The Rotary Foundation Group Study Exchange District 5830

GSE Team-Report Switzerland-Texas May 05 th 2007 – June 09 th 2007

Date: Informations Journal Pictures

After the preparation time everyone was happy that the trip now started. After an eleven hours flight we landed tired but very excited about all forthcoming at the Fort Worth airport. We were already expected at the airport - with a Rotary flag a welcoming committee waited for our arri- val. A short drive took us to the city apartment of one of our host families and we enjoyed a great aperitif with a fabulous view on the city of Dallas - here we are, in Dallas, Texas! May-05-2007

City homepage: www.cedarcreekpilot.com Rotary Club Cedar Creek Lake

Our first day in Texas was calm; we had no program and time to acclimate us with the time shift. The next day everyone made individual activities with their host families before the whole team met at the house of Sandy and Dale Molander for a barbecue. After the meal, some of us enjoyed, fitted with a brand new Longhorn-cap, a boat trip on the huge artificial lake of Ce- dar Creek. Later in the evening, we had our first presentation for a small group of Rotarians.

May-06-2007

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Mabank Fire Department The Mabank Fire Department, a department based upon integrity, respect and trust provides 111 E. Mason St. Fire, Rescue and EMS services to safeguard the life and property of the citizens of the com- Mabank , TX 75147 munity Mabank. The Deputy Fire Marshal Kyle McAfee showed us their equipment. Some tools www.mabankfire.org are very old and different from ours. [email protected]

Collin Street Bakery On Monday we started our first professional tour. In the morning, we visited the Colin Street 401 West 7th Avenue Bakery in Corsicana - they say, that they produce the worlds best fruitcake. The family-owned- Corsicana, Texas 75151 and-operated Collin Street Bakery, located just 50 miles south of Dallas, Texas, has been bak- www.collinstreet.com ing the world-famous DeLuxe Fruitcake for over 110 years. The shy, perfectionist Gus Weid- mann ran his little kitchen in this newly formed Collin Street Bakery 1896 and made ready for

May-07.2007 the busy Christmas seasons. At the same time, Tom McElwee was sending out letters, making till 03.00till p.m. sales trips, and lining up an ever-growing list of Bakery customers. This year alone they will ship Texas Fruitcakes, pecan cakes, and other delicious pastries to 196 foreign countries.

Gander Mountain After a small breakfast we drove to Gander Mountain , a big outdoor sports shop. Gander 3301 Corsicana Crossings Blvd. Mountain is a leading specialty retailer that serves the needs of outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts, Corsicana, TX 75110 with a particular focus on hunting, fishing, camping and boating. The Gander Mountain brand www.gandermountain.com was founded in Wilmot, Wisconsin, in 1960 originally as a catalog operation which over time was augmented with retail stores. Gander Mountain provides a unique retail experience founded upon their "We Live Outdoors" culture and theme. At the end of May 2007, the Com- pany had 108 Gander Mountain outdoor lifestyle stores in 22 states

The Home Depot Later, we visited Home Depot, a retailer of home improvement and construction products. The 2290 S I-45 founders, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, forever changed the home improvement industry Corsicana, TX 75109 when they opened the first The Home Depot stores in Atlanta, Georgia on June 22, 1979. The www.homedepot.com original stores stocked around 25,000 products and were attached to Treasure Island stores.

Today, on average, The Home Depot offers 40,000 products and is approximately 105,000 square feet. The Home Depot story began as a vision of warehouse stores filled from floor to ceiling with a wide assortment of products at the lowest prices. The growth continues to this day, with more than 2,100 stores throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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Russel Stover The next stop was at Russell Stover Candies. This is a familiar and beloved name to lovers 1997 Pecan Delight Avenue, of chocolate the world over. Currently the largest manufacturer of boxed chocolates in North Corsicana, TX 75110 America, the company's roots are deep in family values and traditions. In 1923, Russell and www.russellstover.com Clara Stover began a candy business in their home in Denver, Colorado. The original candy, marketed as "Mrs. Stover's Bungalow Candies," changed about 20 years later to Russell Stover Candies. The Stovers established principles that were successful then and are still carefully followed today. The three principles of quality, service and value allow Russell Stover Candies to remain "Only the Finest."

College of Navarro The Pearce Civil War Collection is a balanced collection documenting both the northern and Pearce Collections Museum southern Civil War experience. Correspondence from its major political and military leaders is 3100 West Collin Street included as well as letters and diaries written by common soldiers and civilians. Corsicana, Texas 75110 The Pearce Western Art Museum has a large collection of portraits and landscapes of the www.pearcecollections.us Native American life.

Athens Park Homes Athens Park Homes, LLC was formed September 9, 2004 by a group of investors led by Phil PO Box 1270 Surles former Chief Operating Officer of Champion Enterprises, Inc. While Surles was COO, Athens, TX 75751 Champion was the Nations largest housing and mobile home producer in the United States www.athensparkhomes.com and Canada. The group purchased the large 140,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant in Athens, TX from Champion to produce park models and cabins and to take advantage of the large skilled work force in the area. The four member management team of Athens Park Homes has over 118 years combined experience in factory built housing. The plant supervisors and associates have been building custom manufactured and modular housing in this facility for over 30 years. Athens Park Homes began producing & marketing a full line of park models and cabins na- tionwide December 1, 2004. The park models feature tape and textured walls and ceilings, lofts, dormers, large bay windows, fiber cement, cedar lap and log siding. We could track the whole manufacture way from the beginning to the completed house. This was our last stop for today before were picked up from the Rotary Club Athens.

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City homepage: www.athenstx.org Rotary Club Athens

In the late evening, the whole team met for dinner in an Italian restaurant - we spent a great May-07-2007 evening with the Rotarians of Athens.

Trinity Valley On Tuesday, we toured through the 2-Year-College Trinity Valley Community College Community College (TVCC). The TVCC is cheaper than a common university and has very modern education 100 Cardinal Dr equipment like interactive classrooms. They also teach in 4 prisons. TVCC ranks as a leader Athens, Texas 75751 among all Texas community colleges in the success of its students who transfer to senior col- www.tvcc.edu leges and universities. They offer a large variety of academic programs. Henderson County

May-08-2007 Junior College was founded by a group of Athens civic leaders, headed by J. P. Pickens and Orval Pirtle, and public school administrators in late 1945 and early 1946. The creation of Hen- derson County Junior College was formally approved by voters in the election of May 4, 1946. The first registration was conducted in temporary facilities at Athens High School on June 3, 1946, and three days later classes began there. Trinity Valley Community College has a proud heritage of service to the people within the region and is currently engaged in continuing growth and development toward realization of its full potential in higher education.

