Action 2 Impact Podcast Season 2 EP.2 When Women Lead, Rotary Grows with Celia Cruz De Giay

We sit down with Celia Cruz de Shi to trace a life of service shaped by family, faith in community, and bold leadership, from a childhood moment of empathy to steering Rotary’s first global virtual convention. Two new books capture three decades of women’s impact and the path ahead to a more diverse, agile Rotary.

• early service sparked by a simple act of compassion
• partnership and family support during a Rotary presidency
• converting Honolulu 2020 into a 67,000-person virtual convention
• practical membership levers: invitation, image, access
• youth pipelines through Interact and Rotaract
• women’s leadership milestones and a 50% participation goal
• two books: Voices That Inspire and Voices of Leadership
• diversity as a driver of better projects and decisions
• The Sun Never Sets in Rotary global celebration
• why hybrid access should be part of Rotary’s future

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Transcript

Opening And Guest Tease

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hi there everyone, I'm Went Chum with a bit of a frog in my throat. And welcome once again to the Action to Impact Podcast, the weekly podcast where I introduce you to those amazing people from all over the world turning their actions into impact. Well, today's guest, I could have had on three shows. Literally three shows. We could have talked about her massive career of over 30 years in Rotary. We could have talked to her about being a first lady of Rotary when her husband was Rotary International President. We could talk about her work with nonprofits. We could talk about her work as a convention ticket. We could stop me introducing her and start talking to her. Who is this amazing author? First lady, 30 years, incredible woman? Well, Celia Cruz, this Dia is with that. Former First Lady, 30 years experience, and oh by the way, author, we're gonna talk about real life. That's right, two books that she wants to tell you about. Sit back and enjoy the ride here and on YouTube. The Action Impact Podcast starts right now. Welcome back to the

Celia’s Rotary Roots And Family

SPEAKER_01 1:35

show, everyone. Well, tonight, today, today you're tonight's guest, wherever you are listening to this. I was joking with her just before the show to say that we could have easily three shows about her. Celia Cruz de Shi is my guest, and she sent me her bio, bless her heart, for me to get ready for this. And like I said, we're just gonna go through a list, okay, you guys. First of all, she was a first lady. Her magnificent late husband, Louise Finn Louise Vincent Shi'i, was our Rotary International President. So she was a first lady in 1996-97. She's a mom, she's a grandma, she works with nonprofits, she's been with the council of legislation. She was a convention chair, but wait, there's more. She's worked internationally, district in her own backyard. And now, because she's bored after 30 years, I guess, she has decided to write a book. So, like I said, we could talk to Cecilia about all of those other things, but we're gonna dabble a little bit on them and mostly talk about the voices and leadership. And it's my first guest from Argentina. Celia, thank you so much for coming to the show. It is an absolute honor to have you with us. Thank you so much for joining me.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Thank you, Gwen, so much for inviting me to. I am really very happy to be with you today and to have the opportunity to be part of your podcast. It's really an honor. And to be the first one is more honoring. I am very much.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

You went from Argentina. I was like, okay, Argentina, come on, you're not representing. Let's go. So you told me before the show that you were about 45 kilometers outside of the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, where as I am here in New England, in roughly 24 inches of snow, you are enjoying summertime. So does that mean that you're relaxing? Madam, author, vice president, council lady, are you actually relaxing a little bit as we speak today?

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Well, you know, summertime is holiday time. So everybody believed that they had to relax. So in summertime, it's it's very difficult to put the people moving toward a goal. So but as I live in a beautiful city with a wonderful river, I mean, everybody's enjoying in my city, and I am so close to Buenos Aires, who is only 200 kilometers from here. So when I want to participate in some big events, I just drive to Buenos Aires. It's so close, one and a half hours only. Wow. And Buenos Aires is a great city, it's a great capital.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

Well, I'm jealous, and probably even more jealous today because of the snow. I'm always jealous because it is one of the cities I would have adored to go see. But I do want to, before we talk about the book, I do want to dabble on some of the many, many hats you have worn. Let's go all the way back to 1996, 97 when your beloved late husband was our Rotary International president.

The Call To The Presidency

SPEAKER_01 5:07

So how was it when he got that call? Did he just kind of come through the door and say, honey, we're off on a great adventure?

