The City of White Rock welcomed Rotary International’s first woman president, Jennifer Jones to Memorial Park on Sunday (July 10) morning.
READ ALSO: District Rotarians to fete touring president in White Rock
Jones was wrapping up a tour of Canada, and stopped in White Rock to mingle with the Semiahmoo Peninsula Rotary members as well as U.S. visitors of District 5050.
Gathered on the waterfront were more than 200 attendees, including White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker. The event included live music followed by speeches from Walker, Jones and other Rotary members.
Rotary International consists of 1.4 million people around the globe who are “problem-solvers, neighbours, leaders all dedicated to doing good in our world and tackling the world’s most pressing challenges,” Jones told Peace Arch News.
“We hold diversity as a core value and we have for years and years but taking it toward a step of inclusion and making sure that our clubs are open and welcoming is incredibly important to us.”
The responsibility of holding the title as the first woman to take presidency is not lost on Jones, who sees it as an opportunity to shift the narrative many may have of what Rotary looks like.
“Within our organization, we want people to show up as their authentic selves and I look maybe a little bit different than perhaps what a stereotype might be, of what people might have thought of Rotary and hopefully this opens up doors to our organization,” she said.
After the presentations, the city and club members worked together in a beach clean-up effort to promote one of Rotary’s largest goals, sanitation and hygiene.
@SobiaMoman
sobia.moman@peacearchnews.com
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