Red Dot In the afternoon we visited Red Dot , a manufacturer of steel buildings. The company has a big Building Systems social engagement and has social projects all over the world and for their employees too. P.O. Box 1240 1209 W. Corsicana Street Athens, Texas 75751 www.reddotbuildings.com

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Athens Daily Review Later in the afternoon, we toured the The Athens Review . The Athens Review was estab- P.O. Box 32 lished as a weekly newspaper by J.B. Bishop and George M. Johnson, Editors and owners, on Athens, Texas 75751 Dec. 24, 1885. The earliest newspaper in Henderson County appeared, in 1886. Now the Ath- www.athensreview.com ens Review is published daily except Saturdays. Throughout its history, The Athens Review has served the area as a community newspaper. Encouraging community spirit and supporting projects of benefit to the area. Devoted to the development and progress of Athens and Hen- derson county and their people. The newspaper has been an important element in the areas heritage. Everyone was surprised about the old equipment of the company.

Fieldstone of Texas Before dinner, some of us could visit the FieldStone, Larry Russels company. FieldStone is a Hand Cast Stone Veneer manufactured stone veneer that offers an economical alternative to natural stone while captur- 1100 S.E. Loop 7 ing the same beauty and appeal. Each piece of FieldStone is unique, cast by hand, using P.O. Box 188 models made from the impressions of natural stones. FieldStone weights much less than natu- Athens, Texas, 75751 ral stone and requires no expensive footings. FieldStone can be installed over almost any ex- www.fieldstoneoftexas.com isting surface which makes it ideal for remodelling projects as well as new construction. Each [email protected] FieldStone is individually installed which allows multi-story use. The installed cost of FieldStone offers savings of up to 50% over natural stone.

THE CAIN CENTER The Cain Center is a center for business meetings, seminars, banquets, and reunions. There Civic and Fitness Center is also integrated a fitness and wellness center. The Cain Center sits nestled in the heart of the 915 S. Palestine beautiful, 85-acre Cain Park, surrounded by tennis courts, fishing ponds and a walking-jogging Athens, Texas 75751 trail. In 1983, the Cain Foundation built and donated this unique facility to the people of Hen- www.geocities.com/athenscaincenter derson County.

May-09-2007 [email protected]

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East Texas Arboretum & East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society is a special 100 acres of native Texas land and Botanical Society is preserved for generations to come. We learned about the beauty and ecological importance P.O. Box of America's native flora. We enjoyed 2 miles of naturalistic hiking trails, live (enclosed) honey- 1601 PATTERSON ROAD bees, and the Historic Wofford House Museum. You can all learn to become a source of inspi- ATHENS,TEXAS 75751 ration and guidance for others who would like to help preserve our priceless natural resources. www.eastexasarboretum.org East Texas Arboretum and Botanical Society is a 5013c non-profit organization dedicated to [email protected] the preservation of the natural environment and the creation of both formal and informal plant collections. An old house had long ago been bulldozed and stacked into a heap with some tin and other man-made looking things scattered nearby. A long-abandoned footbridge cut across the creek and over a large gas line. Board of Directors was formed in 1992, and 100 acres of

land within the Athens city limits was purchased in 1993. The land is now debt free.

Texas Freshwater At the Freshwater Fisheries Center we had our first contact with the famous Catfish. With Fisheries Center over 300,000 of aquaria, we saw practically every freshwater species of fish found in Texas! 5550 FM 2495 This unique Texas Parks and Wildlife Department facility is a combination aquatic education Austin, TX 75752 center, native Texas fish aquarium and production fish hatchery. We had seen fish in simulated www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/visi natural habitats, learned about the history of the species of fish and took a narrated tram tour

May-10-2007 torcenters/tffc/ of the production hatchery. In a daily dive shows we saw fish hand-fed in a 26,000-gallon aquarium.

First Baptist The history of the Baptist denomination in Texas should began around 1822, when Freeman Church Athens Smally, a Baptist Missionary preacher from Ohio, made his appearance at the settlement on 105 S. Carroll St. Red River, now included within Red River County, which was the first American settlement in Athens, Texas 75751 Texas. The present structure was erected in 1918. It is of brick and concrete construction and www.lovingtheworld.com stands as a very strong building today. There is integrated a school and they have a big offer of spare time activities for children and teenagers. In the evening we had our presentation about Switzerland - our auditors were very interested and asked questions. It was a great finish for our stay in Athens!

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City homepage: www.hendersontx.com Rotary Henderson www.rotaryhendersontx.org

May-11-2007

At noon we visited the Rotary Club Meeting of Henderson. A radiology specialist had a presen- tation about the radiology history. We spent the afternoon with our host-families.

Texas State Railroad Since 1896, trains have rolled along the Texas State Railroad (TSRR), passing through the P.O. BOX 39 beautiful pinewoods and rolling hardwood creek bottoms of East Texas. Today, the historic Rusk, Texas 75785 state railroad is still maintained as a fully self-contained railroad system. Its train crews main- www.texasstaterailroad.com tain and operate 4 steam engines, 4 antique diesel locomotives, and a complete steam engine restoration shop; while its track crew maintains over 25 miles of track and 24 bridges. The

May-12-2007 TSRR is known as one of the nation's largest and most unique steam train operations. The TSRR is one of the only steam railroads in the United States that runs two steam trains simul- taneously on days of operation.

Caddoan Mounds State The Caddoan Mounds State historic Site is a 93.8-acre park in Cherokee County west of Historic Site Nacogdoches. The Parks was acquired in February, 1975 from Walter E. Gundermann, Jr. 1649 State Hwy 21W Development of facilities was completed and the park opened to the public in June 1982. It was Alto Texas 75925 the home of Mound Builders of Caddoan origin that lived in the region for 500 years beginning www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/find about A.D. 800. adest/parks/caddoan_mounds

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Longhorns The Spanish brought the first longhorn cattle to America in 1493. Descendants of these long- horns formed the first cattle population in North America. The first Anglo-American settlers of Texas came to raise cotton. However, they brought with them a few cows, mostly of northern European breeds. These cows mixed with the Spanish breeds already in Texas and soon grew into considerable herds. Most of the cattle for the first stocking of the central and northern

May-13-2007 plains came from these herds. The climate and range conditions were ideal for cattle rising in Texas. In addition, the liberal land system made it easy to acquire large blocks of acreage. However, the size of farms does not tell the whole story. As the number of cattle increased in Texas, small acreage owners ranged their cattle primarily upon unoccupied public lands. In fact, some cattle owners with thousands of head of cattle did not even own one acre of land. These Texas cattle had long legs, lanky bodies, with legs and feet built for speed. It took a good horse with a good rider to outrun a Texas Longhorn. Their narrow faces, sullen expres- sions, and horns that swept out horizontally, gave these cattle a sinister look. And indeed, they could be mean.

