In 1905, attorney Paul Harris convened the first meeting of a Rotary Club in Chicago, Illinois along with Gustavus Loehr, Silverster Schiele, and Hiram Shorey. His goal was to bring together professionals across various vocations in his new home city and together, they began serving their community. His seemingly simple idea caught on and found its way to San Francisco, Oakland, and Seatle by 1908.
Just seven years later, the National Association of Rotary Clubs had more than 30 clubs throughout North America, including Club 29 in Oklahoma City, and had expanded its reach into Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In 1912, the newly rebranded International Association of Rotary Clubs would continue to see its reach across the world grow with clubs charting throughout continental Europe.
By 1922, clubs had spread to Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South Africa and our organization was officially rebranded Rotary International.
Today, Rotary International boasts more than 35,000 clubs in more than 220 countries around the world and there is no better place to see just how far our reach goes than attending a Rotary International Convention.
This past May, I was honored to again represent Club 29 at the Rotary International Convention in Singapore along with then President-elect Suzanne Mitchell and Susan Adams. Learn more about our adventures and learning below and make your plans now to attend the 2024-2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada this June 2025.
Megan Law
Executive Director
President Suzanne Mitchell
Sam and I arrived in Singapore on a steamy Friday afternoon, May 24 and made sure we’d tossed our chewing gum, just in case. We were greeted by a local Rotarian, who answered all our questions about easiest transport to our hotel. We sped through customs, as Singapore uses Multi-Modal Biometrics at its security checkpoints. This means we pre-enrolled with our iris, facial and fingerprints biometrics, which also allowed for automated clearance during our departure. We ventured to one of the many celebrated restaurants and geared up for our walking tour of the Malay-Muslim quarter called Kampong Glam, Little India, and Chinatown Saturday morning. We enjoyed a variety of tastings and sights, from a cup of foaming “teh tarik” tea, top samplings from various hawker stands including Hawker Chan’s Michelin-starred “Chicken Rice,’ which cost a whopping $4.25.
I ventured to the Rotary Convention site to register for the week at the massive Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre. Having never attended a convention with thousands of others, I didn’t know what to expect. The vast halls were well-marked and efficient, with plenty of Convention volunteers onsite. The fun began on Sunday. The Convention kicked off Olympic style, which each participating country being recognized, more than 200 in all. Our motivational emcees set the stage for the week and left us uplifted and ready to go. The international excitement was palpable. Susan Adams, Megan Law, myself, and several other Rotarians from across the globe ventured to Raffles for the obligatory Singapore Sling, which seemed the perfect way to celebrate the convention’s kickoff.
During the week, President Gordon McInally’s focus on mental health streamed through some of the panels, with the overarching theme of sharing hope with the world. He gave an inspirational speech, and his wife, who is truly gifted, sang some crowd-pleasing opera arias and Broadway tunes.
The selections for breakout session discussions were wide-ranging and engaging. I attended various sessions focusing on membership and engagement strategies, discussions about the future or Rotary and engagement of young leaders and hearing best practices generally. We also gathered with our fellow Large Club leaders and executives from the Rotary Clubs of Birmingham, Nashville, and Atlanta and had the opportunity to meet with past and present presidents of Rotary International, Trustees of The Rotary Foundation, and directors leading our Zones on the Board of Rotary International.
Wednesday featured the President-elect Leadership Luncheon, where I met several past and future Club Presidents. RI President-elect Stephanie Urchick participated in a fascinating fireside chat type interview, where her dedication to Rotary and her leadership skills shone.
The high level of organization and execution for such an event impressed me and most attendees. I asked several who are regulars, and Singapore 2024 got high marks. The advanced and seamless public transportation (spotless, as no drinks or food may be consumed, and durians are prohibited!), fabulous cuisine, and the fascinating sites certainly added to the enjoyment (less so the humidity!). I thank the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City for this inspirational and unforgettable opportunity.
Susan Adams
Why not Singapore?
It has been on my bucket list to attend a Rotary International Convention and Singapore sounded like a fun city. It would be my first visit to Southeast Asia. So, I took the plunge and told Megan I’m in!
Singapore is a welcoming, modern city of blended Asian and European cultures with beautiful outdoor spaces and amazing food. Kaya toast with coconut jam for breakfast. Chili crab, bbq stingray and cereal prawns at Newton Centre. Not to mention Singapore Slings with the Nashville Club at the historic Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel where the Singapore Sling was first mixed in 1915.
The daily general sessions imbued a profound sense of the collective impact of Rotarians and Rotary projects around the world. Projects for a sustainable, healthy or peaceful world.
Add to this the experience of being immersed in a very large, diverse group of individuals who embody the 4-way test to build goodwill and better friendships. Despite language barriers, we met Rotarians from around the world and learned their stories. It was a delight to share these adventures and deepen my friendship with Megan, Marty, Suzanne and Sam.
If you’ve not attended a Rotary International Convention, I highly recommend it at least once in your Rotary life.
See you in Calgary!
