On November 2, 2024, the Rotary Club of Dominica celebrated its 50th Charter Anniversary under the patronage of Her Excellency Mrs. Sylvanie Burton and Mr. Burton at the Fort Young Hotel.
The Rotary Club of Dominica was chartered on November 2, 1974 with 23 members under the leadership of Major Earle. L. Johnson, a Past District Governor. PDG Earle graced the Club with his presence to celebrate this affair by sharing some history, lessons and advice for the future and described it as “the most humbling experience of my entire lifetime.”
“The Rotary Club of Dominica, in consort with other international clubs, and with the support and sponsorship of the Rotary Foundation has, over the past 51 years, engaged in the establishment of a Local Blood Bank; donated Wheel chairs to the disabled; funded and sponsored expansion of the School for the Blind; sponsored annual Hearing Aid clinics; built and donated a Psychiatric Wing to the then Princess Margaret Hospital; developed and managed a commercial Timbers Plant; donated multiple Education Scholarships; and sponsored significant projects which benefitted both the Youth and the Elderly.” “You have no idea how the world is paying attention to our little corner of the universe, because of Rotary.” – PDG Earle L. Johnson.
Another highlight of the evening was a presented speech by American humanitarian, Dr. Sylvia Whitlock, who was the first woman to serve as president of a Rotary Club. Dr. Whitlock shared her story of how she and her club members broke down barriers that prevented the presence of women in Rotary. She called upon members to embrace the duty of being a Rotarian and acknowledge the power that Rotary holds as the highest consultative status offered to a nongovernmental organization by the UN’s Economic and Social Council.
The celebration continued with the recognition of four (4) Paul Harris Fellow Awards as well as long service awards and a Dutch auction. Entertainment was provided by Don Pious Jno Baptiste.
About The Rotary Club of Dominica The Rotary Club of Dominica was chartered on July 1, 1974, and is a member of District 7030, which spans from St. Kitts to Suriname, comprising 75 clubs and over 3,200 Rotarians. The District Governor for the Rotary Year 2024/2025 is Debbie Roopchand from Trinidad & Tobago. Embracing diversity and inclusion, Rotary believes in leveraging a variety of skills and perspectives for greater reach and impact. To learn more about the Rotary Club of Dominica and its projects, visit http://www.rotary-dominica.org/.
