The Rotaract Club of Antigua has new faces at the helm. The Rotary-sponsored service club for young people officially installed its new executive board for the upcoming year on Sunday.
Immediate Past President Ashlee Christian handed over the reins to Dr Namadi Belle, the club’s 36th President.
Christian expressed her great privilege of leading the Rotaract Club for the past year, guided by her theme ‘serve, lead, empower, change’. She commended the directors for exhibiting exceptional leadership qualities and epitomising the essence of teamwork.
She further expressed that it was as a result of the teamwork and dedication that the Rotaract Club of Antigua was able to captain the completion of serval projects. Some of these key included the Mommy and Me Initiative, which sought to assist underprivileged new mothers in Antigua through donations and educational webinars; a Christmas toy drive to children in various communities; and donations to the Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital.
Christian charged the newly pinned members to utilise the network well, meet new people, learn new things, develop new skills and, most importantly, serve.
She told Belle, “I know you will do big things. Enjoy the journey and try to get better every day.”
Belle, a physician intern at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, credited the club for her personal and professional growth, having been an official member since 2020.
Over the last year, she served as community service director and also attained Director of the Year for the 2021-2022 Rotary year. Belle expressed that the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed not only herself but the club to be more innovative, strategic, motivated, and forward-thinking.
In her first speech as President, she said she wished to share with the club the vision of teamwork, integrity, professionalism, camaraderie, and diligence, which represent the ethos of the organisation. In addition, she acknowledged this year’s District Rotaract theme which is ‘think big’.
“I am convinced that this theme is so timely and relevant as we continue to champion and empower the less fortunate and forgotten in our communities,” Belle said.
Working alongside President Belle for the 2022-2023 Rotaract year is a group of dynamic and professional young adults who comprise the club’s new Board of Directors. They are Ariel Derrick, Vice-President; Asha Tuitt, Secretary; Ashlee Christian, Immediate Past President; Joseph Prosper, Treasurer; Gary Collins, Community Service Director; Collin Beazer, International Service Director; Ashley Forde, Club Service Director; Jennell Willette, Professional Development Director; and Sherwyn Greenidge, Public Image Chair.
Belle continued, “Our 108 square miles of Antigua and 62 square miles of Barbuda are in a strategic position to demonstrate this ‘bigness’. In other words, we will not let our small size limit our ability to conceive big, innovative ideas and execute them in a big, impactful, fearless, and far-reaching way.
“We will not let our size in numbers diminish our creative capacity to work assiduously and harmoniously to achieve our goals.
“As an organisation, it is imperative that we understand that our responsibility to serve others must be rooted in the value system of serving selflessly and not perpetuating acts of self-serving.
“It is only by the concerted effort of each member that any meaningful and purposeful project can be realised,” she added.