Peacebuilder. Changemaker.
Portland Pearl Rotary Club was championed as both during the annual District 5100 conference May 18-20 in Newberg.
President Lou Radja represented his fellow Rotarians at two award announcements. Pearl Rotary was one of ten district clubs (there are over 70 in 5100) which were named charter Peacebuilders. The February Peace in Education seminar held at Portland State University was a prime effort of the club. (“Building Peace Through Rotary” was the conference theme.)
Also on stage as one of the ten Peacebuilders was Portland Rotaract Club, sponsored by PPRC. President Kari Anne McDonald (standing next to Lou Radja in photo) accepted the award from District Governor Mike Caruso. The Rotaractors at PSU were co-sponsors of the peace symposium.
Radja was back in the limelight when the 5100 Changemaker awards were announced. PPRC was one of 19 clubs that qualified. (Picture shows Lou displaying the certificate at the May 22 regular club meeting.)
Pearl Rotary was also active in other areas at the conference: David Bangsund, chair of the Group Study Exchange program, manned a booth to present information on the May 2013 trip to Croatia (pictured). And on the youth exchange front, Elisabeth Gruner (inbound from Germany, pictured) sang “Hero” during the Friday night talent show; Tian Mai Bishop, PRRC’s outbound to Italy, was introduced; and Lauren Hall, outbound to Finland a year ago, participated as a y.e. alumnus.
The theme of Rotary’s role in peace-making continues June 22-24, at a District 5100 conference in Portland (register at www.rotaryd5100.org). The 2013 conference, Peace Through Service, is scheduled May 17-19 in Portland.
