AFTER visiting Redlands as an exchange student with Cleveland Rotary in 1989, Luis Canierio has returned with his wife and children.
Mr Canierio, from Brazil, attended Cleveland Rotary club’s 55th anniversary celebrations.
A question and answer panel at the club’s birthday function saw Rotary members talk about the past, present and future of Rotary.
President Shirley Mahon said one of the major achievements of the club was starting the Redland Museum.
“We have also done a lot of work with youth in the area,” she said.
The club gives six scholarships every year to high school students.
Other projects include hosting and sponsoring exchange students, helping students attend a National Youth Science Forum in Canberra, providing special equipment for the Lamb Ward at Redland Hospital and arranging for high school students to provide cricket clinics at the Redland District Special School.
This year the club is hosting an exchange student from Switzerland Marieke Lindblom, who also attended the event, together with Redland City mayor Karen Williams, herself a former exchange student.
Ms Mahon said a challenge for Rotary clubs was to find different ways to promote the organisation and increase membership.
“We have to be flexible and cater for changing demographics and changing lifestyles,” she said.
Ms Mahon said she got far more benefits from Rotary than she was able to give.
She said it was an honour to be involved in some of the organisation’s projects including Rotary’s work to end polio and the School of St Jude in Tanzania.
Cleveland Rotary had been a sponsor of the school since the concept was presented at a Rotary District Conference in 2000.
“The longer I am in Rotary the more I learn about the organisation and the more I benefit,” she said.
- More information about Cleveland Rotary: clevelandrotary.org.au
