Make Calgary the first of many conventions
We hear it over and over from members: Everyone needs to experience the Rotary International Convention at least once. (And grab a discount while you’re at it! The last day to register before prices increase for the convention in Calgary is 31 March.)
Convention newbies, from Rotaractors to new club leaders, will reap the reward that results from thousands of members coming together: the feeling that you belong to something bigger than yourself. “You have to feel it. You have to be here in the moment. There’s no other way,” says Nadine Broghammer, of the Rotary E-Club of 2000, her district in Switzerland.
Image credit: Christopher Wong
That feeling turns first-timers into convention regulars. A top takeaway for Broghammer and other new convention attendees last year in Singapore was the deep knowledge they gained about how to make measurable improvements for people in their communities.
Members kindle their fire for service listening to leading experts at general sessions. During the convention in Canada 21-25 June, you’ll learn from Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy who analyzes data on climate change to help leaders and the public understand the effects. She is widely considered one of the most skilled communicators on the topic. One of her recent book titles sums up her optimistic approach: Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.
If you still feel unsure about trying the convention, Paula Santiago encourages every member to give it a shot. “Never in my life have I experienced making about 25 friendships in a span of six days,” says Santiago, president of the Rotary Club of Champaign (West), Illinois, whose first convention was in Singapore. “The Rotary Convention is life-changing.”
This story originally appeared in the March 2025 issue of Rotary magazine.