SPEAKER_00 5:17

No. It is very interesting. You know, first let me tell you that my husband showed Rotary when he was 22 years old. Wow. He was district governor when he was 34, director when he was near 50, and president 55, 56. So he was very young in everything. He opened so many paths. And when and he never fought for a position. There were the Rotarian who pushed him because he was such an extraordinary leader, a visionary man. And he practically lived all his life in rotary. I am a second generation, my father was a rotarian, so at the beginning, when we met for the first time, he used to come to my city to talk with my husband about rotary. And my mother said, Oh, this young man coming to see your father to talk about rotary is very interesting. Later on, after two years, we married and we start a life together, sharing rotary and sharing life together. So in 1996, when he put his name for the presidency, the committee meeting, nominating committee meeting met in Evanston. And as you know, they usually, when they decide, there is a phone call to the candidate who won. And on that day, I was at home and Luis was in his office. So the phone ran and I answered the phone. So I was the one who received the news. So and after that, he started to work hard in order to have an incredible presidency. He was very fond of the new generations. So he devoted his whole year to help and to promote and to let new generation grow in leadership and in opportunities in Rotary. So we share a wonderful, wonderful year. And we he worked very hard and I support him all the way because I was also Rotarian. I am a Rotarian from in the last 32 years. At the beginning, I was when women were not allowed to be a Rotarian, and we were married. I accompanied Luis being a very active, very, very active spouse of Rotarian. We have in my country the female will, or what is the inner will in London, in around the world, but we call them female will, and we were working hard for Rotary just as spouses. So I knew Rotary, and because my father was a Rotarian, I also, when I was very young, I participated in all the projects that my father club members organized. And so service was something very familiar to me, and and I accompanied him, and he was he was an outstanding president of he was the only in the Rotary history. There are only two Rotarians who have been two-time chairman of the Rotary Foundation. And incredible, the two are Latins. The first one was Carlos Canseco from Mexico, and the second is Luis Chiai from Argentina. So he showed you that he not only was an incredible president of Rotary International, but also was the intellectual man who envisioned the future vision plan of the Rotary Foundation. He was the chair of that committee like nine years until the foundation started with the future plan. So I am privileged to have been married to a man that I admire and with whom I share my whole life in Rotary and in life. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

That's so who who actually knew that Rotary could also be a great dating app to have to find to find the the man of your dreams. So what I do

Balancing Family And Global Service

SPEAKER_01 10:40

find funny is that so did your did your father by any slim chance get to see your husband's rise? So did your mother and father get to kind of go, see, we know how to pick them, Celia?

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Yes, they saw him, they and they help us because we have four children. And at that moment, it was our youngest was 12 years old. So my parents helped us a lot with our children because you know when you are president, you had two years that you have to be on the road. Um we were living one and a half years in the US, in Evanston, and traveling around the world. So my parents were a fundamental piece in the Rotary year that Luis was president.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Wow. So I mean we don't we don't hear about that a lot. And our next our next presidents that are coming up have children, but to have, I mean, I I I think we forget when we have these wonderful spokespersons from our rotary family that become Rotary International President, that they come with a family. I mean, Stephanie Yurchik was our our kind of one-off, that she was our first single lady to take the position. But then her net her right-hand man literally was a gentleman named Tom Gump, and he has a family. So I think sometimes we forget that when that phone call comes, in this case that came to you, that there's an entire ethos that's joining you on that amazing journey. And if we don't have help, I don't know how he could have done it.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Yeah. Yes, but you know, before Luis put his name, we we talked with our four children and let them know about the possibility and what they if they approve or not, because you know you cannot do the first thing in life is family, and then and then the others, but and our children support us. The the elder came to our home, the elder was married, because we have one children four years, one children four years, one children four years. So we took a break, gotta have a little break. I can I hear you. Okay. So the the elder took care of the youngest, wow, and they live all together, so and my parents so support them, so the family was okay, and that gave us the tranquility to do what we had to do. This adventure, right? Thinking that what was going on at home, because also US is far from home. We are we we are in Argentina, we were in Evanston living, and then moving around. So, but family was fundamental in this success that we have, I believe. It was a very successful year.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

It's obviously paid off well because I hear you have 10 grandchildren. So obviously the family did well. Grandma times 10. Now I am a I am a grandma times one, so congratulations on time 10. That is fantastic, but you didn't stop there. And like I said, Luis is no longer with us, so thank you so much for for sharing him with us for the time that he was with us. But you didn't just rang up uh just hang up your rotary hat. And since then, like I said, you've you've worked with nonprofits through your education. You've you've been a part of council of legislation, which, if there are people that are listening to my voice and don't know what the council of legislation is, first of all, shame on you. And then second of all, realize in American terms, it's like our House of Representatives, it's where we make rules. Look it up, you guys. It's a pretty cool body. You were a convention chair. Lordy, I bet you that might have been more work than being the president's wife.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

