Val Oliveira, public image chair of the Minnesota Pride Rotary Club, in front of the club’s banner and website. By Val Oliveira, Public Image Chair of Minnesota Pride Rotary Club I have a deep-rooted familiarity with Rotary that spans back to the 90s when I was a journalist for a daily newspaper in a town…
Counselors lead a class for the refugee children in Poland. By Dr. Marina Theododou, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Crystal City-Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, USA On a crisp summer morning in late July, a team from my club met Jan in Warsaw, Poland. He is a blond, lanky, 14-year-old boy with a shy but warm…
Singapore skyline at night By Jennifer Scott, Chair of the 2024 International Convention Committee As the chair of the committee helping plan the 2024 Rotary International Convention in Singapore, I get asked a fair number of questions about this year’s annual event. I felt it was only natural to share with you why I am…
Gayla McDaniel and Alex Kile, members of the Rotary Club of Mattoon, Illinois, USA, read to a kindergarten class as part of a literacy project funded by the Day at the Ballpark. By Rod Buffington, past governor of District 6460 and a member of the Rotary Club of Springfield, Illinois, USA “Take me out to…
Members of the Rotary Club of Apharetta, Georgia, at a social event By Katie Rocco, past president of the Rotary Club of Alpharetta, Georgia, USA I began my year as club president in 2022-23 with a few goals firmly in mind. Emerging from the shadow of the pandemic, I wanted to focus on the mental…
Murilo found the support he needed in Rotary and Rotaract to deal with his medical challenges. By Murilo Araújo, 2022-2023 president of the Rotary Club of Pacaembu and the Rotaract Club of Pacaembu, São Paulo, Brazil Just when I thought my health had thwarted my desire to serve, I discovered I could still serve and…
Rotary members Fred Bemenderfer and James Thomas help volunteer and school secretary Sandra Pugh deliver boxes of meals to families in need at a local elementary school. By Alex Johnson, Rotary Club of Plano West, Texas, USA, and Rotary Coordinator Zone 25B & 29 As I stepped into my role as president of the Plano…
Furniture awaits a buyer in the Rotary Club of Boothbay Harbor barn. By Marty Peak Helman, Rotary Foundation Trustee and member of the Rotary Club of Boothbay Harbor, Maine, USA During the pandemic, the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club found a way to double the proceeds of its largest fundraiser AND use it to engage current…
Members of the Rotary Club of Norfolk, Virginia, organize donated books for a preschool library they created. By Sally Kirby Hartman, past president of the Rotary Club of Norfolk, Virginia, USA Until 2007, my Rotary knowledge consisted of spotting “Rotary Meets Here” signs on the edges of small towns. Then two Rotary Club of Norfolk…
Smera Chandan, left, celebrating the new year with her host family. Editor’s note: This post was written in two parts, the first during the author’s Rotary Youth Exchange year and the second after she returned from her exchange. By Smera Chandan My name is Smera Chandan and I am 16 years old. I am sitting…