Rotary Club of Kingston celebrates 50 years

Saturday, November 07, 2009 4:22 PM

News

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

GOVERNOR General Sir Patrick Allen has declared June 14-21 'Rotary Week' in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Kingston being celebrated this week.

Father Burchell McPherson (right), pastor of the Sts Peter & Paul Roman Catholic Church, with (from left) Errol Alberga, district governor designate, Rotary Club; Reverend Canon Weeville Gordon, deputy governor general; Rotarian Marcia Francis, and Chris Issa, president, Rotary Club of Kingston, which is this week celebrating its 50th anniversary of service to Jamaica.

The proclamation was read at a service Sunday at the Sts Peter & Paul Roman Catholic Church in Kingston by the Deputy Governor General and Custos of Kingston, Reverend Canon Weeville Gordon.

Reverend Gordon told parishioners that "Rotary is a consistent example of the importance of service above self" and praised the clubs for "their community outreach which has benefited communities across Jamaica."

He said that all Jamaica should celebrate with Rotary which has "demonstrated a capacity to help those in need and has worked with businesses and others in communities to make dreams come true, to build confidence in youth and strengthen their impetus to become future leaders of Jamaica".

In a message read at the church service, Rotary International District Governor Designate Errol Alberga said that Rotarians in Jamaica were "committed to building on the successes of the past as we continue to innovate, chart a new course and frame the best possible Jamaica for all of us".

A number of other activities are planned for Rotary Week, including a courtesy call on the Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie.

Thursday, hundreds of Rotarians will converge on the Jamaica Pegasus to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
The luncheon celebration marks the launch in 1959 of the Rotary Club of Kingston at the Myrtle Bank Hotel on the Kingston waterfront by the Rotary Club of Toronto, Canada, and the contributions of the 23 local clubs with over 1,000 members to Jamaica's civic well-being.

The 50th anniversary luncheon will be addressed by Jamaican-born Dr Sylvia V Whitlock, the woman credited with "breaking the glass ceiling" when she became the first female Rotary president in the world in 1987.

Dr Whitlock presided from 1987-1988 over the Rotary Club of Duarte, California, which had its charter revoked by Rotary International in 1978 for admitting three women into membership. The Club continued to operate as "the ex-Rotary Club of Duarte" until the Supreme Court of the United States ordered its reinstatement in May 1987.

Dr. Whitlock, who holds a Doctorate in Education from the Claremont Graduate University, California, USA, and is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist, still serves the Duarte Club as Secretary and she and Mary Lou Elliott, one of the original pioneering female members, are a critical part of the spirit of "The Mouse That Roared - the Rotary Club of Duarte".

Significantly, the Rotary Club of Kingston was the first in Jamaica to admit women as members in 2004. Kingston acted as sponsoring club for Montego Bay in 1961, Mandeville in 1963, St Andrew in 1966 and Ocho Rios, Spanish Town and downtown Kingston in 1968, 1981 and 1982, respectively.

Clubs sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kingston have also sponsored clubs in Savanna La Mar, Port Antonio, Christiana, Black River, Lucea, Santa Cruz, May Pen, New Kingston, Montego East and Portmore, St Andrew North, New Kingston, Trafalgar.

The Rotary Club of Kingston is the largest club on the island with 110 members.

If you were to grade Derick Latibeaudiere's performance over his 13 years as Bank of Jamaica governor, what grade would he get?
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