巴西青少年交換學生

在美國協助成立扶少團

Brazilian Youth Exchange student helps

to form Interact club in USA

在離開美國伊利諾州馬寇姆(Macomb)時，巴西青少年交換學生盧卡斯「柯爾賀(Lucas Coelho)留下的不只是新的友誼與美好經驗的回憶。柯爾賀在2001-02年度的交換中，幫助馬寇姆扶輪社成立了一個扶輪少年服務團。

Brazilian Rotary Youth Exchange student Lucas Coelho left Macomb, Illinois, USA, with more than new friendships and memories of great experiences. During his exchange year in 2001-02, Coelho worked with the Rotary Club of Macomb to found an Interact club.

柯爾賀對扶少團略知一二。年方14歲的他，就在家鄉巴亞聖保羅聖曼威爾(Sao Manuel)協助成立了第一個扶少團。

Coelho knew a thing or two about Interact. At age 14, he had helped charter the first Interact club in his hometown, São Manuel, São Paulo, Brazil.

廬卡斯說：「當我頭一次有機會與馬寇姆扶輪社接觸時，我便鼓勵該社創設扶少團。我告訴社員們可以放心讓我幫忙。」

"When I had my first opportunity to talk to the Rotary Club of Macomb, I encouraged the club to charter an Interact club," Lucas said. "I told the members that they could count on me for help."

在這些社員們答應輔導成立馬寇姆扶當團後，柯爾賀就在學校裡不斷和同學談論扶少團，引起一陣騷動。他回憶說：「我一直告訴他們：『拜託來瞭解扶少團究竟是怎麼一回事。』」

After the Rotarians agreed to sponsor the Interact Club of Macomb, Coelho created a buzz at his school by talking repeatedly to his classmates about Interact. "I kept saying, 'Please just come to see what it is all about,'" he recalled.

過去擔任馬寇姆扶輪社扶少團次委員會主委的華倫，瓊斯(Warren Jones)則說，多虧柯爾賀的努力，該扶少團才能「一飛沖天，動力無限」。

Warren Jones, who formerly chaired the Macomb Rotary club's Interact subcommittee, said that, thanks to Coelho's efforts, the Interact club "got off to a flying start and never lost momentum."

在2002年1月的首次例會上，這個22位團員的扶少團一口氣敲定十幾項計劃。例如團員們安排一場龐克搖滾演唱會進行募款，扶少團員一方面為當地「美國大哥哥大姊姊」(Big Brothers Big Sisters of America)計劃的兒童帶來歡樂，另一方面協助聖曼威爾的姊妹扶少團為其當地機構添購設備。

Meeting for the first time in January 2002, the 22-member club took on a dozen projects. For example, members arranged a punk rock concert to raise money so the Interactors could entertain children from the local Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program and help their sister Interact Club in São Manuel purchase equipment for local institutions there.

柯爾賀說他喜歡扶少團的原因在於「我們玩的很開心，同時又可以助人且自助。」

Coehlo said he likes Interact because "we have fun and at the same time we help a lot of people and ourselves."

如今回到巴西，扶少團團員柯爾賀還繼續配合馬寇姆扶輪社與扶少團辦理國際性計劃。剛滿18歲的他也立下新的目標：協助在聖曼威爾成立一個扶輪青年服務團。

Now back in Brazil, Interactor Coelho is collaborating with Macomb's Rotary and Interact clubs on international projects. Having recently turned 18, he also has a new goal: helping organize a Rotaract club in São Manuel.