LAURINBURG — Perhaps the local Rotary Club’s favorite meeting each year took place Tuesday, when the group of exchange students from Oban, Scotland, visited and shared their experiences during the second half of the 28th annual Laurinburg-Oban Exchange.
The group of 12 students from Oban spent the better part of two weeks in Laurinburg and were scheduled to fly back to Scotland on Wednesday.
Bill Caudill, the head of the Scottish Heritage Center, kicked things off by giving a packed room a little of the history on the exchange program.
“Tom Benson at St. Andrews wanted to create a Sister City for Laurinburg, so we formed a committee in the fall of 1990,” he said. “We received a lot of support.”
Caudill said the first city mentioned was St. Andrews, Scotland, since there was a connection with the university.
“But we thought that was pretty high cotton,” he said. “And we finally landed on Oban.”
In May 1991, a contingent from Laurinburg visited Oban to set things up, based on fostering a greater international friendship — all coordinated by the Rotary Clubs in each city.
“The rest is history,” Caudill said. “And it’s been a great thing for these communities.”
The American and Scotland students each had a chance to tell the club members about their experiences during the exchange, and most referred to the family they have created with each other.
The Scottish students were treated to a number of events, but each had their own favorites.
“We went to a Nationals baseball game,” said Ella MacKechnie. “I’d never seen a baseball game before, but now we all follow their progress.”
She also stated that most felt Laurinburg and Oban were very similar — though she added that Laurinburg was more spread out.
“It’s been a very enjoyable trip — I don’t really want to leave; this went too fast,” MacKechnie said.
Murray Hamilton, who has been part of 10 Laurinburg-Oban Exchanges since 1998 — both as a student and now as a chaperone — said this trip has been as good or better than any of the others, and he’s always impressed with how the students represent their cities.
“Somehow we always manage to get 24 excellent students,” he said. “The activities here have been awesome, and the support from families and the Rotary Club has been tremendous.
“These students truly love spending time together, as well as going to the beach and football game,” he added. “This program was a stroke of genius.”
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or cvincent@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
