Tuesday, June 23

On Tuesday afternoon, I recapped my day in my notebook while stuck on a train. What normally is a 10-minute train ride from the National Exhibition Centre back to Coventry became an hour-long standstill as a freight train broke down near Coventry's station. I didn't mind the respite from the activity - it gave me a chance to reflect on what would prove to be our busiest day at the convention.

Attending this convention is like drinking Rotary Kool-Aid from a fire hose. It's sweet and delicious, but there's just so much of it to gulp down. The convention's House of Friendship is a case in point. In the HoF, there are hundreds of booths and exhibits describing successful Rotary club projects from around the world that need support and that set the patterns for how we might successfully create a long term program of service in Ecuador.

Then there are the dozens upon dozens more Rotary Fellowships - worldwide organizations of Rotarians with similar endeavours and interests. Krista and were awed by all the different international projects, the Rotarian Action Groups, and the numerous fellowships. Krista quilts, and she was ecstatic to learn of the Rotary Quilting Fellowship, which, like many other fellowships allows spouses of Rotarians to join.

At today's plenary session, Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Jonathan Majiyagbe brought us up to date on the foundation's finances and changes to the grants programs that are part of the Future Vision program.

He reminded us that there is, in his words, no moratorium on humanitarian service. In this global recession, those people who had the least in the first place are those most affected. More children, especially, are suffering from hunger, disease, and malnutrition.

Never before, he said, has the need been so great for our foundation's programs and the efforts of Rotarians. Instead of focusing on the negative numbers related to the foundation's investments (which aren't really that bad, in perspective), he showed stats about lives positively impacted by Foundation matching grants and 3H grants worldwide.

During the plenary session intermission, Krista and I met Peter and Diana who were sitting in front of us. They were from the UK, and Peter was a Past District Governor. Peter noticed my Incoming President ribbon and asked me if I was ready for my year. I told him I felt fairly well-prepared. Diana asked the more important question of Krista - was she ready? She nodded, maybe a bit tentatively, I thought. Well, we'll have to work on that. The best things I can do to help her be prepared are to be communicative and be organized. No coincidence that those are probably the two things I have to be to have a successful year overall.

After the intermission, Mia Farrow spoke on the theme "With Knowledge Comes Responsibility". Her relationship with Rotary couldn't be more clear - she is a polio survivor, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and passionate humanitarian. She held my rapt attention, so I didn't take any notes here. For highlights of what she said, check out this news page on RI's web site.

Lunch wasn't just pub grub today. Krista and I attended the Presidents-Elect Leadership Luncheon. Once again, the speakers included RI President D.K. Lee and President-Elect John Kenny. More importantly, though, were the eight other people around our table. Krista and I were at a table with four other PE's, spouses, and table hosts. On our left sat "The Matching Grants" - Jon and Linda Grant, from Foster City, California. Linda was PE of her club and John was a Past-President, Past District Governor, and past Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator for zones 23 and 24. On our right were the table's hosts, Jose Antonio Salazar-Cruz and his wife, Myriam. Jose is a Rotary Foundation Trustee.

There was lots of great discussion at the table, and I mentioned to Jon that one of my hopes was to meet a club or district official from Ecuador at the convention to open some lines of communication that might help our efforts in La Florida and Bahia de Caraquez. Jon said their club has routinely worked with districts in Ecuador and that his foundation chair would be happy to help me make some contacts. Following up on this will be at the top of my to-do list when I get home.

Okay, if this day hadn't been full enough, Krista and I attended a Vocational Service and Functional Literacy Projects breakout session in the early afternoon. We heard from a panel of speakers who had implemented projects around ethics, self-esteem development, and critical thinking, many of them centering directly on the four-way test. I won't go into details, but I was really inspired by the opportunities our club might have to bolster our projects in what PE John Kenny called Rotary's "forgotten avenue of service". The good news is that many of these projects don't demand a lot of money to be successful in the long term.

The day didn't end there - I attended a Youth Exchange breakout after the first one. I didn't find it useful, unfortunately, because it gave mainly a cursory overview of the program's benefits and operation.

I did, however, get to talk to Pauline Perrault, who's on our district's Youth Exchange Committee about working closely with our Youth Exchange Committee and our club as we dip our toe back in the pool. In a conversation with her and a member of RI's Youth Exchange Resource Group from Australia (I can't remember his name), we covered the issue of club and host family certification, once again, as a sticking point. Clubs worldwide have reacted similarly.

