|
Rotary Curaçao has been host to five District Conferences, in 1941, 1960, 1973, 1982 and 1992 and at least one District Assembly. It has been honored five times by visits of a President of Rotary International. It has produced two District Governors Sha Capriles in 1944 and Rene Moreno in 1965. Rene Moreno thereafter served Rotary International on various occasions as a special Representative of the President of Rotary International.
The Rotary Club of Curaçao did not waste anytime in spreading the message of what it means to be a Rotarian to our neighbors. Slightly over a year after its establishment the Rotary Club of Curaçao sponsored the formation of the Rotary Club Aruba, chartered December 10th, 1938. Then in 1953 it sponsored the Club of Paramaribo in Surinam and in 1982 the Rotary Club of Curaçao sponsored the creation of the Rotary Club of Bonaire.
The Club has always been an active contributor to the Rotary Foundation and it is at present a substantial contributor, thirty-five of our members are 'Paul Harris-fellows'. We have been fortunate enough to obtain three Rotary Foundation scholarships for candidates presented by our club.
Considering Curaçao is an important tourist and business destination there is virtually never a meeting without fellow Rotarians from all parts of the world in attendance, often representing a sizable percentage of total attendance.
Those wishing to exchange club banners are presented with our unique, locally hand-crafted, goat skin banner produced by the Foundation for the Promotion of Handicraft, one of the many worthy enterprises sponsored by the Club.
In professional service Rotary Club Curacao has been consistently active in giving vocational information to graduating high school classes. Club members representing various professions hold talks with students setting forth details about each alternative and counseling them on how to follow higher studies in their chosen fields.
Many club members take active part, often as chairman, in local business and professional organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Association for Trade and Industry, the Curacao Medical Association, the association of Pharmacists, the Bar Association, the association of Certified Public Accountants, the association of Insurance Brokers, the Royal Society of Engineers, etc.
Community Service is the Avenue in which the Club has been most active. In 1938 our very first project was to help bring back to Curaçao local laborers that were stranded in Cuba after the collapse of the sugar-cane boom. During World War 11 the Club spearheaded a drive to acquire a Red Cross lifeboat, helped establish the "Prins Bernhard"- Foundation, founded the Curaçao chapter of the Fellowship of the Bellows, and pushed for the creation of a direct telephone connection with New York.
The Club has also taken the initiative in establishing and contributing to the following:
Donation and technical support for the creation of a recreational center for physical handicapped
Uniek Curaçao: promotion of positive values
Lecture cycle 'Lina Tecla' on the elderly
Contribution for publication 'Korsou Musical Book'
The Foundation for Planned Parenthood
Telethon for Bljlmermeer airplane disaster victims
Association of Diabetic Patients
A Drug Abuse Prevention Committee
Yearly Artistic Award
Beach Cleaning Curaçao
Children play park at the zoo
Baby pavilion 'Casa Cuna Villa Maria'
Donation for the Foundation 'Kas di Hendikep' for adoption of houses of physical handicapped
Red Cross
Green and Clean Caracasbaai
A clubhouse for Pedro Luis Brion youth group
Curaçao Heart Foundation
Kidney Foundation
Towngate in historic Punda, World Heritage site
Association for persons with aphasia
Huize St. Jozef for youth care and training
Innerwheel food program Seru Fortuna School
Tour bus project for schoolchildren (biweekly) past 25 years over 1000 children per year more than 500 busses
New bus old age home 'Dr. Hugenholz'
Foundation for Animal Protection
Hurricane 'Luis' restoration project
Rotary Curaçao has of course always been involved in numerous actions to support civic institutions such as a crippled
children's home, Boy Scout groups, senior citizens homes and to succor victims of natural disasters, both here and in countries around us. Our Youth Committee organizes and runs sports matches between the various high schools and maintains an on-going program of guided bus tours of the island for young children.
International Service comes naturally to our club because almost all its members are in one way or another involved in tourism, international business, shipping or finance. Intrinsically our Rotarians help improve international relations, promote the island to the world outside, host visiting foreigners, and maintain close and friendly contact with official representatives of foreign nations.
On occasion several members of our club organize projects to bring our island and our Club closer together with other nations and other Clubs throughout the world.
Please note that the Rotary Club of Curaçao has been involved in numerous activities, more than just the ones listed here. For a complete listing of all Club projects and services please contact us and we will do our best to provide you with all of the necessary information.
Last modified: September 11, 2002
On this home page, we'll introduce our club and give some examples of the types of activities we're involved in. You might have heard of Rotary our site is about all what started almost 100 years ago.
Be sure to get in touch to offer comments and join our mailing list.
|