Professional days Radiology Technician Sabrina Boetel Henderson Memorial Hospital Tourist Director Sabine Loosli Tourism Department Journalist/Chief Editor Fanny Noghero Henderson Daily News Paralegal Alex Schaer County Court at Law Mechanical Engineer Andrea Benz Neil Holland,

May-14-2007 Stokes & Associates

East Texas Oil Museum The easy-going rural life of East Texas changed drastically with the discovery of oil in 1930 and Hwy. 259 at Ross St. 1931 – years of hardship, scorn, luck and wealth which brought people, ideas, institutions and Kilgore, Texas 75662 national attention to East Texas. In 1929, a 70-year-old wildcatter, Columbus Marion “Dad” www.easttexasoilmuseum.com Joiner, unsuccessfully drilled two dry holes south of Kilgore. Then in May, Joiner srudded a [email protected] third hole on the Daisy Bradford farm in Rusk County. It was not until Oct. 3, 1930 that a pro-

May-15-2007 duction test was done, resulting in a gusher – the discovery well, Daisy Bradford No. 3. Two months later, oil fever had begun to mount with a production test by Bateman Oil Company on the Crim family farm, south of Kilgore. On Sunday morning, Dec. 27, while Mrs. Crim was at- tending church, the Lou Della Crim well blew in, flowing at 22,000 barrels a day. The well was only nine miles from Daisy Bradford No. 3, yet no one was aware that the two wells were part of what was then a geological phenomenon – an incredible deposit of oil in the Woodbine for- mation had “pinched out” as it tilted upward against the Sabine Uplift creating the massive East Texas Oil Field.

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East Texas Division Since 1968, Pioneer Drilling Company has provided land contract drilling services to inde- Pioneer Drilling Company pendent and major oil and gas exploration and production companies. The Company’s rigs are 1409 Kilgore Drive located in the prolific natural gas producing regions of North, South and East Texas, Henderson, Texas 75652 and the Rocky Mountains. The Company’s rig fleet consists of 66 land drilling rigs with depth www.pioneerdrlg.com ranges of 6,000 - 18,000 feet. Pioneer Drilling is headquarterred in San Antonio, Texas. [email protected]

TXU Mining Company The first stop in the morning was at the TXU Mining Company. In a depth of 55 meters they Oak Hill Mine find lignite. The largest implement, a giant-large crane, costs $190 millions. The crane has a Henderson, Texas 75652 life span of over 25 years. The crane leader needs a few year professional experiences, until www.txucorp.com he can serve this big crane. The truck, who removes the lignite and the mud, has a capacity of 135 tons. They work on this mining field since 28 years. They have 190 employees who work

May-16-2007 in shift-work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year.

TXU Mining Company LP Martin Lake Steam Electric Station is a three-unit lignite-fuelled generating plant. Many TXU Martin Lake power plants are named after nearby bodies of water or nearby geological locations, such as Steam Electric Station Martin Lake, which provides the plant's cooling water. Some TXU plants, such as Martin Lake, FM 1716 are fuelled by Texas lignite from nearby mines, supplemented by coal brought by train from the

Henderson, Texas 75652 Western United States. TXU Power is proud to be a major contributor to the economy in areas www.txucorp.com where it maintains and operates facilities. TXU Power produces an annual economic benefit of more than $1.2 Billion across Texas through power plant payrolls, purchases, contracts, taxes paid and other expenditures. The annual contribution of Martin Lake operations to the area economy is estimated at more than $ 500 million.

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INTERNATIONAL International Paper is a global uncoated paper and packaging company with primary markets PAPER CO. and manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia. With an- 609 Industrial Dr. nual sales of about $22 billion, the company has operations in more than 20 countries and P. O. Box 460 employs approximately 54,000 people worldwide. Henderson, TX 75652 Ph www.internationalpaper.com

City homepage: www.ci.longview.tx.u Rotary Club Longview

May-17-2007

Gregg County The structure was built in 1910 as Citizens National Bank. After extensive restoration and the Historical Museum installation of exhibits, the museum opened in 1984. Permanent exhibits illustrate the devel- 214 North Fredonia opment of Gregg County. The Gregg County Historical Museum began to interview selected PO Box 3342 residents and record these interviews on video in the mid 1980's. This is an effort to preserve a Longview, Texas 75606 valuable resource from those that having lived a good portion of their lives in Gregg County.

www.gregghistorical.org The collection has grown to almost 500 interviews and contains many unique and deeply per- sonal reflections on the history of the Gregg county.

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District Conference Sabrina, Sabine and Peter were horse-back riding. The other girls decided to sleep a little bit longer. We had lunch at the District Conference. At the afternoon Peter and Alex played 16 holes on the Golf course. The dinner was an experience with crawfish. Not all of us liked it. Too much work for not a lot to eat and the crawfish and the potatoes were very spicy.

May-18-2007

We had our breakfast at the district conference. At 10.45 a.m. we gave our presentation about Switzerland and we heard the presentation from the GSE team Texas, who was just a few weeks back from the exchange in Switzerland. After dinner we heard an interesting speech.

Jerry Traylor As a child born with cerebral palsy, Jerry Traylor experienced pain and loneliness until indi-

May-19-2007 13826 N. Cambria Unit B viduals who were drawn to him in caring and in love empowered him to set goals and achieve Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 greatness. On crutches, Jerry has skied down Colorado mountains; competed on 35 full-length www.jerrytraylor.com marathons; parachuted form an altitude of 12,500 ft., climbed to the top of Pike’s Peak, partici- [email protected] pated in 16 dance marathons for charity, jogged 3,528 miles from San Francisco to New York City.

Caddo Lake State Park Caddo Lake is a 25,400 acre (103 km²) lake. This lake was the only natural lake in Texas until 245 Park Rd 2 it was artificially dammed in the early 1900's when oil was found and for flood control in 1914. Karnack TX 75661 A new dam replaced the old one in 1971. Caddo Indian legend attributes the formation of the www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/find lake to a giant flood. Scientists believe the lake formed when floodwaters, blocked by massive adest/parks/caddo_lake log jams on the Red River, backed up into the Cypress Bayou watershed, forming the lake.

May-20-2007 Thick bald cypress and a tangle of aquatic plants thrive in the waters at Caddo Lake State Park. Because the vegetation is so lush, much of the lake is really a maze of sloughs, bayous, and ponds. The park affords excellent access to the diverse fishing in Texas.

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Eastman Chemical Company Eastman Texas Operations manufactures over 40 major chemical and polymer products Texas Operations which are sold to customers worldwide. The total employment for this site is over 1,500, mak- Box 7444 ing it one of the largest employers in East Texas and the second largest chemical facility in the Longview, Texas 75607-7444 state of Texas. More than 40 chemical and polymer products produced by Texas Operations www.eastman.com are supplied to industrial customers for use in the manufacture of hundreds of consumer items

May-21-2007 that are essential to the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. Some of these products include automobile interiors, steering wheels, paints, tyres, upholstery, food preservatives, adhesives, furniture, cosmetics and personal care items, pharmaceutical products, toys, soft drink bottles, printing inks, latex paint, fibreglass, toothbrushes, fabric and many other con- sumer and industrial products. The Texas site has more than 200 buildings and owns 6,000 acres of land in Longview and approximately 300 acres at its underground storage facility near Tyler, Texas, where more than 250 million gallons of propane, ethane and chemical intermedi- ates can be safely stored. Eastman's production units are high-volume, continuous processes which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On average, the company ships about 7 million pounds per day of chemical product to its customers worldwide.

