A Rotary Moment: Traveling ‘down under’ for the Rotary International Conference

Jan 24, 2024

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Rotary Club of Conroe's Kris Nordstrom McBride traveled to Melbourne, Australia for the Rotary International Conference taking place this week.

Rotary Club of Conroe's Kris Nordstrom McBride traveled to Melbourne, Australia for the Rotary International Conference taking place this week.

Happy Memorial Day everyone. What a special holiday weekend this is as we honor those who have served our country. As the beautiful adage goes... "Home of the free because of the brave." From our family of Rotary to your family, we hope you are spending this holiday with those you love and cherish as we honor those who have made that possible.

As I type this column on Tuesday, May 23, I am just an hour away from boarding a plane to the land down under, the Land of Oz - Australia! I am going to The Rotary International Conference in Melbourne. Only a few hours ago, I was still not sure the trip would happen; the universe has thrown lots of obstacles in my pathway; but now, it's actually happening and I can hardly believe it! I have the pleasure of being the guest of Past District Governor Becky Mason for this trip. As you may remember, Becky's husband, our beloved PDG Chuck Mason, passed away in January of this year. Chuck had planned this trip for the two of them, where they will receive a very special honor from Rotary International. The Mason family felt Becky should be there to receive this in person and in memory of Chuck. I am honored that Becky asked me to be her "Plus 1" and share this with her. I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Meanwhile, back at the lake, the Rotary Club of Lake Conroe has had a productive and exciting few weeks. The beginning of May the club awarded their annual scholarships to students attending junior colleges. Those recipients are: Autumn Renee Walker from Montgomery High, who will attend Lone Star College and Flight School; Dillon Harper from Covenant Christian High, who will attend Blinn College for chiropractic training; and Lexie Howell of Lake Creek High, who will attend Lone Star College for Veterinarian Technician Certificate. We send our congratulations to these worthy students!

Later in the month, Sonia Harper was the guest speaker at the club meeting. Sonia was a RYLA Student sponsored by RCLC during her Junior year at Willis High School, and spoke about her Girl Scout Gold Aware Project, "Loads of Care." While looking for an appropriate project, Sonia found that 20 percent of students across the US do not have easy access to a washer and dryer. "Clean clothes can make a huge difference in a student's confidence and their success at school" she told the group. "In fact, the lack of clean clothes is one of the most common causes of chronic absenteeism in our schools."

Local businessman Sam Prasla, owner of Xpress Washateria in Willis, partnered with Sonia to provide free laundry services for students identified through their school counselors as in need. Other local businesses donated laundry supplies. To offset the wear and tear on Sam's machines, Sonia's team of volunteers will help with maintenance and cleaning of the equipment. Her survey of the parents and students provided the positive results she hoped to have - students have learned new life skills, improved their grades and their general happiness. As an added bonus, donations of supplies exceeded the needs, so those were donated to The Willis ISD Wildkat Resource Center for distribution to other families in need.

Sonia has certainly hit the mark on this - what an amazing project! Congrats Sonia.

To learn more about Rotary contact Kris via email at [email protected] or text 713 825-0141. Also see the website and facebook pages of any of our local clubs, or the Rotary District 5910 website at www.rotary5910.org .