President-Elect Jennifer Jones inaugurates her presidential term with an epic tour of her home and native land
On 17 June, RI President-elect Jennifer Jones will begin a tour of Canada. And when Jennifer Jones tours Canada, she tours Canada. From Lake Erie to the Arctic Ocean, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, Jones will spend more than three weeks introducing herself to members of Rotary in Canada — and to anyone else who wants to come out and say hello.
"We have three coasts in Canada," says Carol Tichelman, the national tour chair, "and Jennifer will be traveling from coast to coast to coast. And we have many cross-border districts," she adds, referencing those Rotary districts with clubs in both Canada and the United States. "But Rotary is borderless, and any and all are welcome."
Jones' plans for the Canada tour and the Imagine Impact Tour that will follow took shape during conversations with her husband, Nick Krayacich. "As a way of focusing our presidential travel, we decided to create a global impact tour to showcase projects and programs of significance across the Rotary world," she says. "When we share our stories, like-minded people want to join with us. This tour provides an opportunity for others to see themselves reflected in our actions, and perhaps they will want to learn more about Rotary."
Each stop — or "hub," as the organizers characterize it — will provide occasions to participate in local projects. "The focus is on service," says Tichelman. "All of the hubs are going to be exciting in their own right. There is so much about Jennifer's tour that promises to be wonderful."
"But these events are not just for Rotarians," insists Chris Offer, who helped plan events in Vancouver. "At each of the stops along the tour, they are for anyone who can get to these hub areas."
"The best part of this tour is that it is going to energize us for the year ahead," Jones says. "While this is the first leg of the Imagine Impact Tour, there is nothing that can't be accomplished when Rotary members unite — and we are ready to get started!"