NATCHEZ &045; How does one go about promoting world peace and understanding? According to Natchez Rotarians, one exchange group at a time.

This weekend, members of the Natchez Rotary Club hosted a 13-member exchange group of Rotarians and spouses from Alberta, Canada’s District 5370.

During their visit, which ends Saturday, the group from the Edmonton, Alberta, area has seen the sights ranging from Graceland to Greenville’s Indian mounds to the Civil War historical sites of Vicksburg.

Next, they will travel to Jackson and Starkville &045; the latter the site of a planned turkey hunt, a whole new experience for most of the group &045; before flying back home from Memphis Saturday.

&uot;But the highlight of the trip has just been the hospitality,&uot; Margaret Watt said.

She is the wife of Alan Watt, a Rotarian from Westlock, Alberta, a small town just 50 miles north of Edmonton. &uot;Everybody has been so good to us.&uot;

While in Natchez, the group toured antebellum houses and other historical sites.

On Sunday, they took a tour of Natchez businesses and ended the tour with an evening reception at the Ramada Hilltop.

While most said they enjoyed learning about the Deep South &045; most had never been on a Rotary exchange trip, much less to this area &045; group leader Ed Korbyl said the best part is simply meeting new people.

&uot;The highlights are the lifelong friendships you make,&uot; said Korbyl, who hails from Edmonton.

&uot;You also get to know the people from your own district better when you’re traveling together.&uot;

And it’s a chance to correct misconceptions groups may have about each other. For example, Alan Watt said the Mississippians they met believe people from elsewhere have a low opinion of Southerners. But, he said, that’s simply not true of him and those in his group.

&uot;They’re trying to correct that opinion they think we have of them, but I actually had no preconceived notions before I came here,&uot; he said. &uot;That might be true of Yankees, but not of us.&uot;

In addition to learning more about the group’s members, their families and what they do for a living, Natchez Rotary President Page Ogden said he learned more about Natchez simply by taking the tours.

And Ogden also felt that, through the exchange, the Natchez club was working to reach one of Rotary International’s main goals.

&uot;One of our roles is to promote peace and understanding, and how do you do that? One person at a time,&uot; he said.