Cabaret, featuring songs, skills, humor, national costumes and more, showcased a variety of talent and diversity among the Georgia Rotary Student Program’s Class of 2023-24 in Macon. Directed by Chair Emeritus and GRSP Foundation President Jim and Lynn Drake, the phenomenal program started with the GRSP Peace Song, featuring the lyrics by Administrator Emeritus Janis Comer and composition of 1994-95 Alumnus Bernard Wong. Photos and Cabaret video the Conclave weekend can be found at the bottom of the resources page at www.grsp.org/resources.

GRSP scholars include 20 males and 22 females from 24 countries. The scholars are sponsored by 93 Rotary Clubs within Georgia and attending 24 public and private colleges/universities throughout the state.

District 6920 Governor Felix Smith jump started the sessions last weekend with Rotary 101 by sharing his passion for service. Chair Emeritus, Parliamentarian and Judge Bert Guy provided preventative reminders of laws in Georgia while Chair Emeritus and Foundation President Drake added highlights in the GRSP student handbook. What a treasure we uncovered when Trustee Dave Razo energized and empowered the group with the keynote reminder: I am STRONG and COURAGEOUS!

Within the class, 22 are from Europe, two from Asia, five from Africa, seven from South America, four from Central America and from North America.  GRSP picked up students who represent three new countries (Curacao, Gabon, Rwanda). Those countries will be calculated in next year’s alumni statistics alumni our tallied when the program ends in May. To date, our GRSP Alumni stands at 3,775 from 109 countries in 77 years. This is the 76th class as the Class of 2020-21 did not have any students as the result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.  We were fortunate to have District leadership from 6900 with DGN Steve Ivory, 6910 with DG Brandy Swanson and PDG Bill St. Clair and 6920 with DG Felix Smith, DGE/Trustee Todd Freesemann and PDG/GRSP Foundation Director Heather Kellen participating in events all weekend.

We are indebted to this year’s Conclave Host, District 6920 and under the direction of the Rotary Club of Macon, the Rotary Club of Macon North and the Rotary Club of Downtown Macon with Rebecca Grist and GRSP 6920 Director Milton Heard as co-chairs. We appreciate each person who serves as host family, GRSP club coordinator or a weekend host and thank those who provided transportation and/or a meal to our scholars. GRSP is forever grateful for our leadership, staff and trustees, particularly Vice Chair Ian Bond, who invested a substantial amount of effort for his oversight of this Conclave event.

The first GRSP class in 1946 consisted of four students from Norway, France, Czechoslovakia and Greece.  As the GRSP logo states, we have literally been “bringing nations together since 1946!” Full and partial scholarship options are available and the application is open now through the end of October. For more information or to have a GRSP representative provide a program for your club, please email grsp@grsp.org.