A Calgary sneak peek
Attention last-minute adventurers: Many of you still have plenty of time to join thousands of members in Calgary for the Rotary International Convention, especially our friends a short trip away in the U.S. and Canada! Lots of members register in these final weeks leading up to the big event — or even pay at the door.
The schedule for Calgary 21-25 June is crowded with bold voices and big ideas to help you grow your club’s impact and membership. We hear it all the time: Everyone should attend the convention at least once. “A convention is where Rotary comes to life,” RI President Stephanie Urchick says.
Image credit: Monika Lozinska
The event, as always, offers world-class speakers, including women’s rights advocate Tawakkol Karman, the first Arab woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize, and climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, named to one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People lists.
Breakout sessions are a build-your-own learning experience on topics from using artificial intelligence in Rotary to recruiting young leaders and diverse members. The House of Friendship is like the town square where Rotary’s global community mixes with friends and percolates project ideas.
And your destination is downright fun to visit, with views of the Canadian Rocky Mountains on the horizon and a Western heritage that you’ll notice throughout the easy-to-tour modern city. “Calgary is a breathtaking mix of warm hospitality and natural beauty,” Urchick says.
Everyone at a convention is part of a family, says Elizabeth Villafranca, of the Rotary Club of Carrollton-Farmers Branch in Texas. “This has been something that has changed my life, my perspective, and has given me enough energy to continue working to make our world a better place.”
This story originally appeared in the June 2025 issue of Rotary magazine.