguese sailors, the island has become a global industrial powerhouse, particularly in technology manufacturing.

Although in size Taiwan ranks only 203rd in surface area and 50th in population, it is the world’s 21st largest economy.

The Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers.

For four weeks, team members will develop deep personal and professional relationships, while they experience the host country’s culture and institutions, tour historical and cultural sites, visit local high-tech industries, exchange ideas with local professionals, and observe how their vocations are practiced abroad.

Teams consist of a Rotarian team leader and four team members employed in a high-tech industry with at least two years’ experience.

Team members can neither be Rotarians nor related to Rotarians. The Rotary Foundation will provide round-trip air transportation, and local Rotarians will provide meals, lodging and group travel.

The deadline for team member applications is Sunday, and interviews of team member applicants will be the first week of January.

Applications and additional information are available by contacting Tito L. Parola at (714) 771-6900 or tparola@associatedlabs.com; or Neil Burns at (949) 495-5558 or rneilb@yahoo.com.

BUSY TIME FOR SERVICE CLUBS

The December-January period is one of the busiest for the area’s service clubs.

While they are providing service to the community, Lions, Kiwanis and Rotary members will be busy decorating their Rose Parade Float for the Jan. 1 parade in Pasadena.

Many of the service clubs will not be meeting the week of Dec. 21 or Dec. 28 because of Christmas and New Year’s.

WORTH REPEATING

Thought for the Day as provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council…“Lose yourself in generous service and every day can be a most unusual day, a triumphant day, an abundantly rewarding day!”

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

TODAY

7:30 a.m.: The 10-member Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club meets at Denny’s Restaurant, 290 Bristol St., Costa Mesa.

Noon: The 20-member Exchange Club of Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive, Corona Del Mar. For more information, visit www.coronadelmarexchangeclub.org.

5:15 p.m.: The 10 member Rotary Club of Costa Mesa meets at the Ramanda Inn & Suites, 1680 Superior Ave., Costa Mesa.

6 p.m.: The 65-member Rotary Club of Newport Balboa meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for the Holiday Buffet Dinner and Christmas Boat Parade. For more information, visit www.newportbalboa.org.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at Mimi’s Café, 1835 Newport Blvd.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club meets at the Holiday Inn, 3131 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, for presentation of Athletes of the Month for November and December. For more information, visit www.CostaMesaKiwanis.org.

The 45-member Kiwanis Club of Newport Beach-Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. For more information, visit www.newportbeachkiwanis.org.

The 95-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a presentation by Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach.

6 p.m.: The 85-member Rotary Club of Newport Irvine meets at the Bailey’s Home for their Holiday Party. For more information, visit www.ni-rotary.org.

COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays. Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655 or by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com .