It was a Thursday through Sunday affair, which started with a 2.5 hour scenic drive from Derry to Sligo. John and Anne MacCrossan provided lots of interesting information about the countryside and little towns that we passed through. Brigitta, another Ambassadorial Scholar being hosted here in Derry from Hungary, and I interjected quite frequently with questions of our own.
"Why are all the sheep marked with a color of paint?"
"Because the farmer's often share land and let them roam the countryside. When it comes time to herd them, they can tell w
hich ones are theirs."We also made multiple stops to catch a snapshot of a castle, the bog, mountains, or coastline. We also made a pitt stop at the famous poet William Butler Yeat's grave. It's located in an idyllic spot with the historic stone church casting a shadow over the gravesite and the Benbulben peak looming large in the background.
We kept a pretty tight schedule with lunches/dinners with Rotarians (of particular note with the Club of Newry! We skipped the last concert for some good craic at the Waterford Pub at Ross's Point), exploration of downtown Sligo, plenary sessions, a formal masquerade ball, fashion show, and meeting the other ambassadorial scholars in Ireland. And by the way, before the band even finishes the first chorus, the entire dancefloor is packed with danceres. I love this about the Irish. I'll let a few photos speak for themselves.
The plenary speakers were absolutely fantastic. I listened to Niall Mellon tell his story about how after vacationing in South Africa with his wife, he then began to work with local people in the townships to build homes. That was five years ago. Today, they charter jumbo jets out of Ireland to build literally thousands of homes in the townships. Read more at http://www.irishtownship.com/.
Peter Shaw was a Welsh man who was kidnapped in Georgia in 2002 and chained into a hole in the ground for 4 months. His story of how he overcame despair and managed to return to his family is absolutely incredible.
Jim Grady spoke about how he and his police force are working to find pedophiles and protect children. His presentation was chilling but also inspiring.
And on and on. I was again reminded of the importance of collaboration in working towards the common goal of reacing a better society, a better world through humanitarian aid, education, health care, compassion, and mutual understanding and respect for humanity. Rotary not only has a hand in all of these things internationally, but often leads the effort, such as working towards the eradication of polio (and literally backing that with matching grants of hundreds of millions of dollars), alzheimer's research, potable water, and an endless list of other community involvements and activities. I also would not be where I am without the support of the Rotary and its members, hosting/sponsoring clubs, and Rotary foundation contributors. Many people I talk to are confused about what Rotary is. I can speak to the quality of this organization and I recommend that you look into it. I guarantee there is a club or clubs near you. www.rotary.org.
I have to get to class now. Whatever you do today, find a way to be engaged and involved in a positive way with the people around you.
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