The fellow involved at the International level assured me that the same rules were being applied on his side of the world as on ours. Certification of a host family is not meant to be a scary, "Gestapo-like" thing (to use his words). He put it in perspective this way: If you were sending your daughter half way around the world to stay with someone, wouldn't you want to know that family had insurance? Wouldn't you want to know she was staying with a safe home with safe people?

Good points, I guess... it's irrelevant to debate whose posterior is actually being covered by this requirement of the program. More relevant questions focus on the criteria used the define who is a "safe" host family and how accountability is ensured for the proper handling of private information our district and RI collect. We will continue to explore these issues and advocate for change where we see fit as we explore participation in RYE again.

And, finally, the train's moving again... stay tuned for more.

Monday: Presidents-Elect Summit

As I mentioned in my last post, we visited Warwick Castle last Sunday night. I'm finally in London and finally have a spare half hour to post some more - so here's the video of the trebuchet firing. Enjoy!

On Monday, Krista and I attended the Presidents-Elect Summit. RI President D.K. Lee addressed us, and indicated that a club's president is central to the life of the club. He assurred us that if we are enthusiastic and organized, our clubs will succeed.

He urged us to pay special attention to the issue of membership in a way that I personally appreciated. He reminded us that fellowship is an important component of our building our capacity to serve. If we are a vibrant club with plenty of opportunities to develop accquaintance, we have the raw potential to attract members. That's exactly our aim this year by dividing the club into six club service teams and asking each to plan at least one social event outside our regular lunch meetings.

The next step according to President D.K. is to draw qualified, skilled, motivated prospective members into contact with the club. Throughout my time at the conference, I learned of a few ways clubs did this successfully. I don't konw if our club has ever taken a structured approach to membership recruitment, but maybe it's time to try one. I have had an initial glance at the priorities Diane helped us gather before I left - the top three relate to attendance, social events, and recruitment of new members. I'm of the belief that "if we build it, they will come". Maybe that doesn't go far enough. Perhaps "if we build it, and if we ask them, they will come" is more appropriate.

Following President D.K.'s address, President-Elect John Kenny spoke about RI's focus next year, which hasn't changed (thankfully!). He urged clubs to focus on the following issues and called on Ron Denim from the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG) and Rotary In Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) President-Elect David Fowler to elaborate on their importance:

1. Polio Eradication - we gave our word to the world that we would eradicate polio. Our reputation is on the line, and we will not fail in doing this. We have reduced the number of polio-endemic countries from 125 to 4 and we have immunized 2 billion children. It's time to keep pushing and finish the job.
2. Water - PE John suggested that we may all be able to live without oil, but none of us could live without water. Water will be the most important commodity in the 21st century. The 1.2 billion people in the world without access to safe water and the 2.6 billion without access to safe sanitation need our help.
3. Literacy - 800 million people worldwide cannot read or write. You would not be where you are in life today (you certainly wouldn't be reading this!) if you were not literate. Two-thirds of the world's illterate are women and three-quarters live in the developing world. Illiteracy leads to poverty. Poverty leads to hunger, pollution, poor health, political unrest, and terrorism. If Rotarians pledge support to educate people throughout the world, we can have a dramatic positive effect on all these problems.
4. Membership - P.E. John set a simple goal for club presidents - have more members at the end of the year than at the beginning.
5. Vocational Service - P.E. John suggested that this is often the "forgotten" avenue of service. More than ever, the world could benefit from high ethical standards in business and personal life. He urged clubs to find ways to start projects that centered around the four-way test.

That was Monday... and that was a light day. Tuesday and Wednesday were even more jam-packed. I'll talk to you later.

Sunday, June 21

Yeah, I know it's not Sunday, June 21. I've been reduced to using an ancient technique for recording information known as a "notebook". You have to be here and be a techie kind of person to understand my plight. I have only shared, expensive access to a mobile Internet dongle at my B & B that doesn't let me onto nearly 10% of the Internet, including this blog site, because my age can't be verified by my credit card number. At the convention, there are several computer stations in the House of Friendship, each with a 30-minute lineup to use the computers. In the conference's business center, where you pay a pound for 10 minutes of use (by far the most expensive option) there's still a lineup! So, I've just been recording my experiences over the last few days in a notebook and I'll share them now...

Okay, Sunday. This was the conference opening. We started our day early in Birmingham. Since we're staying in Coventry and breakfast started at 7:30 AM, no trains ran early enough to get us there on time. Luckily, Al and Shirley Bergsma were staying at at B & B down the road from us. We shared a cab, and I got a chance to talk to yet another one of our club's Past Presidents about the keys to a successful year and his passions for Rotary.