Neiman Marcus For nearly a century, The Neiman Marcus Group has stayed focused on serving the unique 2301 Neiman Marcus Parkway needs of the luxury market. Today, that commitment is stronger than ever. They have stayed Longview, Texas 75602 true to the principles of their founders – to be recognized as the premier luxury retailer dedi- www.neimanmarcus.com cated to providing their customers with distinctive merchandise and superior service. The Company operates 37 Neiman Marcus Stores across the United States. Under the Neiman Marcus brand, Neiman Marcus Direct primarily offers women's apparel, accessories and home furnishings. High quality home furnishings, linens, decorative accessories and tabletop items.

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Longview Fire Department Longview Fire Department has been serving the City of Longview since 1881. It was a volun- P.O. Box 1952 teer department with one fire station and 35 volunteer members. Today, Longview Fire De- Longview, Texas 75606-1952 partment serves an area population of approximately 78,000 people from 8 fire stations with www.longviewfire.com 163 members department wide. Apparatus includes 8 engines, 2 ladder trucks, 1 heavy rescue / hazardous materials truck, 4 MICU ambulances. Longview Fire Department is strive to have

May-22-2007 the latest technology available in order to provide efficient customer service to the City of Longview.

At 12.00 p.m. we had lunch with the Rotary Clup Longview at the Country Club. As we had our big presentation about Switzerland on the district conference, we gave only a short presentation about ourselves. For the afternoon, the GSE Team was divided in two groups. Alex, Andrea and Fanny visited the Longview News Journal and Sabrina; Sabine and Peter went going to the Good Shepherd hospital.

News-Journal The Longview News-Journal is a daily newspaper based in Longview, Texas, USA. It is P.O. Box 1792 owned by Cox Newspapers and is delivered in 11 East Texas counties. Longview, TX 75606 www.news-journal.com

Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd Foundation is charitable foundation formed in 1986 to promote the im- Health System provement of regional health services by encouraging philanthropic support of the not-for-profit 700 East Marshall Ave Good Shepherd Medical Center. The Board’s mission, in partnership with Good Shepherd Longview, Texas 75601 Medical Center, is to promote and provide philanthropic support to fund programs and ser-

www.gsmc.org vices, provide community education and ensure that access to quality healthcare services re- mains available to all persons regardless of ability to pay. The Good Shepherd hospital has 412 beds and 2’500 employees. This was one of the biggest hospital that we visited.

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City homepage: www.mountvernontexas.net Rotary Club Mount Vernon May-23-2007

Franklin County The Fire Station Museum housed in 1940 WPA-financed fire-station. We were able to see the Historical Museum dental chair and equipment that was once used by Dr. Con Smith in Mt. Vernon. And we saw 201 South Kaufman also early medical equipment and early settings of life in Mt.Vernon. Downstairs we saw an Mount Vernon, Texas 75457 early shoe shine chair, wood carvings by James Harry Smith and handwork from the 1880's. Upstairs was a collection of bird eggs and Indian Artifacts from Franklin County and other parts

of Texas. They had a wonderful collection of butterflies too.

Railroad Depot In this restored 1894 Cotton belt Depot, museum features working telegraph and railroad 202 S. Kaufman St. exhibits, model train exhibit, 1902 Studebaker covered wagon, and more. A small 1880-built Mt. Vernon, Texas 75457 log cabin, a syrup press and mill and a blacksmith shop on the property.

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Majors-Parchman Farmstead This 1883 Victorian farmhouse has original outbuildings, a small barn, smokehouse, chicken 701 S. Kaufman St. coop, and an outhouse. There is also an 1868 log cabin on the property. Mount Vernon, TX 75457

Bankhead Highway In the 1868 home of Henry Clay Thruston, the tallest soldier in the Confederate Army during Visitor Center the Civil War (listed at seven feet, seven and one-half inches tall), and located on the Bank- Near West Main at Highway 37 head Highway, the first automobile route in the U.S. from San Diego, California to Washing- Mount Vernon, TX 75457 ton, D.C. that opened in 1916; major restoration project opened in 2003. Quilting demonstra- tion in one room with quilters on document.

BF Hicks' church Inn The First United Methodist Church on Kaufman. This was the third church building erected 501 S. Kaufman on that site. The new church is located south of town on Highway 37. The first congregation of Mount Vernon, Texas 75457 this church was organised in 1855 but wasn’t moved to this present site until around 1875. The original building was constructed in 1896 but the present day brick church was not built until 1930. An official Texas Historical Marker has been put at this church. B.F. Hicks bought this church 25 years ago. We would not forget this church, the adventures and the special atmos- pheres.

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Lowe’s Founded in 1946, Lowe’s has grown from a small hardware store in North Carolina to the sec- Texas RDC ond largest home improvement retailer worldwide and the 7th largest retailer in the U.S.The 955 Lowe's Lane modern Lowe’s began in 1994, when the new store expansion consisted of only large stores, Mount Vernon, Texas 75457 which they define as stores with greater than 85,000 square feet of selling space. In 2006, the www.lowes.com expansion continues, opening a new store on average every three days with their 117,000-

May-24-2007 square-foot stores in the nation’s larger metro markets and their newer 94,000-square-foot stores in the nation’s small to mid-sized markets. Lowe’s stores stock 40,000 products and have hundreds of thousands more available by special order-- offering practically everything customers need to build, beautify and enjoy their homes. Although times have changed since Lowe's first opened its doors in 1946, Lowe’s values have not – the company remains commit- ted to offering quality home improvement products at the lowest prices, while delivering supe- rior customer service.

East Texas Medical Center The East Texas Medical Center has a 24-hour emergency department with fully equipped Level IV emergency medical services with ground ambulance and helicopter services. The diagnostic 500 Highway 37 South services include fully equipped laboratory and radiology departments including X-ray, CT Mount Vernon, Texas 75457 scanner, ultrasound, mobile mammography, mobile MRI, and cardiopulmonary care including www.etmc.org PFT's, ABG's, ventilators, EEG, EKG. The trauma level is four, the lowest, and they have 32 beds.

