Rotary Club of Port Hope Beacon for September 8, 2025
Guests:
L to R: Julie Koutkova and Laura Jolicoeur
Gail Marchand who is interested in finding out more about Rotary.
Laura Jolicoeur and her father, Wes Joliceour, Julie Koutkova, our new inbound YE Student from Czechia, Elin Bjur and her fiancé, Rickard. Elin was our YE Student from Sweden in 2009-2010. They are here in Canada to attend her host sister Cindy Lang’s wedding. They also travelled in British Columbia and Alberta before the wedding.
We also had four Interactors from Port Hope High School:
Eli and Seth and Eli Gibson and Abigail and Trissa Torres,
Program
Laura Jolicoeur was introduced by Kevin Moore, our club’s Youth Exchange Officer, who helped Laura get ready for her exchange.
Laura shared with the club her experience as a Youth Exchange student during the past year in Finland. Her first activity after arriving in Finland was to attend language camp. This offered an introduction to Finland, the culture, food and common phrases. There were approximately 70 students that attended this camp, and she made many friends.
There are many differences in the school system In Finland. One difference is that school starts in August, and you get to pick your own schedule and subjects. Also, hot lunches are provided for all students at no cost. Laura also had Finnish language class everyday which is mandatory for all exchange students.
Laura had the opportunity to meet with family that she had in Finland. She learned a lot of interesting facts and history about her family while she was there.
There is a group in Finland that is called ROTEX which is made up of Returned YE Students. It keeps the Returned YE Students involved with the Youth Exchange Program and with Rotary. This group supports current active exchange students by organizing and running activities for them throughout the year.
During the year, Laura experienced the celebration of many special holidays and special events. She learned that they celebrate the opening of their gifts for Christmas on the 24th not the 25th. She learned many other traditions.
Although they do not have a prom like our high schools do, they have a very formal event for the senior students who learn and practice dances for several months. They dress in formal clothes for the big night, and the students also visit schools for younger students and other community groups to perform their dances.
Laura got to experience a ‘mini-exchange’ during her exchange with a school trip for a week in Lithuania. There were lots of exciting things to see and experience. She saw just how beautiful the country was.
One of the biggest culture shocks was that the people in Finland are not as open as we are here in Canada. They are very private people, and the difficult language was sometimes a barrier.
Through this experience, Laura learned to be very independent, to become more self-reliant and how to persevere when things become difficult. She feels that she has grown tremendously through this experience and that she sees the world through different eyes and has a better appreciation for other cultures. It was a great experience and, she is so glad that she was chosen.
Laura thanked the Rotary Club of Port Hope for sponsoring her as our club’s Outbound Youth Exchange Student.
Ron Tuttle thanked Laura for her excellent presentation, and for being an outstanding ambassador for her family, our club and the Youth Exchange Program.
Ron introduced our new Inbound Youth Exchange Student, Julie Koutkova from Czechia. Julie arrived after a week delay caused by the Air Canada strike on August 25. She is living with her first host family in Cobourg, Rhonda and Dave Cunningham. The three local Rotary Clubs are co-hosting Julie. Each club will provide one host family for her. Ron Tuttle is the Youth Exchange Officer who will help Julie with registering her in Cobourg Collegiate Institute, helping her to attend District Youth Exchange activities and other administrative items. Laurie McKeen from the Rotary Club of Cobourg is Julie’s Youth Exchange Counsellor.
Julie introduced herself to our club by telling us that she lives in Liberec, a city of 108,000 people about an hour and a half from Prague. She lives with her mother and older brother. Julie is taking Drama, Physics, Law and Phys Ed in Semester One at CCI. She likes to draw, read and build creative pieces. She has been involved in gymnastics for many years, so we will check out what is available for her at Epic Gymnastics in Port Hope. Julie finds Canadians very friendly and warm, so she is feeling quite comfortable in her new home.
Rotarians are encouraged to invite Julie to join their family for dinner or an activity such as a concert, a movie or visiting a local attraction. Contact Ron if you want to invite Julie to join you for an activity.
Then Ron introduced Elin Bjur who was our Inbound Youth Exchange Student from Sweden 15 years ago. Elin and her fiancé, Rickard, travelled through British Columbia and Alberta for a week before arriving in Port Hope to go to her host sister Cindy Lang’s wedding on September 6. Ein was hosted by Ron and Bonnie Tuttle for three weeks at the start of her exchange and then by Julie and David Stewart, Scott and Lisa Lang and Paul Laing and Faye Langmaid. Hearing Lauren’s talk brought back many fond memories for Elin from her exchange in Port Hope. She thanked Rotary for proving a lifechanging experience for young people.
Elin and Rickard live in an apartment on Stockholm harbour. He is a prosecutor, and Elin is a global marketing manager promoting Swedish businesses in other countries.
Club Business
Fall Fair – there is a still a need for volunteers. Please contact Steve Tallo if you are able to help.
Tickets for Raffle – there are 80 tickets left to sell for the raffle.
Kevin Moore – Kevin is participating in the 5km Terry Fox Run on Sunday and is looking for sponsors. If you are able to sponsor him, please speak to Kevin or see the E-mail that he will send out with the link to make a donation to the Terry Fox Foundation.
Next Meeting
Our next meeting will be on September 22 at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Our guest speaker will be District Governor Niecy Dillon-Tyrovolas.
