The Interact Club is restarting for the 2015-2016 school year after a year of inactivity. English teacher Marc Walter is going to be the new adviser of Interact Club. He invites existing members and new members for the upcoming school year. Meetings have already begun (started on 21 May 2015), but students are still able to join. New officers and new objectives are soon to be put in place.

The Interact club earned its name by putting together the two words International and Action: hence, “Inter-Act.” Members of this club are known as “interactors” and must be between the ages of 14-18. Depending on the community’s needs, this club engages in many different community service activities. The goal of Interact is to develop leaders who believe in service above self.

The Interact club is an international club, which has over 250,000 members and is active in over 120 countries worldwide. There are over 11,000 clubs all across the earth. The club was started in Florida in 1962, which makes Interact fifty-three years old as of this year. It was started to empower youth to make positive changes not only in their community but in other communities both nationally and internationally.

“This is a highly organized club which is supported by Rotary International. Having the support of such a distinguished and respected parent organization gives the Interact Club such unique opportunities for its members. These opportunities include college scholarships, exchange student programs, summer camps, and the ability to create a powerful network of friends,” Walter said.

Walter has decided to wipe the slate clean and start over from whatever the old Interact Club advisor, Mr. Sterner, left behind in the club. No fundraisers will be planned or conducted until the club returns in the fall for the 2015-2016 school year. However, the club will have new officers in place for the beginning of the school year who are eager to get active as soon as possible.

“I’m excited to see what the students decide to get involved with and watch them grow as leaders and citizens that are a force for positive change,” Walter said.

New members can expect to fellowship with other students from Fleetwood and students from neighboring schools, such as Oley, who have the same interest in helping out the community. They can expect to feel empowered to make a difference in their community, and they can expect to create a network of friends that will support them for the rest of their lives.

“Students should join Interact for all the reasons stated above,” Walter said.