The Rotary Club of Córdoba was a bit different than the other clubs I've visited. It was an older group and they didn't seem to be as active in the community as the clubs in Sevilla. Everyone was extremely nice and welcoming to me, and very eager to hear about my life and culture in the U.S., but it was definitely a different vibe than the other clubs. The District Governor really encouraged them as a club to seek out new members and really publicize Rotary in the community to maximize their impact. I've mentioned several times before that Rotary in general is very different in Spain. It is not as well known by the layman as it is in the U.S. or other countries in Europe. For example, when I tell a non-Rotarian Spaniard that I have a Rotary scholarship, I normally get some blank looks and have to explain further what Rotary is and does in the world. But when I told my friend Leonie, who just moved to Sevilla from Germany, she was very familiar with Rotary and its impact not only in Germany but in the world. The image of Rotary here is improving and a lot of that has to do with the inter-district collaboration. All of the Districts are banding together to carry out a project in the Congo (they are building a university) and it is something that is really bring Spanish Rotary together. Pedro Valenzuela has some great pictures of the progress, but I can't seem to find digital copies at the moment. If I find some, I'll be sure to post them!
On a different note, I recently spoke with Rotarian Conchi Maetzu, who is the coordinator of all Ambassadorial Scholars in District 2203. She is trying to organize a gathering of all the scholars in this district. I am really looking forward to meeting all of the other scholars and hearing their stories about not only how they ended up here, but their scholarship year has been like so far. I'll keep you posted! Until then, here are some pictures from the meeting in Córdoba.
Pedro Valenzuela and the President of Rotary of Córdoba
The meeting
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