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Rotary’s most recent annual international convention was held in Hamburg, Germany in June 2019.  Club President, Whitney Bautista gave an overview of her trip and favorite events.

The annual convention offers a dizzying number of sessions and activities for club members and guests, including several days of pre-convention meetings, formal presentations, and the House of Friendship. 

Three pre-conventions were held in Hamburg, including one for Youth Exchange Officers and another for Rotaractors where participants could exchange ideas and learn how to improve their programs.  A third pre-convention brought together Rotarians, Rotary Peace Fellows, alumni, and Rotary partners to learn about being a force for peace in their respective communities.

One of the main benefits of attending a Rotary convention is the exceptional range of speakers and topics from around the world.  Speakers in Hamburg included Jeffrey Kluger, Editor-at-Large for Time Magazine, Amanda Ottman, former exchange student, Peace Fellow, and current Rotarian, and Lark Doley, 2018-19 International President of Toastmasters International.  In addition to formal presentations, breakout sessions gave participants an opportunity to dig deeper into topics of interest to them.

Whitney’s favorite part of the convention was the House of Friendship where Rotarians come together to exchange ideas and project successes.  The House of Friendship hosts service project booths and vendors in an informal setting.  Whitney was able to connect with some Filipino attendees and discuss possible collaborative projects.  This was especially useful since Whitney has family ties to the Philippines (her husband, Alvin grew up there) and a desire to connect her home club in Tigard, Oregon with a Filipino club.

An overarching theme at the 2019 International Convention was:  Where is Rotary going?  This is a pivotal time in Rotary’s history because the service club is losing members.  It is imperative for the longevity of the organization to find ways to engage and energize a new generation of community and world leaders.  Ms. Bautista has made Club Membership the focus of her year as president.

Whitney Bautista is the current Tigard Rotary Club President and owner of Whitney Green Acupuncture in Tigard.