It was my first time in Suriname, Trinidad and at a Rotary District Conference, so I had great expectations. I had often heard that going to a district conference reinvigorated you as a Rotarian. But no further details were ever given. Like child birth, I supposed you had to experience it for yourself to have a full appreciation of what to expect.
It lived up to my expectations; the Planning Committee in Suriname should be commended for an excellent array of activities. We had a packed schedule of cultural experiences, food, drink and having fun. I will reserve further comment on PETS and the District Assembly for another forum.
What did I enjoy the most? The fellowship. I made some new friends from Barbados, Curacao, Guadeloupe, Trinidad, Dominica, St. Kitts, Guyana and Suriname to name a few. The fellowship was strong; for those of us who stayed at the Marriott Hotel, all 22 of us, we had our motto of not leaving anyone behind. The bus came at 7am, which is 6am our time (in Saint Lucia) and we didn't let the bus leave until everyone was accounted for.
Once at the conference, we tended to sit with each other. Our group kept growing to persons staying at other hotels. We had breakfast together in the morning at the hotel, sat together in smaller groups for lunch and dinner. We shared experiences about our time so far in Rotary, our clubs and shared ideas on improving our membership.
The fellowship stood out for me because it does not matter where you are in the world, if you are with good people, you will enjoy the experience even more. The Rotarians I met were warm and friendly. We shared ideas, experiences and our Rotary journey.
It was a proud moment for us, when PP Lisle Chase from our club was introduced as the District Governor for 2020-2021, with Maggie standing proudly by his side. The video that was circulated via WhatsApp, if you haven't guessed, I was the camera person. I spontaneously leapt from my seat in the back and went forward to document the moment.
But I will let the pictures speak for themselves: from the Opening Ceremony with all the flags being represented and anthems sung; to cultural plays and artistic expressions put on just for us. The cocktail party, the gala dinner and the after parties: it was all about fellowship and fun.
To President Elect Lenita, President Elect Soraya, Secretary Elect Julie, Rotarian Maggie and of course District Governor Designate Lisle, thank you for being great travel companions. The next District Conference will be in Guadeloupe (April 2019), after that St. Kitts (April 2020) and St. Lucia (April 2021). I would encourage you to attend, you will not regret it. 
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The RC Gros Islet Reading Club continues at Gros Islet Infant and Primary Schools with members of RCGI combining their Rotarian friends from RC Saint Lucia and with non Rotarians to help children with their reading. The Month of May is Youth Service month, but it is also Reading month at all schools Island wide. The members of the Rotary Satellite Club of Gros Islet, South joined in the reading and started off this week at the Choiseul Secondary School. Rotarians Jenny and Lisa seen here reading to the students. 
He spends three days in Suriname.