Saipan Rotary attends conference for increasing membership

Rotary Club of Saipan attends a workshop that focuses on increasing membership in the district. President-elect Richard Cody and other members of the Pacific Basin Group of the Tokyo District enjoy a moment of laughter. (Contributed Photo)

Three members of the Rotary Club of Saipan attended the Rotary International District Conference in Tokyo, Japan, from Feb. 27 to 28 to learn new strategies on increasing membership in the district.
President-elect Richard Cody, director Marcia Ayuyu, and community service director Reina Camacho were one of nine Rotary Club groups under District 2750 that took part in the conference. The district is part of the Pacific Basin Group that includes Guam, Palau, Chuuk, and Pohnpei. A total of about 800 attended the conference.

The Rotary Club of Saipan also recently chartered its first Rotaract, a unique international district organization for people aged 18 to 30 years.

According to Camacho, district governor Isako Funaki “is pleased and mightily impressed we were able to forge a new organization.”

Funaki’s goal is to focus on Interact, Rotaract, and increasing membership across the District. The conference was also based on a meeting with Rotary Club of Tokyo Atago.

Camacho said they were able to have fellowship with members of newly chartered clubs and have agreed to become sister clubs with them and partner up for the Rota Smile Project.

One of the highlights of the conference was the national anthems of all Rotary Clubs sung in native languages by the Rotary Fellowship Choir Group conducted by Hiroshi Sakamoto.

“The Guam hymn and CNMI anthem were sung in Chamorro, the Palau anthem in Palauan, etc. by a Japanese choir. Their choir was superb to begin with but I was awed to hear it at the District conference,” said Camacho.

Rota Smiles Project

The club recently took the lead in reviving a dental clinic on Rota and is now in partnership with the Rotary Club of Tokyo Atago for the project.

The island currently has no dentist or dental clinic. Residents have to travel to nearby islands such as Saipan or Guam to receive basic dental care at considerable costs.

The purpose of the Rota Smiles Project is to provide dental services for the people of Rota at the Rota Health Center in Songsong Village. The project will focus on building renovation and purchasing dental equipment and furnishings, estimated at $50,000.

Other potential partners include the Office of the Governor, Office of the Mayor of Rota, Department of Public Works on Rota, Commonwealth Health Corp., and the Rota Legislative Delegation.

The Rotary Club of Saipan will be overseeing the completion of the building’s renovation and provide dental equipment and furnishings. The support of other Rotary Clubs will be needed to see this project to completion.

Planning and renovation will take place this year along with grant funding and the club fundraising. Procurement of equipment and supplies will possibly be next year or by 2016.