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Program President Chris presented the program about her recent trip to the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany. There is a nine-hour time difference between Arizona and Hamburg. She and Mike travelled a week early. Prior to the convention, they spent time in Amsterdam. When they arrived, a sign in the airport welcomed Rotarians. One evening during the convention, they attended an Arizona district dinner including both Arizona districts. She could not believe the very generous quantities of meat on each platter. Each platter was intended for a table of five to share. These were large quantities seen through the eyes of a Nebraska girl. The servings must have been enormous! Chris was very impressed with the flag presentation which was handled by Rotary Youth Exchange Students. 241 countries were represented. Until she attended the International Convention, the vastness of the size and influence of Rotary had not seemed as amazing to her as it truly is. She was very impressed with the number of 45 million volunteer hours reported which have an economic value of at least $850,000,000. She was also impressed that in 2018-19 at the time of the convention, $339.9 had been raised by The Rotary Foundation this year. She said that by 2023, Rotary has a goal of women comprising 30% of the membership. That goal does not sound impressive until we realize that in many cultures, Rotary Clubs are still all male. The goal is to encourage diversity, inclusion, and equality. This year, the first two women will serve as Directors of Rotary International. It could be true other places, but it is known that in Japan and in Mexico, there are some all-women Rotary clubs. Johrita Solari who spoke at Mesa West earlier this year, is one of those first two female Directors. Chris said there was a very long standing ovation when Johrita's name was announced as she was introduced to those in attendance. One of the sessions, Teaching for Tomorrow, which Chris attended was led by Michael McQueen. The world is changing, and Rotary must change with it. A quote Lao Tzu was illustrated with a photo: "Resisting change is like holding your breath. Even if you're successful, it won't end well." He said a top career likely not to be taken over by robotics in the future is that of a hairdresser - "Would you want a machine wielding scissors that close to your ears?" Chris enjoyed making new Rotary friends at the convention. One such friend was Tammy Denny from Salem, Oregon. They ran into each other several times throughout the convention. Both have a love of wine and both joined the Rotary Wine Fellowship. She and Mike also ran into Ed and Debbie Koeneman several times at the convention. Ed likes beer better than wine and he joined the Rotary Beer Fellowship. Now Ed and John Pennypacker have one additional thing in common as John is also a member of that Rotary Fellowship group. There was an End Polio Now Lego donation activity where legos could be purchased to be used in a Rotary wheel display that was under construction at the convention. Chris enjoyed spending time in the House of Friendship at the convention. There were hundreds of booths featuring products and projects making the scope of what Rotary accomplishes in the world more real while at the same time staggering. There were opportunities to fellowship with Rotarians from every continent. At one session, Chris met a young man who truly "thinks outside the box." He had a book for sale which read sideways. He has a company which sells bottled water. 100% of the profit is used to create skin care and health and sanitation products for baby care as well as education for mothers. Profits from the sale of the book will be used to fund the next product. The price of the book is "Pay whatever you want." One woman paid $50,000. While in Germany, Chris had the opportunity to connect with a childhood pen pal and go with her to visit a nearby community where Chris's grandmother was born. Chris has only recently begun to fully appreciate the courageous act of her grandmother who left everything behind and moved to the United States with no job, and not knowing English. Chis has learned that her grandmother was abused after her mother died when she was only four. Her stepmother made her work in another household but kept all the wages. The employer saw what was happening and helped her escape. She held back on paying what the labor was worth and saved it for Chris's grandmother. Those funds were what financed the new beginning in the US. Chris said her pen pal spoke excellent English. English was a requirement in 5th through 10th grades. The grandmother's childhood home is still in the family - the stepmother's family. At the end of her presentation, Rotarians and guests gave Chris a standing ovation, a small token of the club's large appreciation for her year of service as President of Mesa West Rotary. To see more photos taken at the Rotary International Convention by Chris Krueger and Ed Koeneman, CLICK HERE. |
When Rotarians and guests arrived for the June 20 meeting, it was clear a group of Rotarians were engaged in a very serious discussion surrounding one of the tables in the room. Participating in the discussion were members of the planning committee for the 2019 Gift of Hearing Mission to Guaymas, Mexico. This was the initial formal planning session for the trip that will take place November 6-9, 2019.
The 2019 District 5495 Conference held June 21-22 was well-planned and filled with motivating and inspiring content. .jpg)
Saturday evening, the final conference social activity was a toga party featuring hospitality suites hosted by various clubs and areas. Pam Cohen, Chris Krueger, and others decorated the Mesa West hospitality room with a photo backdrop that looked like the ancient world and had prepared an array of wine, cheeses, breads, and other edibles that might well have been part of a similarly festive activity back in the day. 
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We request that all Rotarians, if at all possible, contribute a minimum of $100 per year to the foundation. The clubs that have their entire membership contribute this amount, per member, are honored at the annual District Conference. When the Rotary Club of Mesa Baseline merged with us, they were all donating a minimum of $100 per year per member - something that those members should be proud of!
Rotarians worldwide who have similar passions and interests can connect through Rotary Fellowships. The photo at right is one that was downloaded from the International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians. To see the variety of fellowships currently available, 