But listen, listen, Gwen. This is very interesting. I I was appointed

Convention Chair And The Virtual Pivot

SPEAKER_00 15:06

by President Mark Maloney to be the first woman chair of the convention. We had the convention in 2020, it was Hawaii. Right. And because of and we were working for two previous years, and we have like 21,000 participants registered. But then, if you remember, the pandemic arrived, and we had to cancel Honolulu convention. I still want to go to Honolulu. Yeah. Yes, but do you know something very interesting? We organized the first virtual convention in the Rotary of History, in Rotary History. And do you know how many participants we have registered? How many? 67,000 participants. Because you took it virtually, because you took it off it was an incredible effort because we organized the convention online, but everything the same that the convention when you go and attend it, right? But it was online, and it was amazing, and the result uh and it proved that really Rotarian has the pass the capacity to adapt to the times. And for me, as a chair, it was something really uh impressive, the opportunity to be part of a movement that changed a challenge into an opportunity to show the world what rotary is in order to adapt to the times. So it was something really impressive. Um since then, you know, in the conventions we have the crowds is was in talk in Japan, right? But the crowds crowdess was the the online convention that it was more than.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

Yeah, I was I was gonna say if it was if it was 67,000, I would be remiss to say how come we don't still have a dual platform because I know Taipei for us in the United States is rather a long way to go. However, Europeans and of course all of our fabulous people in in Asia and on India and Africa, those continents will be able to go quite easily. I would love it if I could have some type of virtual way to go to the convention. Why didn't why haven't we brought it back, do you think?

SPEAKER_00 17:54

Well, you know, there is a possibility. I mean, in the streaming now is becoming more and more popular, right? So maybe in the near future we could have people who attend the convention in presence and people who could see the convention online. That would be ideal because I think that'd be great. Yes, yeah, yes, and rotary change, and maybe this is one of the changes that we need to consider for the future.

SPEAKER_01 18:27

Well, and that's a that's a fabulous leeway, as they call it, in the radio biz to say the change. With when what year did you officially? I know you were raised in Rotary, you were probably baptized in Rotary, they you know, but when did you actually become a full-fledged member of Rotary? What year?

SPEAKER_00 18:50

I I became with a spirit of service when I was 12 years old, and my father invited me to a rotary project, who was equipment for a school for children in in no good conditions. So and my father invited me because at that time, many many years ago, rotary family was very, very strong. The children of the Rotary and participate in Rotary events. So we have the spring picnic, the projects that the club organized. So my father invited me and told me that I have

Bringing Back Hybrid Conventions

SPEAKER_00 19:40

a mission in this event. And I said, What I have to do? And he said, Well, you have to have candies, a banker and candies to distribute among the children when the when the uh official party is over.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

So I went to the. So you got to be you got to be the treat at the end. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:06

Okay. Exactly, exactly. And when it happened, everything finished, the the president's pop, the the acceptance, everything was ready, my father said, now you go. And I went, children and children, giving the candies and all that. But uh when I thought that I finished, I saw an eight-year-old boy behind a wall with a sad face. So I went to him and said, Look, I have candy for you. And he said, No, I don't want candies. But look, there are very yeah, you're 12 years old, you want candy, right? Yes, yes. Uh and he said, No, no, I don't want candies. And and I said, What

Becoming A Rotarian In Spirit

SPEAKER_00 20:56

do you want? I want a hug. Huh? A hug. So what I did, I put the candies on the table and went and hung hug this little boy. And at that moment, my heart felt that something I had to do something in order to help others, that not always is a candy or not always is money, is it's sometimes just a hub. And so then when my father and I came to my home, I told him about it, and he said, Well, you know, you are going if you continue to serve, you are going to see in the face faces of the people that you help the uh a go to God. You will see God in the eyes of the people you serve. And that was true all my life. So if you ask me when I feel a complete rotarian, I've Say it was that time, or I could say that it was in India. When we went in 1995, we went to a polioplasm immunization day. Wow. They in immunized 120 million million of children under five. And we were with the district governor and in the whole country, of course. What it means is 6,000 children per second. We went with the district governor to one of the biggest slums in Delhi. And there was a hot day, terribly hot, and we walked until the place that they were giving the chewdrops.

SPEAKER_02 23:27

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 23:27

And to me, it was a very impressive day that I never, never forget.

SPEAKER_01 23:34

So I think what you're telling me so beautifully, and whoever is listening without maybe just a little bit of glassy, teary-eyed eye. But I think what you're telling me, Celia, is my question was when did you become a Rotarian? And my simple brain is like, when did you start paying dues, wearing your pin, and going to meetings? And what you very eloquently cave me back was I became a Rotarian when I could see the work I was doing. And whether that's 12 years old or in India as an adult, it doesn't matter. You kind of always, I think what you're beautifully telling me is you kind of always were a Rotarian. And now you actually have a club that matches what you think your your life purpose should be, and that is to give and to be a member of this human society of giving and loving and taking care of. Is that that kind of fair to say?

