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 For me they started before Convention, on Thursday 1st July, with a wonderful ‘Canada Day’ parade outside our hotel and after our District 37 dinner, Governor Karla leading us, holding a Canadian flag high in the air, down to the waterfront for a spectacular fireworks display. The impressive Winter Olympic flame had been re-lit there earlier in the evening.
I felt so proud when Jan France from Whakatane carried the NZ flag in at the Opening Ceremony wearing a beautiful top with appliquéd silver fern made by Yulene Watts. Jan also received Q-lympic medals from two toga-clad Quotarians for Whakatane’s two Membership ‘Sparkles-awards’, the QI Excellence in Publicity award and a commendation for their Quota Cares Month entry. Barbara Cumming and Wendy Peterson, Rotorua, and Jan received medals to recognise their generous donations to Friends of Quota and I was honoured to receive, on behalf of Karla, acknowledgment for District 37 being one of only five Districts with all Clubs represented. Jan also did a great job when she took part in the Publicity workshop for Governor Karla.
‘An Hour of Inspiration’ with presentations on Junior Quota Clubs and the Club-to-Club programmes and Cynthia D’Amour with ideas for understanding what today’s potential members want, were certainly inspiring.Great information to take back to our Clubs!
Of course a big highlight is the fun we have traveling with others from NZ, meeting up again with friends from before and meeting new friends. It’s truly a great experience.
I hope you can start making plans for Hawaii in 2012.
Pam Ross (Past Governor, Papakura Club)
My highlight was the flag bearing ceremony and the wonderful opportunities to meet other Quotarians from around the world, roll on Hawaii!!!!
Jan (Whakatane Club)
Convention highlights for me would have to have been the Club to Club World
Service presentation which I thought was really good and also the presentation for the SOS Children’s Village. Installation dinner was also very pleasant, and the inclusion of Gwenn's family was neat to see. Meeting up with old and new friends of course is up there along with the cruise which I really enjoyed.
Lorraine (Auckland Club)
I thoroughly enjoyed Convention, Vancouver and the cruise and of course, all of our members’ company!!!
The highlights of Convention for me were several and varied. I very much enjoyed meeting and talking to interesting people from all sorts of countries, and all with the common interest of Quota. The business sessions were extremely well organised and efficient with plenty of opportunity to pre read and understand what was going on. I also appreciated having the sessions for first time attendees. It was also great to hear the kind of activities that other clubs are involved in and have actioned in the past. The venue was ideal for the purpose and the whole process was well coordinated and executed. A great first experience
Wendy Peterson (Rotorua Club)
The Convention theme, Q-lympics was very appropriate as Vancouver had recently hosted the Winter Olympics. Awards and medals were presented by two Quotarians dressed in togas with wreaths in their hair. Highlights for me were the colourful Procession of Flags from the Quota countries during the Opening Ceremonies, District 41 Governor Lynne Piad’s power point presentation on the 16 Club to Club World Service projects, Past District 27 Governor Cookie Lomas’s power point presentation on Junior Quota Clubs and the wonderful musical entertainment provided by members of newly installed IP Gwen Jackson’s family following the Installation Ceremony on Monday evening.
Barbara Cumming (Rotorua Club)
Convention is always very special for me, particularly now that we only have conventions every two years!. This year some of my special memories include sharing a table at the business sessions with six other New Zealanders! I was especially fortunate to meet up with Pat from Cambridge, Maryland - our friendship club. We were able to share lunch together at a nearby pancake restaurant where we swapped not only Quota stories, but our e-mail addresses too. We have already made contact via e-mails since returning home.
As always, I was thrilled to be able to spend some time with my true Quota friend, Suzanne Prosser of Orillia, Ontario. Suzanne and I have been “Convention friends” for some 13 years now, ever since Convention was held in Auckland in 1997.
Jacque (Takapuna Club)
I enjoyed the company of Pam and Kathleen, and then shared a room with Jacque and Lorraine on the Cruise. Great company all of you thank you so much. It was a great bonding time for all District 37 girls, don't you agree. I felt so proud of the N.Z, flag at the opening session. It was carried in by Jan and she looked stunning in her silver fern outfit.
The Installation dinner and ceremony was lovely. Gwenn Jackson has a very talented family.
Cynthia D'Amour was very entertaining; don't know if I can do her justice.
I had a very interesting lunch with our sister club, Emily from Grand Rapids. We have been in touch since. The Vancouver excursions were very interesting, and beautiful scenery. The Cruise was very picturesque and we were catered for well in the line of food, entertainment, and scenery. I would recommend this wonderful experience.
Florence (Opotiki Club)
Convention was sooo long ago and so much happened in that time BUT I do remember the report from :
Lynne Piad, District 41 Governor about Club to Club World Service "Quota Cares Globally". It was a great power point presentation and made me very proud being a Quotarian. It is amazing just how much our $'s can do to help Ba and other Quota areas.
I also enjoyed the Installation Banquet - I certainly wish Gwenn a wonderful year. Her Installation was very dignified and her family are wonderful entertainers.
"We're All in This together" is very appropriate:
We're all in this together. When we know that we are, we're all stars and we see that
We're all in this together, and it shows when we stand hand in hand, make our dreams come true.
We're all in this together. When we reach we can fly, know inside we can make it. We're all in this together and we know there's a chance that we have and we take it.
I also liked the session with Cynthia D'Amour. She spoke about the social member versus the serious member - both very beneficial to the Club in their own way. If we have fun we draw people in. It was a positive aspect and I hope Clubs can use it. We all had a great time together.
Kathleen (PapakuraClub)
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