|
Last Updated: Dec 29, 2011 - 2:18:31 AM |
New board with District Governor. Left to Right:
Clifford Bowe - Vocational Service Director;
Christine Van der Linde -International Service Director;
Phil Gaitor - President elect;
Todd Dayton - District Governor;
Cassietta McIntosh - President;
Lisbeth Knowles - Club Service Director;
Della Bridgewater - Community Service Director;
Billy Jane Ferguson - Secretary
|
The Freeport News - The Rotary Club of Lucaya installed its new board of officers on Saturday night during a banquet at the Pelican Bay Hotel.
Attorney Cassietta McIntosh will serve as the Club's president for the next year, taking the reins from past president Deborah Delancey, and will be assisted in her duties by the President Elect Philip Gaitor, Secretary Billy Jane Ferguson, Club Service Director Lisbeth Knowles, Community Service Director Della Bridgewater, International Service Director Christine Van Der Linde and Vocational Service Director Clifford Bowe.
Todd Dayton, the Governor of the Rotary District 6990, of which the club is a part, was in attendance and conducted the installation.
During her address, McIntosh noted that there is much to be done within the community and said she is looking forward to an exceptional year for the club.
Besides continuing the work the organization has been doing over the years, such as providing mentorship and social activities to students at the Beacon School and partnering with the Presbyterian Kirk to feed the students at a vacation Bible school in Lewis Yard, McIntosh said she is looking forward to introducing some new projects.
"My mandate for this year includes a community-wide project that involves the entire island of Grand Bahama.
The Rotary Club of Lucaya will, in the coming months, approach you the public to assist us by contributing your time and service to our community service challenge.
Persons will be asked to volunteer their services at various organizations and in doing so, their efforts will be counted towards the target goal of 50,000 community service hours in six months," she said.
The initiative will allow everyone to enjoy the benefits of giving back to their communities, she added.
"The same challenge will be made to the youth in the community and will take the form of a competition between the schools and youth organizations and the winners of this challenge will be handsomely rewarded for their efforts.
Perfect attendance for 2010-2011 Left to right: Steve Dillet, Della Bridgewater, Gayla McPhee, Deborah Delancy, Cassietta McIntosh, Billy Jane ferguson, Christine Van der Linde, Lisbeth Knowles
|
"I encourage all of you, your families and friends, to participate, not for the prize money, but to assist us in achieving the greater goal of helping our neighbors in need, impacting lives and transforming our community."
McIntosh told The Free-port News she intends to take the club's efforts to another level during her tenure, and raise awareness about the Rotary organization with a major public relations blitz.
"We have to get Rotary's name out there and to get what we do out there so that people know and can support what we do," she said.
Increasing the club's membership is also important to her, she shared.
"I believe the more heads, the better. There are a lot of issues we need to deal with in Grand Bahama, so the more brain power that we can come up with, the more hands we can get to carry out these community service projects, the better for everyone involved," she said.
"Rotary International is well aware of the challenges that exist with attracting and retaining members, and we are diligently trying to address those matters."
She noted that the junior organizations - the Interact Club which is open to high schoolers and the Rotaract Club for young adults - help to foster an understanding of the principles and aims of the Rotary organization and build a recruitment base.
"By covering all facets we believe that we will be able to have a continuation of Rotarians throughout the years to come."
McIntosh pledged that her club will be working more closely with the other three existing Rotary Clubs on the island - Freeport, Sunrise and Sunset - throughout the next year.
"That is one of my major mandates in this upcoming year, to join the clubs together, and to work as one big family as well as to have a greater impact in the community.
"I have spoken to the three other presidents as regards to this mandate and they are all on-board as well, so I anticipate having a more unified approach to dealing with issues in the community.
"Each Rotary club has different organizations that they deal with where the donations go to that particular project but certainly with the greater issues that exist in Grand Bahama we will be trying to work more closely together," she said.
SOURCE
Rotarian of the Year Carol Rolle, Deborah Delancy presenting
|
© Copyright 2011 by thebahamasweekly.com
Top of Page
|
