108th Rotary International Convention

Carl and Andi Kosnar

 

 

Carl and Andi Kosnar, Solana Beach ECO Rotary Club officers attended the 108th Rotary International Convention at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. They joined other members from Rotary District 5340.

 

The Kosnars said, “Meeting new friends from around the world was one of the most exciting aspects of being in Atlanta. There were Rotarians attending from over 100 countries.” 

The opening ceremony featured welcome remarks by RI President John F. Germ and Barry Matheson, chair of the Convention Committee, and the Honorable Nathan Deal, governor of the state of Georgia. It also included fantastic entertainment and Rotary's parade of flags. The ceremony was presented in English, but simultaneous interpretation was provided in seven other languages.

 

Bill Gates was the keynote speaker. He discussed the partnership between Rotary International and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to eradicate polio.  Their foundation matches the Rotary funds two to one and the number of cases in the world  is now down to five.   If there are no new cases in three years, polio will have been eradicated, an amazing feat.