By Jon Richards
The South Coast was afforded a unique opportunity in November, 1999 when a delegation of Russian wood processors visited the area. The visit, which was organized and hosted by the Coos Bay - North Bend Rotary Club and the the Bay Area Rotary Club, provided area residents with a chance to interact with professionals from another part of the world where the wood products industry is as important as it has been over the years to the economic well-being of this area.
The visiting Russian delegation consisted of 11 non-English-speaking directors and deputy directors of wood processing firms employing from 14 to over 200 persons, along with a group leader and an interpreter (who helped with translations). The latter two were employed through the group's sponsoring organization, the San Francisco-based Center for Citizen Initiatives (CCI) as part of its Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP).
The goal of the PEP for Russia is an ambitious one -- to operate similar to the Marshall Plan in Europe which helped that part of the world to "get back on their feet" after World War II. PEP aspires to assist Russia and the former Soviet republics through an enormously difficult transition period by providing assistance in stimulating local manufacturing, production and services. This assistance will help those countries to achieve economic and political stability which, in turn, will help to ensure the United States' vital interests with respect to future trade opportunities as well as strategic relations.
The delegation arrived in Coos Bay from Roseburg where it spent its first two weeks of the month-long visit to the U.S., also hosted by that community's Rotary Clubs. After an evening and morning to settle in with their host families around the Bay Area, who consisted of Rotarians as well as non-Rotarians, the group began a busy week of business visits and discussions that were organized by the Southwestern Oregon Community College Business Development Center. In addition to the business program that was the basis of their visit, the group enjoyed numerous social gatherings, receptions, tourist activities, along with visits to several area Rotary Club meetings.
Many Rotarians, community members, and organizations contributed to make the visit a success, so many that it would be impractical to list them all here. However, the area wood product businesses that took staff time to provide the visitors an in-depth view of their businesses deserve special mention. They include Northwest Hardwoods, Southport Forest Products, Lumbermen's Building Center, The Oregon Connection, Oregon Overseas Timber, East Fork Lumber, Coos Bay Lumber Co./Durawood Treating Co., and the Menasha Corporation. Also deserving special mention are Cardinal Services, Southwestern Oregon Community College, and Verger Chrysler Center which provided van transportation to the visitors during their stay.
Among the activities that enabled the Russian visitors to enjoy the special features of the South Coast were an aerial tour of the area (provided by SCARF), visits to the Umpqua Lighthouse, the Dean Creek Elk Reserve, Bandon Beach, and the US Coast Guard facilities in North Bend and Charleston; crabbing on the bay; and a crab feed at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology.
When the group departed, as happens with many such international exchange programs, it was with great regret that many local residents said good-bye to their new friends from a very different part of the world. Many found that, as citizens of the world, we have much more in common with international visitors than we have differences. Much learning took place in a very short period of time -- all through the associations of Rotary International.
When another opportunity to host a similar group arises for our club and our community, we can draw upon this wonderful experience with our Russian visitors!