Over 275 Rotarians attended the 2023 Hawaii Rotary District Conference held on May 19 through May 21 at the Grand Naniloa Hotel.
The conference was the culmination of a year’s worth of work for the 53 Rotary Clubs in the state with 1,541 total participating members.
Rotary’s credo is “Service Above Self,” and it takes a lot of organization and work to deliver the help communities need. Clubs were recognized for their many efforts during two award presentations at the event.
“It was an exciting event for our East Hawaii Clubs,” said Randy Hart, district governor and member of the Hilo Club, in a press release. “We were able to hold this convention right here in Hilo for the first time ever. I am so proud of all the good work done by Rotary clubs across the state, and I am especially proud of our East Hawaii clubs involvement with the conference.”
Hart said the awards presented at the conference were grouped by club size: 20 “small” clubs, 18 “medium” and 15 “large” clubs comprising the 53 state of Hawaii Rotary clubs.
The highlight of the event was the naming of the Club of the Year for small, medium and large clubs.
The Rotary Club of Hilo garnered the large club award, much to the delight of the club’s members in attendance.
Club of the Year is ascertained by a scoring system that tabulates a club’s activities and community involvement. Many items come into play, but membership growth was a critical one. The Rotary Club of Hilo increased its membership by 40% in one year.
Connie Ichinose, club president, was thrilled by her club’s many accomplishments that garnered three First Place Awards, three Second Place Awards and two “top five” recognitions.
The Rotary Club of Pahoa Sunset also was recognized for an important award: Significant Project by a Single Club. The Rotary Club of Pahoa Sunset won this prestigious award out of 53 competing clubs.
“Paint the Town” was the project that created a new sense of self for the hard-hit, lava-devastated East Hawaii town of Pahoa. A special wall mural was designed and painted in this East Hawaii community.
Not to be left out, the Rotary Club of North Hawaii garnered a second place in Public Image and placed in the “top five” for Community Service for small-sized clubs.
The public is encouraged to find out more about the “Service Above Self” Rotary clubs, especially here in East Hawaii.
There are three clubs in Hilo, one in Pahoa, one in Volcano and one in North Hawaii. All have websites, and people are encouraged to search them out and find out more about the efforts of Rotarians and their impact on their communities and the world.