Mission Manor Nursing Home 501 Yates St Mount Vernon, TX 75457

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Franklin County Law En- At 14.30 p.m. we visited the jail (Franklin County Law Enforcement Center) of Mount forcement Center Vernon. We learned that the sheriff is voted for four years. Actually in this jail are 72 prisoners. Charles J. (Chuck) White All emergency calls are answered in the located call center. The employees don’t’ have keys P.O. Box 718 and weapons with them. This is a security reason. Mount Vernon, Texas 75457

Mount Vernon Optic-Herald The oldest business in Franklin County is the Mount Vernon Optic-Herald. It began in 1874 P.O. Box 1199 when W. J. Johnson of Mount Pleasant established the Franklin Herald at Mount Vernon about 108 South Kaufman a year before the Texas Legislature cut Franklin County out of Titus County. Pat Wright Mount Vernon, Texas 75457 became publisher, upon the death of her husband, Bob, in April of 1997. Pat Wright became www.mt-vernon.com Publisher Emeritus in April of 2005 when the Mount Vernon Optic-Herald was purchased by her niece Susan Reeves. Susan and her husband John Reeves are the third generation of the Bass family to own and operate the Mount Vernon Optic-Herald . Susan Reeves became the publisher as of April 1, 2005.

First National Bank of Since the founding of the First National Bank of Mt. Vernon in 1900, the organization's pri- Mount Vernon mary mission has been to serve the banking needs of the community. The commitment from 101 W. Main Street the past continues to be the commitment of the present and into the future. Mount Vernon, TX 75457 www.fnbmv.com/index.htm

Edward Jones Edward Jones is the leader in the financial-services industry. They take a personal approach Bill Kent to business. The approach starts with a face-to-face meeting between a financial advisor and 112 East Main the customer. Edward Jones has nearly 7 million clients. They're located in the communities P.O. Box 852 where the clients live and work, because that's the best way to get to know their clients and to Mount Vernon, Texas 75457 help to reach the best financial goals.

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Franklin Bank The philosophies of the Franklin Bank are to serve their customers and employees with re- 539 W. I-30 spect and fairness, and in all things they will be ethical, forthright and honest. Since 2001, Mount Vernon, Texas 75457 Franklin Bank has been doing just that. In the past few years, the Franklin Family of Commu- www.bankfranklin.com nity Banks has grown significantly. They are able to provide their customers with sophisticated products and services backed by state-of-the-art technology. Franklin Bank cares about each

and every one of their customers that they have built relationships with over the years.

Ridley + Shirley Briggs At noon we visited the Rotary Club meeting of Mt. Vernon at their clubhouse. We gave our 379 Trappers Trail presentation about Switzerland. The afternoon we passed on the Cypress Hill Lake with Mount Vernon, Texas 15457 Shirley and Ridley Briggs. We could water skiing (or we tried it) and Fanny escorted us with [email protected] the jet ski. At 7:00 p.m. started the club-wide pot luck dinner at Church Inn.

May-25-2007

Mount Vernon ISD At ten o’clock we went to the Mount Vernon High School Graduation at the Tiger Stadium. 501 Highway 37 South For lunch we had a picnic (BBQ) at Lowery Pavilion, Dupree Park. At 12:30 p.m. we left the Mount Vernon, Texas 75457 picnic and drove with Carolyn and Rex Tillery in their motor home to Dallas. After a two hours www.mtvernonisd.com trip Rex parked the motor home on the big parking of the shopping mall. We spent two hours with shopping. The way back to Mount Vernon took another two hours. To go to the city by

May-26-2007 motor home was a bit unusual but we really appreciated the comfort with a lot of space, sofas, toilets and a bed.

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The Women's Museum The Women's Museum makes visible the unique, textured, and diverse stories of American 3800 Parry Avenue women. Using the latest technology and interactive media, the Museum's exhibits and pro- Dallas, Texas 75226 grams expand our understanding of women's participation in shaping U.S. history and create a www.thewomensmuseum.org lively environment for dialogue and discovery. Thousands of stories recount public and private triumphs and the struggles of those who would be denied their freedoms in all its forms: politi-

May-27-2007 cal, social, and spiritual.

Dallas Museum of Art Established in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art features an outstanding collection of more 1717 North Harwood than 23’000 works of art from around the world, from ancient to modern times on four floors. Dallas Texas 75201 The collection envelops African Art, American Painting & Sculpture, Ancient American Art, http://dallasmuseumofart.org Ancient Mediterranean Art, Asian Art, Contemporary, Decorative Arts & Design, European Painting & Sculpture, Pacific Islands Art, Provenance and the Reves Collection.

NorthPark In the early 1960’s, Raymond Nasher, a Texas businessman and art collector, was responsible 1030 NorthPark Center for founding NorthPark Center, the mall that is currently the largest in Texas and one of the Dallas, Texas 75225 – 2213 five largest in the United States. At the time of its founding, it was the largest climate- www.northparkcenter.com controlled, indoor building in the world. NorthPark is beautiful in every way: architecture and design, store design, landscape design, and artwork. Open since 1965, the famous NorthPark Center contains about 235 stores over 3 floors and a total retail floor area of 213’700 m 2 (2’3000’000 ft 2). Along with all these stores such as Neiman Marcus, Dillard's, Porsche Design, Hugo Boss, Puma and more, NorthPark Center also offers plenty of places to eat.

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Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen For a special dinner we went to Pappadeaux known for its Cajun cuisine. As starter we tried 725 S. Central Expressway crocodile meat! Richardson, Texas 75080 www.pappadeaux.com

City homepage: www.red-river.net/clarksville.htm Rotary Club Clarksville May-28-2007

Magnolia Brush Magnolia Brush was founded in 1907 in Houston, Texas. In 1918 the factory was moved to Manufacturers, Ltd. Dallas, Texas and became known as Magnolia Brush Manufacturing Co. The company pro- PO Box 932 duced in Dallas corn brooms, shoeshine brushes, GI scrub brushes and horse brushes for the Clarksville, Texas 75426 U.S. Army under a government contract. In 1953 another move was made, and through the www.magnoliabrush.com efforts of the Clarksville Industrial Foundation, Magnolia Brush Manufacturers, Inc. became

May-29-2007 Clarksville's first corporate industry. In 2003, the company restructured and was converted to a limited partnership, now operating under the name Magnolia Brush Manufacturers, Ltd. In its present location, the company occupies more than 100,000 square feet of floor space manu- facturing over 500 different items by 85 full time employees. Sales continue to grow and distri- bution is made in all 50 states of the U.S.A. and in some foreign countries.

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Red River Compression Red River Compression offer professional gas compressor packaging using GM industrial Dan Crocker natural gas engines, Cummins natural gas engines, Le Roi rotary screw compressors, Deutz 1801 Industrial Way natural gas engines. Clarksville , Texas 75426 www.redrivercomp.com

Martin Sprocket & Gear, Inc. Martin Sprocket & Gear was founded in 1951. Martin Sprocket & Gear, Inc. has grown to Manufacturing only become a world-class leader in the power transmission. Their products include amongst others 300 Industrial Blvd. sprockets, gears, sheaves and couplings. Martin's philosophy is simple… "Make a quality Clarksville, Texas 75426 product, have plenty of it available and be easy to do business with!" With plants located in key www.martinsprocket.com industrial areas throughout the United States, Martin is able to produce and deliver quality

products to best serve the needs of every market in virtually any quantity. Distributors are lo- cated in all fifty states and throughout the world to provide total product availability. The plant in Clarksville is a manufacturing of sprockets only. Martin provides the largest and most complete line of roller chain sprockets in the industry. They offer over 6’000 sizes of stock sprockets from less than 1” in diameter to 60” in diameter in steel, stainless steel and plastic for immediate shipping.

