THE Rotary Club of Garden City, Georgetown, Guyana, was stylishly launched with great fanfare, via Zoom, at a Charter celebration on Monday.
It was a milestone event for Rotary in Guyana, this being the seventh club Chartered in Guyana after more than a decade, a release said.
Over 130 Rotarians, family and friends from around the world witnessed District Governor Lisle Chase virtually hand over the Charter to Charter President, Arron Fraser, Charter members officially announced and the Board of Directors Installed.

The members of the board are Arron Fraser (President); Pearson Burch-Smith (Vice-President); Natasha Backer (President-Elect/Membership Director); Lisa Foster (Secretary); Nafeeza Gaffoor (Treasurer); Elizabeth Cox (Director–Service Projects/Club Trainer); Ronald Burch-Smith (Director–Foundation/Club Administration); Amanda Alli (Director– Public Relations); Mischka White (Director – Youth Development) and Roger Harper (Sergeant- at – Arms).

District Governor Lisle Chase charged the members to uphold the ideals of Rotary and be guided by the principle motto of Rotary International, “Service Above Self”.
Rotary International Director, Stephanie Urchick, in her brief remarks, expressed her excitement with the formation of the Rotary Club of Garden City and congratulated the members on forming a cause-based club.

On September 17, 2020, the club received its Charter from Rotary International with a register of 33 Charter members. The chartering of a Rotary Club is the official permission from Rotary International for a new club to be formed in a country.
Rotary International is a worldwide service organisation whose sole purpose is bringing business and other professionals together to lend their skills to community development and humanitarian service. This is represented in its Motto: ‘Service Above Self’!

It is the first cause-based club to be chartered in Guyana whose major focus will be on supporting the environment, the release said while pointing out that the club will be family-oriented, undertake fulfilling service projects in a fun environment but yet professional that will lend to a Rotary experience with a difference.
The club has already embarked on plans for several service projects that will encourage communities and individuals to adapt eco-friendly life style changes. A few projects are already in the pipeline.

These include the sale of branded reusable multi-purpose canvas bags, to reduce the use of plastics and the distribution of garbage bins to create a clean and healthy environment. The club also plans to distribute mini reusable water bottles to school children as part of the District’s Childhood Obesity Prevention Campaign in order to encourage children to drink more water.
The Rotary Club of Garden City is excited to return Georgetown and Guyana to its glory days, through service and collaboration, one community at a time, the club said in a release.