Another Great Rotary Year 2018/2019

The year 2018/2019 was not without its challenges, but looking back we can celebrate our achievements and learn from whatever did not go to plan.

 

The year started in July when we welcomed our District Governor to our board meeting held at Calabash Cove Resort (Thank you PP Konrad - RCSL for your hospitality).  The DG also visited the projects of Rotary Satellite Club of Gros Islet South Saint Lucia and met the executive and members In August we made a fellowship event or two from attending the Caribbean Premier League Cricket  We also welcomed the President of RC Basse Terre Fort St. Charles, Emmanuelle Marie-Agnes and her son Matteo.  In August RI President Barry Rassin and his wife Esther visited hurricane ravaged Dominica along with DG Dominique and PDG David Edwards.  Your editor was behind the camera as usual.  The delegation visited, among other things, the fish pot building project funded largely by our club. The eerie blue light comes from the blue tarpaulin used as shade.  They also visited the re-roofing project toward which members of our club also made substantial contributions  In September we welcomed DRR Delon Earland we participated in the Youth Symposium along with our Rotaractors and Interactors.  This was an extraordinarily successful project of the RC Saint Lucia under the dynamic leadership of President Soraya Warner-Gustave.  October, we held our annual Creole lunch, which was a bitter sweet event as it marked the beginning of the end for our Charter Member and friend PP MPHF Jonathan Everett We made a substantial donation toward the refurbishment of a home for a family on that day In October, the Rotary Satellite Club South held their Plates for Peace Project which gave members the opportunity to interact with the children to connect for peace  In early November, Rotarian (now PE ) Richard Spalding arrived with spare parts for the wheel chair that was donated through the Rotary Club of Winchester, UK  and then on November 17th our faithful friend succumbed to cancer

A sad landmark in our calendar.

But life goes on and so too did our school feeding programme, every month Through our effort and contact, Grow Well was able to secure a used container for storage which was badly needed 

The Satellite club continued to raise funds and carry out projects 

 

We handed over the mobile dental unit to the Ministry of Health at the beginning of December.  This was funded by a District Grant in the previous Rotary year.   December is the month for giving and as usual RCGI and Rotary Satellite South distributed hampers to those most in need  The Christmas fellowship was somewhat dampened by the recent loss of our friend but we made the most of it.  In December we also had the Grow Well Golf Awards ceremony, at which some exceptional young people received awards for their self improvement over the year.  Here too, the memory of PP Jonathan was honoured.  He was a stalwart in support of Grow Well. In January we bade farewell to Rotarian Peter (Pedro) Barnard from RC Saint Lucia.  Pedro was to be found flying his small plane all over the world as he attended Rotary International Conventions.  He also flew our donation of a generator for the hospital in Montserrat into that island after a hurricane some years ago, among many other generous acts in the interest of humanity.  Our fellowship continued as we welcomed visiting Rotarians and guests to our meetings including Megan and Noella from Good News  And Lew Miller from Colorado  Lew continues to be in touch about a possible project to bring solar powered lights to communities without electrical power.  By the end of January, Sonya Alleyne of RC Barbados South was confirmed as District Governor Nominee Designate  And on into February when RCGI hosted yet another successful Golf tournament Which the Grow Well junior golf team won!  Wat an absolutely outstanding achievement. Congratulations to the Grow Well Golf Committee for their tireless efforts on behalf of the young golfers.  On February 19th we welcomed three new members: Simone Skinner, Ernest Noeline, and Sheldon Michele 

  Satellite South held another successful Plates for Peace event  held on February 23rd, which is Rotary's Birthday and also designated World Peace Day.  March kicked off with us celebrating our own birthday  and on the 26th your editor tied the knot with his partner in service, Rtn Maggie  On March 30th we celebrated our Charter

Throughout the year, President Lenita along with Rotarian Richard spalding were hard at work on what President Len refers to as our legacy project. This is the Prosthetic limb project which is featured on our website   This project was highlighted at the District conference in Guadeloupe.  Well done President Len and thank you Rotarian Richard and Winchester Rotary

In April there was a Rotaract symposium organized by RC Saint Lucia in which RCGI and Rotaract Gros Islet participated.  All who attended reported that it was a fun filled Sunday with a strong value proposition   IPP Angela received her Paul Harris award at o regular evening meeting. And President Lenita passed on the Rotary Citation for 2017/2018 to IPP Angela.  The evening meetings continue to be well received by the younger members in particular, who find it difficult to make a lunch time meeting due to their work commitments.  And then there was the District Conference in Guadeloupe  

In May RCSL held their impressive Doctors in Action project and RCGI supported the effort.  And at the very last meeting in May, we inducted three new members: Zanique Edwards, Rachel Thwaites-Williams, and Jenna Flavious 

Rounding out the Year, Rotarians Judy, Maggie and Lisle went to Hamburg to the international Convention where they were joined by approximately 25,000 Rotarians from around the world.  PE Joel received another Paul Harris Fellow award, bringing him to PHF+2  And apart from a slew of handing over ceremonies, this pretty much brings the year to a close.  So judge for yourself - did we have an active year?  Your call, but I suggest that if your answer is no, maybe you need to become more involved.