Rotary District Conference - Ross Carrington

             Our Rotary district held its annual conference this past weekend in the beautiful Lafayette Hill, right outside of the city. A group of us represented Rotaract Philly among the many other Rotary and Rotaract clubs in District 7450 and got the chance to learn about very important issues Rotary is getting involved in.

             The day included two very interesting lectures: one on clean water initiatives and another on efforts to stem child slavery. We were first introduced to an organization called Water Missions International, which undertakes clean water projects in 49 developing countries, mainly throughout Latin America and Africa. The organization builds clean water systems for public use that provide a safe alternative to the contaminated water that has plagued communities with disease.

            After some time set aside for mingling with Rotarians/Rotaractors from other clubs, we saw a very moving presentation on child slavery. It was very sobering to realize that the phenomenon was so endemic throughout the modern world, and that the United States was not immune. The lecture ended on a positive note, however, with a segment on rescue organizations that were making headway in stemming back the tide.

           The most inspiring, and most awaited, presentation of the day was given by Ramesh Farris on polio eradication. Born in India, Farris had contracted polio at six months of age and was paralyzed from the waist down. Farris’ mother, unable to provide the resources her son would need, gave him up to an orphanage. He was then adopted by a Canadian family, after initial opposition from the Canadian government based on the fear that Farris would place too much strain on the country’s healthcare system.

        The presentation was moving from the very beginning, when Farris crawled through piercing silence from the back of the auditorium to the stage and began to tell his story while sitting on the floor. The discomfort quickly gave way to disbelief and cheer as Farris rose up and began to walk across the stage.  In Canada, Farris had undergone numerous surgeries, eventually allowing him to walk with the help of leg braces. He has been traveling across the world recounting his experience, in the hope that there will one day be no more “crawlers.”

         All in all, the conference proved to be, as always, an immeasurably enriching and inspirational day. I would greatly recommend that every Rotaractor try to go at some point. You don’t want to miss out!

Rotary District Conference - Cara Cugley

This year’s Rotary District Conference was held in West Chester on November 11th and 12th. Unfortunately, none of us were able to go on Friday, but Isaac and I were both able to be there on Saturday. On Saturday, Isaac and I met up and headed into the city where we met up with Jeb, a member of our sponsor Rotary Club of Philadelphia who was gracious enough to offer to drive us to and from the conference.

Once we arrived at the conference, we were welcomed by Anna and a few of my old Rotary acquaintances from when I was in Interact. After breakfast, we went into the hall where we were woken up by the African rhythms of Griot Wa Umoja that had us up on our feet dancing to
the music. Bonnie Korengel, our District Governor, gave the welcome speech that laid out our schedule for the day.

The first speaker of the day was Lynn McConville, who was standing in for Kathryn Hall, founder of Power Up Gambia. Kathryn was a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania working towards a Pre-Med track when she went help out in Gambia. While working over in Gambia at a hospital, Kathryn was shocked at the lack of electricity available to run the lights and machines in the hospital. When Kathryn asked the head of the hospital how she could continue to help once back home, he told her about his idea of getting solar power panels installed at the hospital. Unfortunately, he lacked the fudns to make this dream a reality. So when Kathryn came back from Gambia, she had a mission of raising $300,000 in order to make that hospital’s dream of solar power into a reality. Between her efforts and Rotary’s contributions, the money was raised and Kathryn traveled back to Gambia to see the panels installed. This project had a chain-reaction. Power Up Gambia is now raising money to install solar power panels into its third hospital in Gambia. This project is just one example of how the dream of one can become the mission of many.

After enjoying the rhythms of the talented young Irish Step Dancers, we heard the riveting story behind the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation from Alex’s father, Jay Scott. He told us all about Alex’s struggle with childhood cancer and her ambitious goals of raising money for childhood cancer through a lemonade stand. We also heard from 8-year-old Althea Hutchinson, a top fundraiser for Alex’s Lemonade Stand with her own story of her battle against childhood cancer. After hearing these inspirational stories, a basket went around collecting money for the foundation and, along with money from auctioned off Eagles tickets and money raised by local Interact clubs, the Rotary donated over two thousand dollars to the foundation.

In our first Breakout Session, we attended the New Generations of Rotarians session run by Anna. During this session, Rotarians got to learn more about the structure and projects of our
District EarlyAct, Interact, and Rotaract clubs. Many Rotarians asked questions regarding how to either start their own new generation clubs in their areas or how to get involved with their local clubs. The interest in these clubs was refreshing. It was nice to hear how much the Rotarians value our work and are how interested they are in investing in and shaping the future generations to take over.

During lunch, Isaac and I got to eat incredible food while talking to and getting to know local Rotarians. After lunch, the Parade of Flags took place where we were introduced to all the District’s International Exchange Students. Next, we got to hear from Karen Rogers, a popular local TV personality who previously received the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. She recounted her personal journey and how Rotary became a part of it. She thanked the Rotary for their faith in her and for the amazing experience she received as a Rotary Scholar in Wales. Following Karen’s speech, Lt. D.F. Pace shared his experience with the Rotary in Thailand where he studied violence prevention, meditation, and compromise building for 3 months. As a District
Peace Fellowship Winner, he now uses his new knowledge in his everyday experiences and conflicts as a police officer here in Philadelphia.

The last speech of the day was given by Rotary International President’s Representative Ann Lee Hussey about Polio Eradication. She shared her personal struggle with polio as a polio survivor, as well as the ongoing efforts of the Rotary to eradicate polio around the world. Rotary’s continued efforts and overwhelming success is inspiring and instills motivation in all of us to continue their efforts here through Purple Pinkie projects. Following Ann Lee’s speech, we went to the final Breakout Sessions. Isaac and I attended the District Rotaract Meeting. During this meeting, each Rotaract Club that was present went around and described all the projects they’ve been working on this year and their future project plans. It was a nice chance to meet fellow Rotaractors and share ideas.

Overall, the day was an incredible experience. It was nice to catch up with my old Rotary acquaintances and to meet new Rotarians. It was also really interesting to share project ideas and experiences that Rotary clubs and new generation clubs (EarlyAct, Interact, and Rotaract) have been working on and plan to work on. I recommend that everyone who has the chance goes next year! It’s a great experience that you’ll never forget and that will inspire you to be more involved with all the Rotary’s incredible projects and partnered foundations.