Rotaract Uruguay Bi-district Conference

“It’s white and sweet and you put it in the fire.” Ana and Nicolas’ blank looks confirmed that either I was terrible at charades or that they didn’t have marshmallows in Uruguay. We were huddled around the large stone fireplace of the Atlantida Country club, taking advantage of a break in the presentations ceremony at the gala dinner of the 6^th annual bidistrict Rotaract Uruguay Conference to warm up by the fire. It was a special event. Rotaract clubs from all over Uruguay had traveled hours to take part in the two-day conference and celebrate a year of community service and leadership development.

Rotaract is a special organization. Founded in 1968 as a youth program of Rotary International, Rotaract clubs help young people from ages 18 to 30 develop as leaders in their communities through service and trainings. Clubs meet weekly, host speakers, sponsor fundraising events, and face the challenges of running a successful organization. Rotaract has had its success; from the 1968 charter club in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rotaract has grown to 7,500 clubs in 156 countries, totaling 173,000 members worldwide.

The bi-district conference got underway Saturday afternoon in the large hall of the Atlantida Country Club with speeches from representatives of Uruguay’s three main political parties, including former Uruguayan Vice President Luis Hierro López. Speakers addressed an issue all civic organizations are facing today: how to recruit members without compromising the values and identity of the organization. Other plenary sessions were lead by Rotaractors, that is, members of Rotaract, and challenged participants to contemplate Rotaract as an institution and live Rotaract ideals on a daily basis.

But the real event was yet to come. That evening, the conference gala dinner kicked off with a 007 theme. With creative skits and periodic guest appearances from a Mr. Bean variation of James Bond, emcees presented clubs and individuals a variety of awards for service and achievement. The presentation culminated as the two district representatives passed their torches on to next years leaders. Emotional photo slideshows captured their hard work and the memories of friendship and personal growth during a year of Rotaract.

Having spent the better part of the night dancing to cumbia under the disco ball and rolling out of bed early for the final sessions, by Sunday afternoon conference participants were exhausted. But it was exhaustion accompanied by a sense of fulfillment. Like every good conference, the 150 Rotaract Uruguay attendees left not only proud of the year’s accomplishments but also rejuvenated to tackle the upcoming challenges of 2007-2008.

To view more conference photos, click here.

To read an interview with Andrea Sotelo, conference presenter and founding member of Rotaract Club of Itauzaingo, Argentina, click here.