Rotarians celebrate centennial year in Chicago

JIM DE BOOM

The Rotary International Centennial Convention began last Saturday

with a parade of countries, consisting of 25 floats and more than

3,000 walkers dressed in the colorful costumes of their countries.

The parade route was six and seven people deep, causing a traffic

tie-up on Lakeshore Drive as traffic was diverted to accommodate the

parade.

The House of Friendship opened at Chicago’s McCormick Place with

exhibits from Rotary Clubs promoting community service programs

around the world, vendors with Rotary-licensed merchandise and

locations to meet new friends.

Saturday evening’s events included a Rotary tradition in which

Rotary members from the Chicago area hosted convention-goers from 150

countries into their own homes for dinner and to sample American home

life. Rotary clubs from the north Chicago suburbs hosted 350 visitors

for a tent dinner and a live broadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion”

radio show.

Sunday began at the Rotary International Convention with 800

runners and 3,000 plus walkers who participated in an 8K run and 5K

walk, raising funds to eradicate polio while enjoying a sunny morning

along the shores of Lake Michigan. Walkers included Newport-Balboa

Rotarians Nan Raney and Roger and Sheila McGonegal, to name a few.

Because of the large number of convention registrants, Sunday’s

opening session, ‘Celebrating a Century of Service,’ was repeated

three times at the McCormick Place Convention Center. Via videotape,

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley welcomed the international visitors to

Chicago; United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan thanked Rotary

for its worldwide efforts to eradicate polio; and President George

Bush thanked Rotarians for their humanitarian work at home and

abroad.

Rotary International President Glenn E. Estess Sr. of Birmingham,

Ala., acknowledged the work of fellow Service Clubs including

Soroptimists, Lions, Kiwanis and Exchange.

Sunday night, more than 200 Rotarians from Orange County,

including members of the Newport-Balboa, Newport Irvine and Newport

Sunrise clubs gathered at D’Agostino’s Italian restaurant near

Wrigley Field for dinner and fellowship.

Monday began with the Far West Breakfast with 1,800 Rotarians from

the western part of the United States and Canada and their spouses

arriving at McCormick Place at 6:45 a.m. for a two-hour program.

At Monday’s plenary session, Rotary’s service efforts over its

first 100 years were reviewed and celebrated decade by decade. The

speaker for the day was billionaire Ted Turner, whose father was a

Rotarian.

From memory, Turner recited Rotary’s Four-Way Test and motto, “He

who profits most, serves the best,” and said they played a key role

in his business making decisions.

Turner thanked Rotary for its leadership in providing polio

vaccines to two billion children around the world and appreciated the

opportunity to support the effort with his donation of $32 million,

noting it will be the second disease to be eliminated worldwide after

smallpox.

Rotary International General Secretary Ed Futa addressed the

opening session of the Centennial Convention on Tuesday,

acknowledging that 1.2 million Rotarians during the past year donated

25 million hours and more than a billion dollars to community service

projects in 168 countries of the world.

Eric Motley, the 1997-98 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, gave a

speech (“Living Up To Your Inheritance”) that led us through his life

growing up 40 miles outside of Birmingham, Ala., in a racially

isolated community, where few graduated from high school, and no one

had gone to college.

Motley attended and graduated from a local four-year college

before receiving a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. That allowed him

to go to the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where -- with

assistance for an additional year -- he graduated with his doctorate.

Motley now serves as special assistant to President Bush and

associate director of the Office of Presidential Personnel in the

White House.

“What we inherit is principles and people,” Motley reminded the

convention delegates, thanking his family, his community and Rotary

for giving him principles and people who helped him along the way.

In a series of multimedia productions, Rotary Foundation efforts

around the world in literacy, health care and environment were

featured. More than two billion children around the world have

received the polio vaccine, thanks to Rotarians and the $600 million

they have donated and raised.

Dr. J.W. Lee, director-general of the World Health Organization,

acknowledged Rotary’s 20-year campaign and partnership with his

organization, the Centers for Disease Control and UNICEF in

eliminating the dreaded disease.

Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, addressed

Wednesday’s plenary session, noting that “Rotarians act with passion,

consistency and respect in their service to their communities and the

world.”

Carl Wilhelm Stenhammar of Goteborg, Sweden, was elected president

of Rotary International for 2005-06, while William B. Boyd of

Auckland, New Zealand, was elected President-Nominee for 2006-07.

Stenhammar made a proposal to increase Rotary’s Youth Exchange

program as a peace-building activity.

“When a 17-year-old lives in a foreign country with a family for

three weeks, they get different life experience and find that all

want the same, opportunity and respect,” he said.

The convention closed Wednesday night with speeches and concerts

by the Wheaton Gospel Choir and Cook, Dixon and Young, formerly known

at the “Three Mo’ Tenors.” The convention delegates sang “Auld Lange

Syne” to close out a very successful convention.

SERVICE CLUB

MEETINGS THIS WEEK

Help your community and the world through a service club! For

many, service club membership is an extension of our religious

beliefs and congregation affiliation.

You are invited to attend a service club meeting this coming week

to learn more about opportunities for service. Most clubs will buy

your first meal for you as you get acquainted with them.

TUESDAY

Noon: The Rotary Club of Costa Mesa, now in organization with 15

members, has moved its meeting location to the Club House at South

Coast Plaza.

6:30 p.m.: The 48-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club meets

at the Five Crowns restaurant for the Demotion Party honoring

President Fay Bosler (www.newportbeach sunriserotary.org).

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the

University Athletic Club.

Noon: The Exchange Club of the Orange Coast meets at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club for a business meeting.

6:15 p.m.: The Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa meets at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club for the Demotion Party, honoring President Kim

DeBroux (www.newportbalboa.org).

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at

Mimi’s Cafe.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn (www.kiwanis.org/club /costamesa); the 50-member Kiwanis

Club of Newport Beach/Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian

Yacht Club (www.nhexchangeclub.com); the 85-member Exchange Club of

Newport Harbor meets at the Nautical Museum for a ladies day

luncheon, featuring a program by Dr. Ferre Akbarpus on women’s

medical issues (www.nhexchangeclub.com); the 100-member Rotary Club

of Newport Irvine meets at the Radisson Hotel for craft talks

(www.nirotary.org).

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655

or by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com.