A first-timer’s guide
When you arrive in Taipei for your first Rotary International Convention, you might feel momentarily overwhelmed — in a good way — among thousands of members from all corners of the world.
“Entering the convention, we’re all bright-eyed. We’re all looking around like, Whoa, there are so many people,” said Charvi Shah, of the Rotaract Club of the University of Calgary, at her first convention, in her Canadian hometown this year. She was excited to learn from younger members leading breakout sessions and to greet in person the global Rotaractors she networked with over the years — a group of them met up at a Calgary arcade one night.
Image credit: Christophe Viseux
People often head first to the House of Friendship to explore festive displays and interactives. It’s the convention’s Main Street, and a friend is waiting on every corner. Learn about clubs’ projects, partner organizations’ offerings, helpful tools from Rotary staff, and many options to pursue your passion.
The event that many members say gave them their first sense of their place in Rotary’s gigantic family is the opening ceremony and its flag ceremony tradition when each Rotary country has its moment onstage. Cheer your loudest!
To learn what the convention is like, ask a member who’s been. Many first-timers say they didn’t want to miss out after friends’ enthusiastic descriptions from Singapore, Melbourne, Houston, and on and on from their years of conventions.
In Calgary at his first convention, Anthony Agama, of the Rotary Club of Ngora in Uganda, registered right away for the next one, 13-17 June in Taipei. “You get to be part of a congregation of like-minded people who treasure change in their communities,” he says. “The Rotary Convention is a must-attend for everyone to celebrate love — love for humanity, love for progress, love for service.”
This story originally appeared in the November 2025 issue of Rotary magazine.