Outgoing President Peter W B Williams delivered the welcome address at our 59th Installation of Officers held on a virtual platform.
He welcomed all Rotarians, Partners in Service; Honorary Rotarians and our Distinguished Guests including our featured speaker Past RI Director Brad Howard; Dr. Anton Best, Ag. Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Corey Forde National Coordinator of Isolation Facilities for COVID.
He noted “the 2019–20 Year has been thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding, even if at times exhausting. Thanks to our Directors, Committee Chairs and all Rotarians, we have achieved many of our goals. We also basked in the success of the Rotaract Club of Barbados who received the top award from Rotary International. Well done President Kareem. Without doubt, it has been a year full of challenges and surprises.”
Peter went on to say “In order to make a difference, our Club needs people of action, people who can bring new ideas and energy and add to the Club’s diversity, and importantly, people who live up to the high ideals of Rotary. In this regard, we attracted 12 new members this year, who are already hard at work for Rotary.”
He outlined that “Collectively, we made a difference in our community. We partnered with the Blood Center to encourage Barbadians to become blood donors, gave several pints ourselves, and raised over $30,000 to purchase much needed equipment. Under the same theme of giving life, we joined with Dr. Margaret O’Shea, transplant surgeon, and Dr. Nerissa Jurawan, nephrologist, to raise awareness of the hospital’s kidney transplant programme. We also supported the fight against diabetes through donations to the Diabetes Association and the Diabetes Foundation. He thanked our Public Image team for ensuring all these projects generated much public interest and multiple articles in the press.
Our Club made a difference in our region and this was outline by the outgoing President “following the devastation to the Bahamas by Hurricane Dorian, the Barbados clubs donated US$30,000 to assist in hurricane relief. And we made a difference in our world. Our members donated over US$10,000 to the Rotary Foundation to support the work of Rotary International and we joined with our fellow Rotarians from The Rotary Clubs of Barbados South and West to participate in Rotary International’s End Polio Now campaign”.
He echoed that “We were in full stride when Barbados, like the rest of the World, faced a new reality as COVID reached our shores. In this time of adversity Rotary made a difference. We partnered with Rotary South to supply face masks to keep government front line employees safe. We provided primary school students with tablets that allowed them to continue their classes from home. We made a difference to thousands of Barbadian families by packing and delivering over half a million dollars’ worth of food hampers to the Salvation Army for distribution to those persons who had lost their jobs.” President Peter extended special thanks to Monique Archer, who reached out to our Club to partner on this initiative and chaired our weekly meetings.
President Peter continued and remarked “Rotary is about service, but it is also about fellowship. The year did not pass without some fun and fellowship; …. Thankfully, our fellowship was sustained through the lockdown via our lively Zoom meetings, with guests from around the globe and top-class presenters, including now RI President, Holger Knaack”.
The outgoing President concluded by announcing that he had just received notification that the Rotary Club of Barbados has qualified for the 2019-20 Rotary Citation with Platinum Distinction. He congratulated and thanked all Directors, who without exception, have done outstanding work and to every Rotarian, our Partners-in-Service and his own partner, Jennifer, for making this achievement possible.
He ended by saying “we have journeyed to today’s creative and impactful virtual Installation. It is clear that our new Rotary Year is off to a great start and I look forward to a stellar 2020-21 under the able leadership of President Fiona”