A Report on the Rotary Convention in Toronto
Keith introduced himself as an aviator through and through. Heather, he suggested, thought she was marrying a farmer but he feels that aviation and being a Rotarian are intertwined.With respect to his aviation career, Keith noted some key moments that were special to him.
In the 70’s the helicopter industry was having its challenges with many accidents at that time and he felt he did his bit at this challenging time to reduce this.
He also remembers his involvement in the Sky Ferry accident which included a Court of Inquiry as an expert witness. This went for 7 weeks and was a very challenging task.
Keith was also actively involved in assisting the local coroner with respect to the fog accident as he knew the pilot involved plus was often used as an expert witness when called upon to do so.
One of his passions was flying the DC3 both here and in Australia which which he referred to as “What a plane!”
Keith began his involvement in Rotary in England and has been a Rotarian for 42 years. Over this time he has been very appreciative of the great support he has had from Heather and the family.
One of the experiences he has really enjoyed has been Fellowship opportunities which he expands on later.
Heather took the floor next with her impressions of the Conference.
“I did marry a farmer but being part of the aviation and cricket Fellowships gave us both a great experience with the train tripping across Canada being a particular highlight.”
With respect to the huge Conference Centre, Heather commented on the large number of Fellowships present plus the variety of stands that were both exhibiting and selling products & activities that Rotarians throughout the world were actively involved in.
She also observed the passionate approach that Rotarians felt about their various activities and the high quality of the speakers and, in particular, the talented 1st Nations speaker who was also an inspiring advocate for World peace.
With respect to attendees, some of the more well-known included Princess Anne and Laura Bush who was excellent and very aware of the efforts and effectiveness of Rotarians world-wide in making a difference.
Heather shared that it was a privilege to be alongside Keith in especially the key Fellowship activities and aviation in particular.
She was also appreciative of the opportunities that Facebook provides in keeping in touch with the wonderful people she met through the various Fellowships they were involved with.
Keith returned to the stand and shared that there were over 80 Fellowships present at the event and highly recommended that we should consider joining one as they all supported a significant variety of causes.
He commented favourably with respect the cricket one in particular as it was totally focussed on having fun with no prizes or trophies involved.
In closing, Keith and Heather felt that attendance at a World Conference was a stimulating experience and demonstrates how extensive and significant Rotary is in making a real difference world-wide by getting people together to solve challenging problems.
Their final message was: “Go to a World Conference!”
Thanks, Keith and Heather, for your great insight into this valuable experience.