The rest of the afternoon

We had a great lunch with the Grand Cayman club and then met with their board. We had the chance to induct a new member (Gayle) at the luncheon. Thank you to President Sharon for a great lunch and meeting. If you want to know how to get Golf Tournament sponsors, you may want to ask her. She did something very interesting!

We met with the Cayman Central Board, another amazing club. Last year they were the leaders in the District with per capita contributions, $454.03 WOW !!!!! Sandy and her team have put together another amazing year. Some of their members are off today to put the Twining Program at the fore front with a visit to their twin club to assist with and art show in Northern Florida near Tampa. Good luck and great work.

Last night we had a great dinner hosted by PDG Bobby Bodden at his magnificent place on 7 mile beach. We had a great diner prepared on the BBQ by Bobby. I stood by and assisted in the wine drinking.

Thank you Bobby, Tessa and Sophia for a wonderful night. Bobbys son, a new Rotarian and PDG Richard Harris were there as well. Special guest as well was Paul Harris in real life. Ask me about that some time!

This is PDG Bobbys smoker. He cooked the most exquisite Beef over a 6 hour period. Sooo flavourful and sooo tender. Check the District Cook book for this. I think he may be sharing it with us.

Off to site visits and a reading program this morning.

Happy New Year and off to Cayman

After 4 weeks at home over Christmas and New Years it’s time to get back to Rotary travel. We arrived in Grand Cayman Tuesday night on the BA flight. What a civilized way to travel. Only an hour from Nassau, no nightmares with US Customs and Immigration.

AG Sophia met us at the airport and got us safely to the hotel for some down time before we start our club visits.

On Wednesday we had an early 6:50 AM, start for Cayman Brac which is about 45 minutes away by plane. There we met with President John for an island tour, including the library, schools, some amazing views, playgrounds and other things.

Below is a picture of the Libray they built and a picture of some kids using it. They have plans to extend it as it needs more space.




Along with AG Sophia, we met over lunch with the board and members of the Rotary Club of Cayman Brac. A small but dynamic club. They are doing Rotaries work in a way that can make us all proud! Promises of the best recipes in the Cayman Islands for our cookbook were given.

Brac Board meeting
Brac lunch and it was good!
After our very short visit we returned to Grand Cayman to meet with the Board of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise. A large and very dynamic club with lots of projects and fellowship underway. If I was to have to stand in front of the World of Rotary and share Rotary, I would only have to read the highlights from their report. Great stuff Sunrise!

Dinner followed at Rotarian Jeff’s home hosted by the Sunrise Club. Chef Michael out did himself with his BBQ skills. Excellent food, wine and fellowship. Thank you.
Andre inducted into Rotaract this morning!
6:45 pick up this morning to go to meet with the dynamic Rotaract Club of Grand Cayman. Incredibly energized and dynamic group of people that are doing many local projects and involved internationally as well. They did a training session on Club Runner and even this old dog learned something. Thanks Rotaract of Grand Cayman.

President Victor running the meeting from his agenda on his blackberry. You see whay Rotaract helps keep us in the real world!

In an hour we are off to the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, then a Board meeting then the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Central, We have a reception this evening at PDG Bobbys and tomorrow we are doing project visits etc. Staurday is Training all day for new members and boards.

No slackness in this country!!

Check in later.

DG Dick

Petion-Ville Childrens Party

Check out the amazing pitures on this site of true Rotarians from the Petion-Ville Rotary Club in Port au prince. They are making a difference in childrens lives in a big way.
Great work Raphael
DG Dick

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=qpg458l.1cwjie59&x=0&y=-mml00k

Haiti Water Summit and Nassau Club visits in December

What a great event. It began with the usual Airport welcome by Nessim and team. VIP treatment all the way. A DG could get used to that. We arrived earlier than Wilf so we went on to the Hotel and checked in. I then went back to the airport to meet him with Nessim as Carla and DG Nathan of 6910 waited patiently for our arrival.

