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The Rotary Club of Medicine Hat was thrilled to join our sister club in Lethbridge, and many other clubs across the District for a special speech and Q/A session with incoming Rotary International President nominee, Jennifer Jones of the Rotary Club of Windsor. Jennifer will be the first female in the history of Rotary to lead the organization and all of us are thrilled both for her and that the honor of that step towards equality is being made by a Canadian. Jennifer was introduced by Allan Friesen, the President of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge, who acted as the Master of Ceremony for this webinar. Jennifer was accompanied on the webinar by her niece Olivia. Olivia is a member of one of the "Early Act" clubs in southwestern Ontario and one of the jobs of the kids is to start the meeting with the 4 way test. You are never to young to start taking on Rotary ways. Olivia spoke about a plastic "reuse" project, as the Environment has become the 7th area of service within Rotary and one that kids very much get behind. Jennifer spoke about a saying coined by her brother, also a Rotarian which is "to live in the kind of society you want, you have to help to build it". Words to live, and serve by for sure. Jennifer talked about her interest in eradicating polio, how that organizational structure might help in the fight with COVID and how Rotary's emphasis on "diversity, equity and inclusion" is also a theme she very much endorses. She answered a number of questions and was encouraged in the "End Polio" fight by a donation of $70,000 from Rotary District 5360 Polio chair Marlene Doherty. One other highlight of the webinar was the singing of "O'Canada" by the Uphill Both Ways school in Malawi. |