Breakfast wasn't just any meal. This was the Northern Lights breakfast - specifically for Zone 22/24 Rotarians, from clubs in Canada, part of the US, France (St. Pierre and Miquelon) and eastern Russia. This was a special Northern Lights breakfast, too. This will be the last one. RI's zone configuration is changing next year and next year's breakfast will become the Breakfast Beyond Borders - encompassing many more US and Russian Rotarians.

About 240 people from zone 22/24 were treated to a full English breakfast and greetings from a number of RI's senior leaders including President D.K. Lee, President-Elect John Kenny, and Vice-President Monty Audenart (from Red Deer!). The Alberta connection didn't stop there, either. PDG Elly Contreras, in charge of Marketing and Promotion for the 2010 RI Convention in Montreal, spoke to promote the convention and the upcoming Zone Institute in Edmonton in September. She dragged Governor Ross Tyson and Governor-Elect Terry Drader up on stage with her to help the promotion. DG Ross enticed the Canadians in the room to sing a few bars of "Alberta Bound" to promote the institute. We'll see if that helps or hinders... :)

In the afternoon, Krista and I attended the second seating of the first plenary session - the conference opening. RI Secretary General Ed Futa introduced a speech by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Secretary General Moon had given in person in the first seating. He spoke about the courage Rotarians show in their fight against polio, and took special time to remember the three Rotarians killed last year while immunizing children in Afghanistan. He urged Rotary to continue its important work to eliminate the disease completely. Polio is indemic in only four of the world's countries, now: Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Secretary General Moon assurred us he has been in contact with the political and religious leaders of those nations to help pave the way for complete eradication efforts.

The speech was very compelling, and I was wishing afterwards that we had elbowed our way into the first seating to hear it live. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to see Secretary General Moon take the stage to receive the Polio Plus Champion award presented by RI President D.K. Lee. He reiterated some of his remarks about the unique, strong partnership RI has with the UN and inspired us to work hard to wipe out polio and look forward to new opportunties this global partnership will tackle in the future.

On Sunday evening, we went to Warwick Castle for dinner and a "medieval spectacular". There, Krista and I met Visa and Hannale, a Rotarian couple from Akaa, Finland. Visa is the headmaster of an elementary school and Hannale teaches there, too. Visa has been a Rotarian for ten years and he was just wrapping up his year as club president.

Visa had joined Rotary after receiving a phone call on his second day at work as the school's headmaster. The Rotarian on the phone asked him to come to a meeting. Visa loved it and made up his mind to join immediately. On his third day of work, when the Lions called, Visa declined the offer.

After enjoying dinner and a glass of wine with Visa and Hannale, we toured the castle. Now owned by the Tussauds Group, and filled with was mannequins from the same, Warwick is THE quintessential English castle. When I get a chance, I'll post pictures of the joust and a video of the firing of the trebuchet!

For now, the lineup behind me at this computer is growing. In the interest of being fair to all concerned, I'm going to have to give up my spot. Stay tuned for pics, videos, and what happened on Monday when I post again tonight or tomorrow. Cheers!

Peace and Conflict Studies, Up Close and Personal

On Saturday, by chance, Krista and I found ourselves sitting next to a Rotary World Peace scholar on our train ride back to Coventry. The Nigerian man (I'm afraid I've forgotten his
name already), about my age, had noticed my convention badge and we struck up a conversation. He had completed his first year of studies in the Peace and Conflict Resolution program at Berkley. Yesterday he had been part of a presentation had the World Peace Symposium that preceded the convention.

We began talking about the Berkley program, which I had heard was being discontinued. He said the program was a collection of international studies courses that, although not having been designed specifically for the RI program, were valuable experiences.

As the train neared Coventry, our discussion turned toward his thoughts on the prospects for peace in the world. He strongly advocated intervention in potential conflicts between nations and within them before violence broke out or human rights abuses occurred. The conductor's voice came over the loudspeaker to announce our imminent arrival at Conventry. Some of the passengers stood and began to shuffle toward the ends of the coach and the train slowed. I questioned the scholar about who in the world could best judge when such intervention was necessary, and in what form, diplomatically or militarily.

As he began to answer, a shout erupted from the front of the coach. "My friend, please!" shouted a tall African man at a young Englishman in front of him. "My friend!" he repeated. "Please! Let me pass!" He tried to wedge himself past the shorter man who was standing between him and his companions near the coach's doors.

"Wait!" screamed the shorter man, and shoved the tall African man against the seats
behind him.