Once Wilf and John Germ had checked in we moved on to a very nice restaurant for dinner where Wilf, John Guy myself and the rest of the Task Force discussed the Task Force issues and the challenges we are having with Matching Grants.

The meeting was very productive and the Task Force Paper was accepted as the way to move forward with the projects. Their advice and guidance was critical to doing it right the first time.

Guy and Wilf discussing the opportunities.

Day 2 brought the Summit opening and some exciting racing through the streets in armored cars with a police escorts. Not your usual Summit I am sure, but it’s the way the great team of the Petion-Ville Club did it with the guidance of Chairman Claude, President Raphael and ADG Nessim.

Carinne keeping us all in order

The Canadian Ambassador has assigned his armored car and security detail to President Wilf and John Germ The balance of us were included in the convoy in cars behind.

The morning started with a breakfast with the Canadian Ambassador at his residence. It was a very interesting breakfast as the Canadian Government is deeply involved in the future development in Haiti and it was good to have their perspective and to see where we could find synergies through Rotary.

We then went to the official opening of the Summit where Wilf and I made some opening remarks. Shortly after that we were transported to a Hospital where we each had the opportunity to vaccinate a child for Polio. It was the event of a life time for me. On our return Carla found out what had happened and was not very happy that she had missed the chance. I guess I need to make it up to her somehow.

We visited another hospital (FAHSI) in the afternoon where the Petion-Ville Club had donated through connections with the US army the ICU equipment for the hospital. A major contribution to that hospital. All the equipment was refurbished and like new.
After Lunch we went to President Prevals residence and met with him. We discussed Rotaries role in the country and committed to facilitate a long term Water Resource Sustainability Master Plan. We were able to adopt a resolution to that effect at the end of the Summit signed by Petion-Ville,, President Wif and myself.

That evening there was a Presidential Gala at a very pristine property in the hills. A good time was had by all and we wrapped up by just after 11:00 PM to be ready for the next day of the Summit.

The Summit program was great on Saturday and was intermingled with Task Force meetings and networking opportunities. After the closing the Task Force met again to complete its list of action Items and we Then met with the Board and leadership of Pure Water for the World. We discussed at length the way forward with their project and came to what I believe is a fair and reasonable agreement on how we should move forward.

Interestingly, there were so many details that needed to be agreed on that we all understood that there would be no way to specify each of them in writing and that for efficiency sake we would accept that the agreement was one reached based on the principles of the 4 Way Test and all parties would act accordingly. I think this speaks to the strength of Rotary and its principles.

A great job done by the organizing committee and great commitment bu Guy Theodore and the Task Force to process all the tasks in the short time we had. Thank You

After that marathon meeting we went to dinner at the Hotel with a number of MG participants and then off to the airport first thing in the morning. Back home to Nassau by late Sunday.

This week we met with the New Providence Board and then joined the Club for dinner. The highlight was to present a PHF to Sophie, President Michael Fowlers wife. For those of you that do not know President Michael was hit by a car while leaving a Rotary meeting earlier in his year and passed away as a result. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family and the club has gone the extra mile to keep her involved and have a 2 year scholarship for their daughter.

Wednesday night we met with the Board of the Nassau Sunrise Club and then joined them for breakfast the next morning. It was a Christmas themed breakfast which included Christmas carols and bad jokes. It was a lot of fun.

62 clubs completed, 2 in Turks and Caicos and 4 in Cayman to go and they will be done in January. I’ll try to do one more update before the holiday. If I miss I,

Have a Very Merry Christmas
DG Dick and Carla

Haiti Water Summit & Polio Vaccination

It does not get any more real than this!!!!

Thank you for the great Summit. We had a great turn out for a great event. As part of the visit we had the opportunity to do some very special things. The one that will mark a special time in my life was when I was able to vaccinate a baby in the Hospital in Port Au Prince Haiti.

