Vicki introduced Steve Snyder before beginning her program because Steve was also a RI Director some years ago. She then began to answer the question: What is being a RI Director? It is the privilege of serving around the world and the joy of experiencing so many different cultures.
Directors come from Zones and there are 34 Zones in the world that are based on Rotary membership numbers.
Vicki described 1 Rotary Center as an18 story building as the heart of Rotary, that employs 600 with an additional 200 other International offices around the world. She complimented the General Secretary of RI, John Hewko (from Kyiv, Ukraine) as being competent, efficient and professional. The BOD meet four times each year and these meetings connect many different cultures. They employ a staff of interpreters who manage to keep everyone informed of discussions in real time at all the meetings.
She described stories and had photos of several of the countries she visited in the role as Director.
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Two stories that resonated with me: She went to Krakow, Poland and while there learned that that city welcomed refugees from Ukraine. This city housed all the thousands of refugees in their homes. They had no “refugee camps”. Another story that touched me was, after meeting the physician in charge of the eradication of polio in Pakistan, that his office lobby has photos of the 69 volunteers who were killed while attempting to provide the vaccine in that country.
Tim spoke briefly about a visit he made to a wheel chair “factory” in Perth, Australia. This factory has volunteers who manufacture the wheel chairs (everything except the wheels) for distribution around the world at a low cost. The women of the area make blankets and stuffed animals for the children needing the wheelchairs and use them instead of Styrofoam peanuts etc. They have a waiting list for volunteers!
Vicki concluded her outstanding program with the question Why Rotary? Rotary Changes Lives.