"My friend, please!" shouted the African man again, frantically. I could see he was afraid of missing his chance to exit the train. Now he used his hands to push against the seats and force his way past the young Englishman.

The young Englishman tore his earphones out of his ears, and the skin on his shaved head flushed red in anger. "What're you playin' at, you knobhead?" he shouted. "Huh? What're you playin' at?"

The tall African man's nostrils flared and he said vehemently, "My friend! Please! I must pass!" He has passed, I thought. What is he saying? Maybe all the English he words he can muster, I thought.

"You knobhead. I was tellin' you to wait. I'm tryin' to get my kid out of his seat, here!" The Englishman and the African man were locked in an intense stare.

The rest of the coach's passengers sat silently, eyes fixed on the pair. I wasn't sure whether this was the end of the incident or just the beginning. I looked at Krista, and then at the Nigerian scholar across the aisle from me. Both of them had the same look on their faces that I'm sure I did - a look of uncertainty. Should someone step between them? Should I step between them? No, they'll cool it. Or will they?

It did end there. The conductor had called the stop too early, and the train continued rolling along slowly, silently, into Coventry station. The Nigerian across the aisle and I smiled an uneasy smile at each other. We had just witnessed a communication breakdown that very quickly became a confrontation. Something told me these sudden occurrences are something even Berkley doesn't prepare you for.

Convention Pictures

Man, has it been a full few days here. I haven't had time to post daily with all the time spent in sessions and at convention activities. I'll share more of my convention experiences later, but for now, enjoy the pics!

SpireView Guesthouse - a quiet, clean place to stay in Coventry, near the train station and the historic city centre.

Krista and I approaching the registration desk on Saturday. Look at the size of this hall. The National Exhibition Center here has 20 such halls, plus conference suites, plus an atrium with several meeting rooms, PLUS an arena where the plenary sessions are being held that holds around 10,000.

Councillor Michael Wilkes, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, giving opening remarks at the House of Friendship.

Rotary International President, D.K. Lee, giving opening remarks at the House of Friendship.

Krista and I at the entrance to the House of Friendship. This is the 100th RI Convention! I feel very proud to be part of it.

Welcome to Birmingham!

I must tell you that despite my classification in IT consulting and software development (or maybe because of it!), I am very critical of technology fads. I don't just jump on the bandwagon; I have to really understand how a technology will help me before I will use it. I am not a big fan of blogs and social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter. I don't believe my personal life and my random thoughts should be fodder for conversation by my peers, much less strangers, unless I'm part of that conversation, too.

I came to realize last week, though, that I finally have something to share that makes a blog the best medium by which to do so. The Rotary Club of Spruce Grove sent me to Birmingham, so I feel obliged to let you know what I'm doing with my time at the 2009 Rotary International Convention. Many Rotarians tell me that they only really began to appreciate Rotary while they were attending their first international convention. Since I couldn't bring you all along, maybe you'll appreciate what I can share instead.

On June 19, after nine hours of flight, an hour spent in two of London's busiest train/tube stations, and an hour on the train, Krista and I stepped out from the Coventry train station into a splendid, sunny English afternoon. Coventry is a city in England's West Midlands about 10 minutes by train southeast of Birmingham's National Exhibition Center, where the conference is being held.

We're staying at Spireview Guesthouse, a B&B that's a stone's throw from the train station in Coventry and the city's historic center. On Friday afternoon, after getting settled, we walked around the city a bit to get our bearings and then promptly slept off some of the jet lag.

This morning, we took the short train ride to the exhibition center and registered for the conference, picked up our tickets to the hospitality events, and attended the opening of the House of Friendship. The Lord Mayor of Birmingham and RI President D.K. Lee both gave remarks to open the House of Friendship, but the official conference opening isn't until tomorrow.

I don't have much more time to write, as my Internet access is limited here... I'll just for now that it was great to run into some familiar faces - we saw Elly and Ramiro first, then we ran into Dee Louis from Stony Plain later. While touring the House of Friendship, we ran into Al and Shirley Bergsma. Shirley and I had known each other a bit from our days around Parkland School Division's Centre for Education. I hadn't made the connection that she was Al's wife, though. Al had left the club before I joined, so she didn't know I was a Rotarian, either. It turns out they're staying just down the road from us in Coventry at another B & B.

I had a profound Rotary moment today on the train back from the convention center. I can't tell of it now, because I'm going to be disconnected shortly. I'll tell you this: it involves a Rotary World Peace fellow and an altercation on the train... stay tuned for more tomorrow and lots of pics.