Fanny visited the Paris News.

Red River County Courthouse Alex, Andrea and Peter went with Val Varley (county attorney and member of the Rotary Club) Varley Val (Attorney) to the Red River County Courthouse. During the morning they made the selection of the jury

May-30-2007 202 W Madison St for the two hearings in the afternoon. In Red River County, one of East Texas' oldest and Clarksville, Texas 75426 northernmost counties, the courthouse at Clarksville is undergoing a renovation deserving of its www.co.red-river.tx.us/ips/cms history. And as a part of the renovation, the courthouse clock, nicknamed Old Red, is sched- uled to be rebuilt. Built in 1885, the courthouse boasts turrets and buttresses of mellow yellow stone cut from a quarry near Honey Grove. Because its architecture is part Victorian, part Gothic, and part Italian Renaissance, someone once described it as Late 19th Century Debat- able. The courthouse clock ticked from 2:30 p.m. on May 27, 1885, until it developed troubles and was electrified in 1961. This saved the janitor of 30 minutes of hard winding once a week, but four months later, at 4:35 a.m. on a June morning, Old Red started striking and struck her bells 120 time before someone pulled the plug.

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Free day spent with our host families. In the evening (instead of noon) we visited the Rotary Club meeting of Clarksville at the First Presbyterian Church. We gave our presentation about Switzerland. May-31-2007

City homepage: www.idabeloklahoma.com Rotary Club Idabel (Oklahoma)

Transfer to Idabel. We were accompanied by Shelly Varley who drove a pick-up to transport our entire luggage. We had lunch at the Presbyterian Church with some of the host families. June-01-2007 The afternoon comprised individual professional activities.

Huber Engineered Woods Alex and Andrea visited Huber Engineered Woods. J.M. Huber Corporation, which has begun 1000 James T Tucker Rd in 1883 by Joseph Maria Huber, started with Huber's trip to New York City to develop new Brocken Bow, Oklahoma 74728 markets for his family's dry color business. Dry colors are pigments used to produce inks. Five www.huberwood.com years later, J.M. Huber's customer base was centered on the import and distribution of the family's dry colors. Today, as one of the largest family-owned companies in the United States, the multinational company has grown to encompass the manufacture and supply of engineered

materials, natural resources and technology-based services and serves a wide range of industries. In Broken Bow they manufacture wood panels. The manufacturing process combines precisely cut wood strands that are mixed with durable resin binders. For example the Huber Blue OSB flooring and sheathing panels are oriented in a four-layer process in which two core layers are oriented perpendicular to two surface layers. They work in two shifts each 12 hours and produce between 1 and 2 Mio. feets during a shift.

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At 6:30 p.m. we visited the Rotary Club meeting of Idabel at AJ Restaurant. Presley Byington, an award winning pow-wow of Choctaw descent and a maker of flutes had a presentation about his history. He presented us a flute. We also gave our presentation about Switzerland

Ty England Ty England , born December 5, 1963, is a country music singer and guitarist from Oklahoma. singer and guitarist England began playing guitar during his youth, and country stars such as Roy Acuff and Hank www.tyengland.com Williams. He sang with various bands in high school, and performed in his school chorus. While working at a coffee shop during his time as a student at Oklahoma State University,

fellow student Garth Brooks met him and soon the two were roommates. They performed together until failing grades forced England to move back home. In 1995, he released his own eponymous solo on RCA Nashville to some success. Today, England lives in Oklahoma with his wife Shanna and four children.

Kenneth R. Farley 121 N. Central Ave. P.O. Box 748 Idabel, Oklahoma 74745 [email protected] June-02-2007

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Idabel Middle School Andrea and Sabrina went to the middle school to discuss with the principal Curtis Fuller. The 100 NE Avenue D school has about 350 students. The students have breakfast and lunch at school. Also during Idabel, Oklahoma 74745 the summer holidays churches distribute 500 lunches a workday. So they help that every stu- www.idabelps.org dent has at least one real meal a day.

The Museum of the Red River Before lunch we met us for a visit at the Red River Museum. The Museum's collections, com- 812 East Lincoln Road prising over 15’000 objects, feature archaeological artefacts of the Caddo and Choctaw, Pre- Idabel, Oklahoma 74745 Columbian objects from Middle and South America, modern and contemporary native arts and www.museumoftheredriver.org crafts from throughout the Americas, and a cast skeleton of the dinosaur, Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, discovered nearby in McCurtain County. The Museum also displays representative

works from African, East Asian, and Pacific Island native cultures. The Museum of the Red River operates as part of the Herron Foundation, a non-profit Oklahoma corporation. At the end of our visit, Henry Moy, the director of the museum and member of the Rotary Club of Idabel offered us a present (t-shirt of the museum).

Herron Industries After an individual lunch with the host families we met us at the Herron Building. Placed in two 1700 SE Washington St pick-ups we went on the Herron Family Tree Farm Field Trip guided by Dan. Herron’s pine Idabel, Oklahoma 74745 tree plantation is several thousand acres big. They plant either seeds or a small tree (cost 40 cents). They let the trees grow between 30 and 40 years until they sell them for 40 $ a ton. Herron make every year one sale where they sell about 70’000 tonnes. The customer has a

year to cut and pick up the trees. The pine trees are usually used for the inside of a house.

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Chamber of Commerce Our host families invited us for the charitable dinner (Cajun Cuisine) with a tombola organised and Agriculture by the Chamber of Commerce at AJ Restaurant. Sabine won a deck chair at the tombola! Be- Idabel, Oklahoma 74745 cause of the unfavourable size (travelling!) she could choose something else instead. www.idabelchamber.com

Forest Heritage Center In the Forest Heritage museum we saw historical documents, antique forestry tools, wood art, P.O. box 157 homestead memorabilia, and a research library filled with books, periodicals, and other materi- Broken Bow, Oklahoma 74728 als pertaining to forestry. The Center is also home to 14 dioramas (painted by Harry Rossoll of www.beaversbend.com Atlanta, Georgia, the artist who created Smokey Bear) that cover Prehistoric Forests, Caddo [email protected] Indians, Papermaking in the South, 1940's Lumbering, and Forest Appreciation. Each diorama

June-03-2007 is accompanied by a taped narration. An 8-foot "hero-sized" bronze sculpture honors Jim Bur- nett, the first forest fire-fighter from Oklahoma to loose his life in the line of duty and all people who risk their lifes fighting wildland fires each year. Each year some 60 million cubic feet of lumber is harvested in McCurtain County, home of Beavers Bend Resort Park; the forest indus- try is without a doubt the area's largest business concern.

