Posted by Co-President Jack Kraan:
There was no Club meeting this week because several members were attending the Rotary International Convention here in Melbourne. From the reports I have heard, it was a very enjoyable and successful event attended by some 14,000 Rotarians, partners, and friends.
The last time Melbourne hosted the International Convention was 30 years ago in 1993. I also happened to be President of the Club at that time.
One of the highlights of that time was the coming together of members of 3 of the “Rotary Clubs of Berwick” in the world at one of our meetings. David Conway from Berwick upon Tweed, UK and Walter Lutz from Berwick, Pennsylvania, USA attended. In the afternoon before the meeting, we planted a tree in Wilson Botanic Park to celebrate the occasion.
Another highlight was the home hosting for international visitors. The visiting Rotarians and their partners were hosted for dinner in the homes of our members. Our Club organised a bus to transport the participants to and from our homes.
Ann and I hosted a Jamaican couple and an American couple, as well as PDG Frank Canobie and his wife Iris. It was a great way to find out what Rotary members were doing in other parts of the world.
This coming week, we will again have some international Rotarians attending our meeting – Stay tuned.