By Alex Ritchie and Taylor Huie, executive co-directors of the Ascension Rotaract MDIO, and Ally Fisher, chair of the RotarActs of Kindness campaign As life-long members of the Rotary family, we are passionate about Rotary and Rotaract from the deep friendships we have formed and the meaningful service we have taken part in. These last…
By Yvonne Kumoji, 2020-21 governor of District 9102 As an incoming district governor, my training at Rotary’s annual leadership event in January 2020 in San Diego, California, included information on forming new clubs and new club models. Words that then-President-elect Holger Knaack had shared with us resonated in my mind, words like innovation, adaptation, change,…
By Mary Eileen Shackleton, 2020-21 governor of District 7230 and multi-district conference convener I was thrilled to be at the 2020 International Assembly when then Rotary International President-Elect Holger Knaack revealed his presidential theme, “Rotary Opens Opportunities.” Knaack gave those present a small puzzle based upon his theme as a memento. Little did I realize…
Steven Sanbo registers people at a vaccination center in Yavapi County, Arizona. By Steven Sanbo, past governor of District 6690 and Zone 30 assistant Rotary coordinator What I recall most are the hundreds of faces. Faces of hope. Faces of relief, gratitude, fear, joy, excitement, desperation, anxiety and yes, faces with tears all hidden behind…
E-club member Geoff Elliott at a water intake project in Ecuador. By Chris Bloore, inaugural President, E-Club of WASH District 9980 (New Zealand) A decade ago, Rotary water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects were having mixed results and limited sustainability. Establishing an e-club dedicated to WASH was a way to apply the discipline of humanitarian…
By Maria Kliavkoff What difference can one conversation, one action really have? As a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada living and working in the border area between Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia, I have always had a passion for peace. By good fortune, I have had the opportunity to meet four RI presidents,…
Floren Naguit, second from right, with members of the Rotary Club of Intramuros, Philippines, and villagers at one of 28 toilets the club built for three Aeta communities in the mountains north of Manila. By Florencio Naguit, Rotary Club of Intramuros-Manila, Philippines In 2017, my club began our first global grant project, an effort to…
Dieter Schneider on his motorcycle ride through Southeast Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Southeast Asia, Australia and the Americas. By Dieter Schneider, members of the Rotary Motorcyclist Fellowship (IFMR) and the Rotary Club Würzburg A year after my son took his own life after suffering from severe depression, I set off…
Quentin Wodon By Quentin Wodon, Rotary Club of Washington Global, USA How do we measure the magnitude of the investments made by Rotary clubs in the battle against COVID-19? This is not an easy question to answer, but in my Rotary and professional life, I often deal with assessing impacts. So the question intrigues me.…
A frame from the Big West Rotary’s training session for district leaders. By David Bobanick and Jim Bell, Rotary public image coordinators (United States) As Rotary leaders, none of us work in a vacuum. Big West Rotary (Zones 26 and 27, western United States) created a model to leverage the collective knowledge and expertise of…