35th Investiture Ceremony of the Rotaract Club of Roseau

Members of the Rotaract Club of Roseau, Members of the Rotary Club of Dominica and other benefactors gathered to celebrate the 35th Investiture Ceremony of the Rotaract Club of Roseau. The ceremony took place at Viewpoint Restaurant & Bar in Trafalgar.

The members of the executive board of the Rotaract Club of Roseau for 2021-2022 are as follows:

Melissa Thomas – President, Eliyshebah George – Vice President, Chelsea Balthazar – Secretary, Dabria Toussaint – Treasurer, Bianca Le Blanc – Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer, Emerlyn Delavaliere – Director of Community Service, Curvin Joseph- Director of Finance, Gari Harris – Director of Club Service, Keanu Winston – Immediate Past President and Director of International Service & Head of Public Relations, Alina Esprit – Director of Professional Development and Keanu Winston – Head of Public Relations.

In her address to the members present, President of the Rotaract Club of Roseau Melissa Thomas has expressed her wishes for the club.

“Every member [should] realize their power and potential.  We have the work force, we have brilliant minds in this club, we have qualified and skilled people in this club.  Any problem that needs to be solved can be solved if we just think and work together.  Nothing is impossible.  The human body is composed of many elements and gold is one of them, we are golden.”

She asked that members let go of all distractions as  Rotaract is an international service organisation for young men and women.  Thomas said the club provides an avenue for members to give back to the community, develop a range of leadership and professional skills.

“‘I Am’, two of the most powerful words because whatever you put after them shape your reality.  So, when you say ‘I am a Rotaractor’ you say that you are a leader, you are professional and you serve the community.  That is a heavy load, but it is not for one alone to carry.  We’re a team.  But we have to work like a team.  We all have to be focused on the same thing or else everything falls apart.”

The president also told her Rotaract peers that they should enjoy this journey, taking everything one day at a time.

“We find ourselves so caught up at times that we become stressed and not perform our best.  This has to be rewarding.  We cannot pour from empty cups. But it’s not what you say, or wish, or hope, or intend, it is only what you do that counts.”

Ms. Thomas also expressed how she felt about the 2020-2021 year.

“This 2020-2021 year has felt; in the best way I can describe; like a rollercoaster ride.  With spectacular highs, uncomfortable lows, a few red flags, but countless moments of pure bliss and joyous screams.  Tonight, we’re coming down.  And we come down with the utmost gratitude for the many lessons and blessings the 2020-2021 year has given us.  Grateful for the lessons for they showed us our areas of weakness and put us in a position for progressive change.  Grateful for the blessings for they remind us of how important and impactful ‘Service Above Self’ can actually be.”

Featured speaker 2021-2022 President of the Rotary Club of Dominica, Mr. Grayson Stedman Jr., highlighted the Rotaract District’s theme; Mix up and Blend.

“It is fitting that the Rotaract District theme for this year is Mix up and Blend. Rotaract mixes different personality types and blends together distinct ideas to serve our communities and change lives.  In the process the lives of its members are changed as well, through the satisfaction of providing service, the joys of helping others, the refining of one’s character, the learning of new skills and development of one’s profession, the building of networks, and most importantly the forging of lifelong friendships and family through fellowship.”

Stedman Jr added that also blended together is the family of Rotary as Rotaract is not alone in its passion for service. The common goal of Rotary, Rotaract and Interact provides numerous opportunities to blend our efforts to enact change.

Rotaract is a service club for young people ages 18 and above, who are dedicated to finding innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges while developing leadership skills and making friends from around the world. Rotaract clubs decide how to organize and run their own clubs, manage their funds, and plan and carry out activities and service projects that are important to their communities. Rotary clubs that sponsor Rotaract clubs offer guidance and support and work with Rotaractors as partners in service.