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Rotary International Convention 2024 in Singapore
Five Saratoga Rotarians (Jitka Cymbal, Maria Guldner, Teri Kasik, Marsi Nomura and Verna Wong) traveled to the Rotary International Convention in Singapore. The convention took place from Saturday, May 25 to Wednesday, May 29.
The convention began as international humanitarian Graca Machel and Rotary International President, R. Gordon R. McInally called on Rotarians to take action to make the world more equitable and more peaceful, by promoting peace through work with Rotary, including working for equality for women and for equal access to education for girls.
RI President McInally spoke about how Rotarians can be catalysts for positive change in the world by finding common ground across cultural differences and by sharing a common purpose of elevating humanity. He also spoke about ways to improve mental health and well-being around the world. This is a key priority for RI President McInally.
During the convention, members were welcome to participate in breakout sessions that addressed topics as diverse as “Conservation”, “Membership”, and “Peacebuilding”. There were also recreational activities, hosted by the numerous Singapore Rotary clubs, to enjoy. The first hosted activity we participated in was Gastrobeats at the Bayfront Event Space, where we were greeted by food and beverage vendors hawking their wares. In spite of the rain, we were able to enjoy foods and beverages representing a variety of cuisines.
The following day, we had the Opening Ceremony and a Multi-District Pub Crawl & River Cruise. We were reminded of how international Rotary was as each country with a Rotary presence was introduced by a Rotarian waving the country’s flag.
After the Opening Ceremony, we Saratoga Rotarians adjourned to Here Kitty Kitty, a nearby bar to enjoy a drink before boarding a boat for a riverboat cruise and then continuing our pub crawl. The River Cruise & Pub Crawl was organized and attended by members of our local Rotary Districts 5170, 5130 and 5160. Participants from the three districts filled five boats. It was a nice chance to chat with Rotarians from neighboring districts.
The next day, the hosted highlight was the Host Hospitality Night. We were treated to live music and a delicious array of cuisines featuring the cuisines of the melting pot known as Singapore.
In between the scheduled, hosted events, we enjoyed exploring Singapore on our own. Highlights included the Rotary Expo, Gardens by the Bay, Raffles, places of worship, the local Chinatown, the Marina Bay Sands Observation Deck, the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest.
Photos can be found at this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UWzxx5xKch9Komws8
Article written by Verna Wong