Longtime Rotarian Joe Haynes presented a program for the Rotary Club of Livingston Thursday, telling about his recent trip to the Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, his 13th trip to a Rotary International Convention.
Haynes said he and his wife Nancy had a direct flight out of Houston and that it was 45 degrees and rainy for the first three days of the trip.
He said it is a nice city, with lots of nice restaurants and that the convention was right in the center of the city. Some of the events were held at the Stampede grounds, a festival space that hosts a variety of shows, including a well-known annual rodeo. Others were held at the Saddledome, a multi-use indoor arena located in Stampede Park in the southeast end of downtown Calgary.
Haynes said that remarks were made from the lieutenant governor of Alberta and the mayor of Calgary.
Approximately 14,000 people attended the international convention and approximately one-third of them were first-time attendees, Haynes said.
John Hewko, the current general secretary and chief executive officer of Rotary International, gave the keynote address. He is a member of a Rotary Club in Kyiv, Ukraine. Other speakers included the actress Geena Davis and Mark Maloney, a past president of the Rotary Club of Decatur, Ala.
Additionally, a polio survivor who is the district governor-elect for a district in Calgary, Alberta, spoke about the End Polio Now Campaign.
Haynes said the closing session was about Unite for Good, the 2025-2026 Rotary International theme that encourages Rotary members worldwide to collaborate and work together to create positive change in their communities and globally.
Next year’s Rotary International Convention will be held in Taipei, Taiwan.