The girls gone win The Girls gone win is a place where you can taste, select, make and bottle your favourite Beavers Bend Resort wines for gifts or special occasions. You have also the possibility to buy special gifts and wine Highway 259 accessories in a small affectionately decorated gift shop. Broken Bow, Oklahoma 74728 . www.thegirlsgonewine.com [email protected]

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Lago Vista Bed & Breakfast Lago Vista bed & Breakfast is located on a mountainside overlooking beautiful Broken Bow Rt 4 Box 59, Lake and surrounded by the . Each room boasts a spectacular view of Broken Bow, Ok 74728 the water. Each of the four private guest rooms is complete with a Jacuzzi tub, fireplace, pri- www.lagovistabedandbreakfast.com vate lake view balcony and a private bathroom with walk-in shower. The outdoor hot tub and

[email protected] fireplace also provide a gorgeous setting for the guets enjoyment.

City homepage: www.paristexas.com Rotary Club Paris June-04-2007

William & Elizabeth Hayden The William & Elizabeth Hayden Museum of American Art was founded in 1992 by Dr. and Museum of American Art Mrs. William Hayden, the museum has as its purpose to exhibit pieces from the private collec- Paris, Texas tion so arranged as to gain maximum educational benefit from the display. The thrust of the 930 Cardinal Lane museum is education, with an emphasis on very close ties to local and regional educational Paris, Texas 75460 institutions at all levels including college and university. The museum is housed in a newly constructed building at 930 Cardinal Lane, adjacent to the home of Dr. and Mrs. William Hay- den.

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The Lamar County The Lamar County Historical Museum was originated and operated by the Lamar County Historical Museum Historical Society. It is situated in a building on West Kaufman Street just south of Heritage Hall West Kaufman Street and in Heritage Park. This building and the park were donated to the city by Dr. and Mrs. Wil- Heritage Park liam Hayden. The museum construction has virtually been built to date by a small group of Paris, Texas 75460 volunteer workers. The Museum layout consists of 3 areas at this time, a Foyer with exhibition www.lchsparistx.org space, a central section with 6 galleries, and the rural life museum. The various galleries will include a military room, which will consist of artifacts from the various wars fought by Lamar Counties from the Texas Revolution to the War in Iraq. There will be a gallery for African Americans, a changing gallery to take advantage of participation by smaller communities in the county, a room for artifacts concerning the Great Fire of 1916 and the 16-foot photomontage of Paris in 1914 just before the fire.

Campbell Soup Co. Campbell Soup Company (also known as Campbell's) is a well-known American producer of 500 NW Loop 286 canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the Paris, Texas 75460 world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey. Campbell's was founded in 1869 by Joseph www.campbellsoupcompany.com A. Campbell, a fruit merchant, and Abraham Anderson, an icebox manufacturer. The company www.godiva.com was originally called the "Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company" and produced canned

June-05-2007 tomatoes, vegetables, jellies, soups, condiments, and minced meats. Soup was not a popular staple in the American diet at the turn of the century, but it was in Europe. However, Dorrance's condensed soups quickly became successful among the public for their convenience and their price, 10 cents a can. The product competed at the Paris Exposition in 1900 and was awarded a gold medal, an image of which still appears on the label. Campbell Soup became one of largest food companies in the world under the leadership of William Beverly Murphy.

All of us got two boxes of delicious “Godiva” chocolate

Paris Junior College Paris Junior College , or PJC, was founded in 1924 as a campus of Paris Independent School Parix, Texas 75460 - 6298 District in the U.S. state of Texas. Their school mascot is the Dragon. The Industrial www.parisjc.edu Technology Division offers programs in Air Conditioning Technology, Refrigeration Technology, (school) Agricultural Technology, Drafting and Computer-aided Design, Electronics, Electromechanical www.parisjc.edu/index.php/tijt Technology, and Welding Technology. (Jewelry) The Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology at Paris Junior College is known for its diverse student body, intimate class sizes and the quality of its instruction. Since 1942 Paris Junior College's jewelry technologies program has attracted students from across the U.S. and from around the globe, drawn to the North Texas campus by the institution's reputation for excellence within the industry, as well as its affordability.

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Lamar County Courthouse Our next stop was at the Lamar County Courthouse. The county is named for Mirabeau 119 North Main St. Buonaparte Lamar, the third president of the Republic of Texas. In 2000 there were 48,499 Paris, Texas 75460 people, 19,077 households, and 13,468 families residing in the county. The population density was 53 mi².

Jesus Cowboy boots Willet Babcock was born October 6, 1828 in Ithaca, New York and passed away August 27, 1881 in Paris, Texas. He was a cabinetmaker, and very successful at it, as well. He was also on the board of directors of the Paris and Great Northern Railroad. He was also the first fire chief of Paris. His grave is marked by a large statue of 12-foot tall statue of Jesus carrying the cross, which is probably not too unique for a Christian cemetery. However, this may be one of the few statues where Jesus is depicted wearing cowboy boots.

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower is standing 65 feet tall, represents a remarkable community effort. It was constructed by the Boiler Makers Local #902 utilizing materials, plant space, and employee time donated by the Babcock & Wilcox Company. The tower stands as the impetus for Paris being designated "1995 Best Pit Stop" by the Great North American Race. It was "Texanized" with a cowboy hat in 1998.

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Paris Regional Paris Regional Medical Center offers some of the most comprehensive health and wellness Medical Center care in Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma. Between their both campuses have more 820 Clarksville Street than 300 beds. The South Campus, located at 820 Clarksville Street, houses all acute care Paris, Texas 75460 services and the emergency department. The North Campus at 865 DeShong Drive serves as www.parisrmc.com home to women's health services, the rehabilitation department, Outpatient Surgery Center,

June-06-2007 gero-psychiatric services and pediatrics.

The Fair Well Party The Rotary Club Paris organized a Goodbye Party and they fried fish for the occasion. On our trip we met a lot of people from other host Rotary Clubs and they had all been invited too. It was amazing how many people came from far away, they had to travel a long time to come and join us. It was so nice that all those people were able to make it. The evening was wonder- ful! It was funny and entertaining and we are honored that we got to know all the people that attended. Members came from the RC Cedar Creek Lake, Henderson, Longview, Mt. Vernon and Clarksville. Even the team members from the USA team, who went to Switzerland, were also invited and we met them for the second and some for the third time. There was a brass band playing and the atmosphere was wonderful. We were talking a lot about our trip and what we had seen. At the time John Henson was the District Governor and just for fun he gave us a certificate saying we are honorary Texans. Peter Schneider our team leader was able to thank everyone again for the great time that we had been able to spend in Texas and Oklahoma. We really appreciated everything very much. It was the last day with all the people that we had met on our trip. A wonderful evening, with a fantastic sunset! It was the perfect ending for this ex- ceptional adventure. We will cherish our experiences for a long time and we were very sad to say goodbye to everyone.