President Wilf and a Haiti Summit group meet with the President Preval of Haiti

I'm Back !!!! and Sint Maarten, St. Marten Anguilla and St. Barths

Where did November go? After we returned from Jamaica we had a week at home before going to Homestead/Miami for the final race of the NASCAR season. Our two favorite drivers, Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson were in 1st and 2nd place coming into the final race. We attended the wedding of our friends Katy and Andy on Saturday night and were then joined by our daughter Lissa and her husband Timmy for the race on Sunday. Jimmy won, Jeff came second.

Then it was home for meetings with the Nassau clubs and also with the Abaco club. We even got to attend our own club’s Christmas Party which was a real treat.

Note the name of the plane, the same as our company.

Off to Sint. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barts and Anguilla. Another whirlwind trip. AG Louis had everything organized for a welcome cocktail party, ferry trips to St. Barts and Anguilla. It was only the week before that I found out that I needed a visa to visit St. Barts and Anguilla.
We laid a wreath for President Odile. A very sad momment.

These usually take about a month, but with Rotary’s pull and some awfully sweet talking by an “unnamed president” I was able to get the visa and make the boat. However, they did have to put the gangway back down to let me on. Louis’s wife Amanda made the made dash down the hill thru the traffic on foot to make the boat. It was well worth it as St. Barts was wonderful and so was Anguilla.

Saint. Martin Sunrise meeting place Breakfast with the Heineken!!




President Meredith and the Banner

Puggy on the way to Anguilla


Anguilla delegation with us at Port
Sandy Ground, looks very much like Eluthera in the Bahamas
Quality Testing and a quick surface shine while I was at it!

We had a wonderful dinner on Wednesday night with the PDG’s, Club Presidents and guests. It was a real treat to have everyone together in an intimate setting. 60 visits done, 8 to go. I can’t believe our year is half over.

Pierre and team giving us our Guavaberry Gift made by PAG Stephen Thompson


Our meeting with Sarah Wescot-Williams, Commissioner St. Maarten

Rotaractor Ronnie Wever on right who looked after us as in a most proffessional way, Thank You Ronnie

Low cost housing project common area where they planted trees, and put in picnic tables etc.

Sint Maarten Mid Isle playground for the school. We learned from those students why we need to be sure we make things strong. They are ROUGH!!!!!

Mid Isle project above and board below
Saint-Martin Nord, President Anike

Speak French properly, kiss twice eye contact ontoasting and a great bunch

Thanks for the Visa help!!!

Anike gives a "never say no award" to the Rotarian that never says no.

The Hospital project

As usual our flight home was eventful. We had to leave early on Friday so we could make a meeting with RID Barry, DGE Rupert, PDG Alister and RLID Diana to discuss the District leadership training. However, good old American Airlines had it their way. We finally arrived in Florida, not even Miami, 4 hours late. Needless to say, We missed the meeting.

We stayed in Miami for the weekend so I could attend the Governors’ Council Meeting on Saturday and I could do some last minute Christmas shopping. Lissa joined us once again for two days. Unfortunately Lissa and Carla spent all day Saturday in South Miami Hospital having tests done for dizziness and nausea she had been experiencing since Wednesday. All’s fine-it is vertigo, but it was a waste of a day’s shopping. Carla and Lissa tried to cram it all into Sunday as I came home to take care of the dogs and unpack.

Carla got back home on Monday night and we are off to Haiti on tomorrow, TS Olga permitting. I will try to keep the Blog more current as we move forward because there should be a little more time. Of the 68 clubs in the District we have visited with 60 with 2 more schedule for Nassau next week and then Cayman and Turks and Caicos in January.

Meghen is now working with the Americas Cup Challenge boats and is sailing to West Palm tomorrow taking the boats over for Drydocking. Not a good choice given the weather but there are no options.

We are busy now planning the District Conference in May and the Zone Institute in October, both at Atlantis. I am the facilities and Arrangements Chair for the Zone Institute.