District 7550 GSE team (from left): Chris Eads, Don Broyles, Bryan Kelley. Eddie Amburgey, and Peggy Stanley

Keith Blankenship (left), District Governor, extends wishes for a good trip and safe return to GSE team leader Don Broyles.

March 7, 2006

Don Broyles, Past President of Putnam Rotary, left Charleston this afternoon as leader of a Group Study Exchange team to Australia.

The GSE program, sponsored by the Rotary Foundation is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 and in the early years of their professional lives.

The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

Chris Eads from Fayetteville in a physical therapist with Active Recovery Physical Therapy in Oak Hill.

Bryan Kelley who hails from Lewisburg is a chef at the Greenbrier Sporting Club in White Sulphur Springs.

Edward Amburgey is a lieutenant shift commander with the City of South Charleston Police Department. He and his wife Sandra have two children, Alexa, age 10, and Jocelyn, age 7. They live in Tornado.

Peggy Stanley from Beckley is a teacher for Raleigh County Schools. She graduated graduated last year with a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership. She is married and her interests include travel, cooking, football and reading.

Broyles' team is sponsored by Rotary District 7550, which includes 32 local clubs in southern West Virginia.

District Governor Keith Blankenship was present at the airport to see the group off and wish them well on their journey.