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Stockyards For the south Texas drovers herding cattle up the trail to the railheads in Kansas, Fort Worth Preservation Foundation was the last major stop for rest and supplies. Beyond Fort Worth they would have to deal with 500 N.E. 23rd crossing the Red River into Indiana Territory. Between 1866 and 1890 more than four million Fort Worth, Texas head of cattle were trailed through Fort Worth, earning it the nickname "Cowtown." When the www.fortworthstockyards.org railroad finally arrived in 1876, Fort Worth became a major shipping point for livestock. In

June-07-2007 1887, this prompted the construction of the Union Stockyards about 2 1/2 miles north of the Tarrant County Courthouse. Greenlief Simpson and a group of investors bought the Stock- yards in 1893 and changed the name to Fort Worth Stock Yards Company. In 1896, the com- pany held its first stock show, the "Feeders' & Breeders' Show." In 1917, it became the "Fort Worth Exposition & Fat Stock Show."Construction on the huge plants started in 1902. Busi- ness was great. In the first months of operations, Armour and Swift bought 265,279 cattle, 128,934 hogs, and 40,160 sheep. A livestock market that drew local farmers and ranchers had at last arrived in Fort Worth.

Billy Bob's Texas The Building now known as Billy Bob's Texas was built in 1910 and was once a large open- 2520 Rodeo Plaza air barn for housing prize cattle during the Fort Worth Stock Show. With 127,000 square feet of Fort Worth, Texas space, which is nearly 3 acres inside and 20 acres of parking, for entertainment and events, www.billybobstexas.com Billy Bob's has 32 Max individual bar stations, country music's biggest stars, Live Pro Bull. Billy Bob's Texas has been equally popular on TV and Movie screens. Several episodes of the tele- vision series "Dallas" were shot here at BBT.

Cattlemen’s Steak House Cattlemen’s Steak House had the steaks flown in once or twice a week and built a large cold 2458 North Main Street storage locker for them in the basement. In the dinning rooms we built broilers with glass dis- Fort Worth Texas play cases in front so that the customers could pick out their steaks and see them cooked over www.cattlementssteakhouse.com charcoal. [email protected]

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The Dallas Morning News To keep up with this rapid growth of the Dallas Morning News, in 1984 The Dallas Morning Printing Plant News constructed a state-of-the-art printing plant on 29 acres in Plano, Texas. With eight 508 Young St. presses, the North Plant, as it is called, is one of the largest newspaper printing facilities in the Dallas, Texas 75202 United States. Reporters and editors at the downtown offices feed their stories to the plant www.dallasnews.com through 22 miles of fiber-optic cable. June-08-2007

The Dallas Morning News The Dallas Morning News began publishing on Oct. 1, 1885. It is published by the oldest Downtown offices business institution in Texas, Belo Corp., which has chronicled Texas history for more than 160 508 Young St. years. The Dallas Morning News began with a circulation of 5,000, and within a year, special Dallas, Texas 75202 lease trains were carrying papers to other North Texas cities on the morning of publication. By www.dallasnews.com 1888, The Dallas Morning News was printing an eight- to 12-page edition daily with 16 pages on Sunday. The Dallas Morning News is the most important newspaper in Texas. It has a cir- culation of 600’000 copies.

The Sixth Floor Museum The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is a historic exhibit that examines the life, times, (JFK Museum) death, and legacy of U.S. President John F. Kennedy within the context of American history. Dealey Plaza The museum's exhibition area uses historic films, photographs, artifacts and interpretive 411 Elm Street displays to document the events of the assassination, the findings of the official investigations Dallas, Texas that followed and the historical legacy of the national tragedy. The museum is self-sufficient in www.jfk.org funding, relying solely on donations and ticket sales. It rents the space from the County of Dallas, Texas.

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Mesquite R odeo Rodeo 1818 Rodeo Drive Mesquite, Texas 75149 Rodeo's "classic" event, saddle bronc riding, has roots that run deep in the history of the Old www.mesquiterodeo.com West. Each rider must begin his ride with his feet over the bronc's shoulders to give the horse the advantage. A rider who synchronizes his spurring action with the animal's bucking efforts will receive a high score.

Bull riding

Unlike the other roughstock contestants, bull riders are not required to spur. No wonder. It's usually impressive enough just to remain seated for eight seconds on an animal that may weigh more than a ton and is as quick as he is big.

Chuckwagon races

As the story goes, in days gone by, a cowboy's home was his chuckwagon. After finishing a long day on the range, he'd return to his wagon for some grub, maybe to sing a song or share a story with some friends and finally get some well deserved rest. At the end of the week, all

the cowboys in the area would get together and head to town for a little recreation and merri- ment.

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Team roping

Team roping is professional rodeo’s only true team event. It requires precise timing and antici- pation between the header and heeler. The header’s job is to rope the steer around the horns, neck or a horn-neck combination, then turn the steer to the left so that the heeler can ride in and rope both of the steer’s hind legs. The clock starts when the ropers leave their respective boxes, and it stops when their ropes are taught and their horses face each other. A 5-second penalty is assessed if the heeler catches only one leg. The team receives a 10-second penalty if the header fails to give the steer its allotted head start.

Steer wrestler The steer wrestler on horseback starts behind a barrier, and begins his chase after the steer has been given a head start. If the bulldogger leaves too soon and breaks the barrier, he re- ceives a 10-second penalty. The steer wrestler is assisted by a hazer, another cowboy on horseback, tasked with keeping the steer running in a straight line. When the bulldogger's horse pulls even with the steer, he eases down the right side of the horse and reaches for the steer's horns. After grasping the horns, he digs his heels into the dirt. As the steer slows, the cowboy turns the animal, lifts up on its right horn and pushes down with his left hand. After the catch, the steer wrestler must either bring the steer to a stop or change the direction of the animal's body before the throw, or he is disqualified. The clock stops when the steer is on his side with all four legs pointing the same direction.

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The GSE Exchange Team Texas 2007

Team Leader Team Member Team Member Team Member Team Member Team Member

Peter W. Schneider Alexandra Schär Fanny Noghero Sabine Loosli Sabrina Bötel Andrea Benz Secretary General Fire- Paralegal Chief Editor Project Manager Radiology technician Mechanical Engineer Brigade Coordination Exhibitions and Events Switzerland

says

THANK YOU to the Rotary District 1910 THANK YOU to the Rotary District 5830 THANK YOU to the Rotary International THANK YOU to all sponsor Rotary Club’s THANK YOU to all visited Rotary Club’s THANK YOU to all Host Families THANK YOU to all, who made this GSE Exchange possible and successful

Good bye…

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