Former Rotary Exchange students are invited to be part of the inaugural district 9690 Rotary Exchange Alumni. Since Rotary Youth Exchange’s inception in the early 1980s, local Rotary clubs have given hundreds of students from Penrith and surrounding districts the opportunity to experience a year living in a foreign country, learning a new language and making friends from around the globe. Previously, upon their return, many students lost contact with Rotary, but all this is about to change with the establishment of a District 6960 Rotary Alumni. Beginning tonight with the Alumni’s inaugural dinner, joint organiser and member of the Youth Exchange Committee, David Rayner, hopes the establishment of an alumnus will encourage former exchange students to become more involved with Rotary. “It’s to try and renew old acquaintances and at the same time create an interest in Rotary. “Rotary is suffering, like most charitable organisations, with membership and there is a real need for younger people to be involved, especially those who have already been away or previously had something to do with Rotary,” he said.