When a lonely bachelor in a new city meets with three friends and they agree to form a club with a simple motive “a very simple plan of mutual co-operation and informal friendship such as all of us had once known in our villages.”
The world’s first association of service clubs was formed on 23rd February 1905 and blossomed into Rotary International over 118 years ago. Although the early focus was on fellowship and business networking, soon elements of service was incorporated with a place of convenience in Chicago.
Gradually Rotary spread within the USA and in 1910 there were sixteen Rotary Clubs. Having crossed the Atlantic to Europe then to India and Asia, Rotary finally reached the African continent (South Africa) in 1921. It finally reached West Africa through the French speaking countries (Dakar, Ivory Coast and Cameroon). Ghana was the first English speaking country to have received Rotary in 1958.
Today Rotary International (R. I.) can boast of over 46,000 clubs worldwide and for easy management of these clubs they are grouped into districts. Rotary International District 9102 is made up of Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Niger with over 3,000 Rotarians. A bit of history … once upon a time this district was District 210 (later changed to District 910) with twelve countries and thirty-five clubs.
R. I. Board then decided to add the number zero (0) to all existing districts worldwide, thus altering D910 to D9100. District 9100 constituted the larger part of the West African Sub-Region of Africa, south of the Sahara, and is made up of fourteen countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Indeed, D9100 was at the time the largest geographic district in the Rotary world and therefore was redistricted into District 9101 and 9102.
Every year, Rotarians in each district come together at conference. This annual event has been set aside by Rotary International for each Rotary District in the world to highlight the operations of the district, discuss its achievements and challenges and facilitates major leadership and training events.
The conference includes training and breakout sessions to give Rotary information and new ideas for club officers, directors, and key committee chairs.
There is also a presentation of the state of the district; a review of the new RI President’s theme and goals for the coming Rotary year by the incoming District Governor; a presentation of district goals and objectives and plans are developed for its implementation.
Rotary International District 9102, for the last time, will welcome Rotarians and partners in service to its 10th annual District Training Assembly and Conference (DTAC) 2023, to be held at the Accra International Conference Centre from April 11 to 15, 2023. The theme for this year’s conference is “Beyond Imagination” which ties in the annual theme “Imagine Rotary.”
The Rotary International President Special Representative, Vice Rotary International President Nicki Scott will attend this conference, bringing inspiring messages from Rotary International. An estimated number of one thousand (1000) participants from the district and other parts of the world will appreciate a welcome address from the Greater Accra Regional Minister Hon Henry Quartey and inspirational talks from guest speakers Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Isabel Boaten, partner at AB & David Ltd and Nakeeyat Dramani Sam, an environmental advocate & poet.
Interesting to note, this year will be the last DTAC for District 9102 since the district has to be redistricted again due to size into District 9104 (Ghana) and District 9103 (Benin, Niger & Togo) from 1st July 2023.
The efforts of Rotarians in District 9102 to charter new clubs, increase membership, develop leaders, and increase our portfolio of humanitarian service projects has contributed immensely to Rotary initiatives, chalking many successes worldwide. So, the new Districts (9103 & 9104), with their new District Governors and their teams will work to strengthen clubs, promote membership diversity and to place the new districts high on the map of Rotary International.
Other events at this 10th and the last DTAC are District Governor’s Akwaaba Cocktail, Rotary Foundation Lunch, the District Governor’s Award and Gala with the main performing artist Samini.
With the first District Governor of District 9102, Winfred A. Mensah, as Conference Chair, the 10th and last District Governor for District 9102, Victor Yaw Asante, has indicated that the DTAC: Accra 2023 will be exciting, educating, entertaining and a platform for business networking for all Rotarians.
