We are a club with dedicated people with a passion for community service. We volunteer together, build friendships and a better life were required.
Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group of professionals who share your drive to give back.
Our club welcomes potential members to participate in our meetings and volunteer with us when we do community services. A brilliant way to get to know each other and the Rotary world.
We are now one month into the new Rotary year, and what a month it has been! I am amazed at how everyone has come together and supported each other. We have used July as an educational and planning month, using our weekly meetings to ensure that this year's Goals and the three-year Strategic plan represent our club, by focusing on the three islands' individual needs, club values, and growth, but keeping its integrity by finding new members who believe in being people of action.
I also want to thank everyone who helped write RUG's Annual Report for 2024-2025, and share with you all the message we received from DG Diana:" Thank you for this spectacular report, which portrays even more spectacular service from your club! Congratulations on your leadership, and congratulations to all members of the club for their dedicated service! You most certainly exemplify this year's theme: Unite for Good! Hope to see you soon! Diana "
It is essential to consider that, had it not been for everyone's commitment and dedication to the club, we would not have had much to write about in our report.
I am proud to announce that we now have our first Interact Club, The Interact Club of Bay Islands International School - Sandy Bay, which has thirty-six members. The school has been a member of our End Plastic Soup Crew and has participated in the Global End Plastic Soup Action Day for two years running. We are in the process of establishing Interact Clubs on both Utila and Guanaja, as well as Puerto Lempira, and if everything goes according to plan, they will be chartered this year.
As you know, we had our District Governors visit, during which we were able to let DG Diana Brown and AG Jonathan Zelaya participate in a couple of projects that day. We visited the Central Education Pre-Basic, Rafael Pineda Ponce, in Juticalpa as part of our Operation Abacus, sponsored by the Five Island Sisters. And organise an Activity day for adults with disabilities, where we all helped produce bracelets and Hummingbird perches for sale. During the DG visit, we also welcomed one of our newest members to our club. As a non-traditional club, we chose to have lunch at home. That was also where we had the meeting part of our day, where DG Diana spoke about the importance of being happy in Rotary, and we introduced her to our concept of being a Rotary Family, both of which go hand in hand. It brings me to the fact that so far this year, we have three new members, and several more who are interested in joining the RUG Club, actively working for the betterment of the Bay Islands.
As we grow our club slowly, we continue to do great things, working with other organisations and Rotary Clubs on projects on all three islands. As an example, the Layette project on Guanaja is currently distributing layettes to new or soon-to-be mothers. A great thanks goes to The Rotary Club of Beaumont, TX., for including us in this project. There will soon be a separate article about this project.
This year, we will try to get to know each member a little better, as we continue with our "Meet the RUG Club members." The first one out is Mack. Use the link to get directly to the article. https://portal.clubrunner.ca/17816/Stories/the-proud-islander
I want to end this message by saying thank you to everyone in the club who has stepped up and is now a part of the RUG board. We will continue to work on educating ourselves in and about Rotary, working to get the Eagle of knowledge. Together, we will ensure that we have a year where we will be able to continue to accomplish new projects, working for the population of The Bay Islands.
.
Yours In Rotary Service
Angela Claire Bjoroy-Karlsen
Charter President 2023-26.
By Roger Bjoroy-Karlsen, PI Chair, RUG
Poverty and pollution hinder people's access to clean drinking water—those who consume water from the well face stomach issues, parasites, dysentery, and E. coli infections. Tragically, babies have died from dysentery after drinking water from the creeks, and dengue fever, due to unsatisfactory storage of the water. Additionally, the residents cannot afford the electricity needed to pump water from the well, or if they choose to pay for well water, they might not have the funds to get clean drinking water.
By Roger Bjoroy-Karlsen, Public Image Chair, RUG
"Layettes" Excuse me? Layettes!
Far from everyone is familiar with the term, even though it has been used since 1839. A layette is an assembly of clothing and accessories for a newborn child, typically including diapers, blankets, and baby clothes. It's a rescue bag for mothers who have just had a baby or are about to have one, especially those who are financially disadvantaged. Meet a Rotary Club that makes this possible!
MEET THE RUG CLUB MEMBERS
By Roger Bjoroy-Karlsen
He is from the island of Guanaja, which Columbus visited on his fourth trip in 1502, and is a proud islander with many ideas to improve life for local communities. He is also a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Roatan Utila Guanaja (RUG) and hopes that Rotary can facilitate many of the projects. For the year 2025–2026, he is part of the board and responsible for the Service and Environmental Projects. Meet the inspirator from the second largest island in the Bay Islands!
By Roger Bjoroy-Karlsen
Imagine you are a child in kindergarten, struggling to learn, and one day, some adult strangers show up and hand you a simple tool so you can continue your journey to discover the miracles of the world.
Written and edited by:
Roger Bjoroy-Karlsen
Research and sources by:
Angela Claire Bjoroy-Karlsen
Collaboration between clubs, organizations, and volunteers creates magic where needed. Join the diversed team on a journey to spread joy to the children on a Caribbean island. Shoulder to shoulder, every participant with a genuine desire to help, to support the ones that will inherit the world!
By Roger Bjoroy-Karlsen
The children are inheriting the world. And some of them refuse to inherit a polluted planet. Join us as we visit a team of volunteers, including children as young as kindergarten age, taking responsibility for the environment on the Mosquitia coast!
By Roger Bjoroy-Karlsen
Many children in Roatan are introduced to Coca-Cola as babies, and some don't visit a dentist until they are 15 years old, enduring years without proper dental care. The Rotary Club of Roatan Utila Guanaja is on a mission to change that by educating children and their parents about dental hygiene.
MEET THE CLUB - ROGER BJOROY-KARLSEN, PUBLIC IMAGE CHAIR
The road from the wars to the white shores of Roatan has been long and winding. But here he is, trying to use his knowledge from the war zones to help those who need it, as a part of a club with people of action!
The children are our future. And the best we can give them is education so they can create a solid platform in life. But once a year, it is allowed to spend the day playing. Join us on one of these days!
Honduras is often thought of in terms of crime, drugs, homicides, and violence. Significant parts of the Western world fear the harshness and ignorance of this country. That, however, is far from the whole truth. For example, the country’s authorities try to help those who need it by bringing in free medical care, which is often the only opportunity for the locals.. Welcome to The Medica Brigada on Roatan, Bay Islands!
Did you know that in our part of the world, babies are fed with Coca-Cola from the baby bottle? That creates some challenges within dental care!
WE THE PEOPLE OF ACTION
French Harbour Road
Roatan, Isla de Bahia 34101
Honduras