SPEAKER_00 24:33

Yes. Officially, I was introducing Rotary in March 1994. So it means 32 years, 34 years

India Polio Drive And Service Ethos

SPEAKER_00 24:44

ago.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

Yes. Awesome. And I do like that you brought up that kids, especially when you grow up, were a part of Rotary. So I I like to challenge my audience all the time. So I really challenge you guys. If you have kids and you're hearing my voice, how often do you invite your kids, be them fully grown or not fully grown, to one of your rotary events? I think we would be humbly surprised by how many people don't.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

Don't not only that, Wen. Not only that. I encourage them to involve their children in Interact and Rotarac. Yeah. Because they're a fantastic movement. They train them, they uh allow them to become leaders. I I in my club we have a group of interactors and rotaractors that really allow us to be proud of what of what Rotary can provide them with the tools, needed tool to become a successful person in life. So not only to invite to the projects, but also to involve in Interac and Rotarak.

SPEAKER_01 26:02

Wow. Now I'm we're gonna be talking about women in Rotary and of course your book next, but I do have a mutual friend of both of us, Pearl Ankagro. I talked to her, uh, she's one of the ladies on your trustees of the Rotary Foundation, Pearl is. And I got to talk to her in Nigeria a couple of days ago, and Rotary is exploding throughout the continent of Africa, from all the way up north in Morocco to all the way down to Johannesburg. It is going nuts, and of course, India and parts of Asia. It is also growing very quickly in your neck of the woods, South America, for that matter, southern Mexico, all the way down into southern, it's it's growing. And here in the hometowns of where Rotary started, it is really starting to dwindle. What's the magic? Why is it growing? Now, according to Pearl, Pearl was like, I could go right outside my door and see where my need is, and so therefore, I can take my actions into impact immediately when I walk out the door. Why do you think it's growing in your area?

SPEAKER_00 27:24

Well, membership has been an issue since the beginning of Rotary.

SPEAKER_01 27:33

Yeah, it really has. Started off with five, and Paul Harris lost like three of his guys in the first year. Not a lot of people realize that, but yeah, we've had an issue.

SPEAKER_00 27:43

Uh-uh, and we talk a lot about membership and how we can improve it, how can we engage them? There is no magic. I believe there is no magic. It's okay, it's work. It's work. You have to, you know, public image is so important because if people don't know about rotary, why are they going to join an organization that they don't know? Right. So there is a combination of factors who allow some countries and some parts of the world to increase rotary membership and be successful.

Inviting Youth: Interact And Rotaract

SPEAKER_00 28:20

And I believe there is no one fact that allows people to come into Rotary. There is a lot of we need to work on all of them. Personally, I believe that you have to invite people to Rotary. People sometimes I remember in a Rotary meeting in an institute that I convened, and we were talking about membership, and suddenly Peace Fellow stood up. There was a question and answer time, right? And the Peace Fellow stood up and said, Listen, I have been a Peace Fellow, I I know Rotary, I received the benefits of Rotary, and no one never asked me to be a Rotarian. Oh no! Yeah. So what it means is that we need to invite people. We don't know if they we don't invite if they would say yes or no. That is one way to do it. But there are a combination, as I said, it's a combination of factors that allow you to be successful in membership. We are trying hard in order to increase our membership. Financial situation affects because you know when when everything is going well, it's easier to be to be to give to others. But when the situation is not so good, people my husband used to say that there is when when everything is okay, everything is okay. But when the situation is not good, the egoism is what appear. So and so sometimes when the situation is not so good, and you could see in different countries when the situation is not so good, membership decline because people have to take care first of their families and then an organization like us. So it's a combination of factors, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

Well, and it I'm sure I you you uh I was never told to ask anybody how either old they are or how long they've been in something, but you were willing to tell us 34 years that you've been in Rotary because you started at 12, and no one's allowed to do the math. I'm just telling you, you guys. But things have changed. I mean, it it it you know, I mean, especially, and this is gonna get us into the book easy enough, but but you have to admit when you were 12 or even first starting as a Rotarian, full-fledged due-paying Rotarian, women didn't do a

Why Membership Grows Or Fades

SPEAKER_01 31:08

lot. Women weren't in active membership of like leadership positions. I mean, heck, I was uh I was very proud to say that I was part of Jennifer Jones's strategic engagement committee, but it took a very long time before a woman was in line where your husband was. So should we not give up hope on membership? That just like women coming in or just like the changes that Rotary has made, we could still make those changes as well. And in the next 30 years, we could have two, three, four million Rotarians.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

If we work hard, yes. If we work hard, yes. Rotary, Rotary is trying to, we women, women, the one women who we are in Rotary, we are trying to improve women's participation in Rotary ranks. The the goal is 50% of the membership in Rotary could be women. We have now near 30%, so we need 20% to go. I believe that that's why I wrote the book. Because, you know, we need to provide examples of leadership, we need to allow women to know that they they can be a Rotarians, they can fulfill a mission in life, because to me, why am I a Rotarian? I am a Rotarian because I need to thank all the privilege that I have received in life. And to be a Rotarian to me is a way to give back to the community, to the people who has not been so lucky as I have been. So if we try to share the possibilities that the women could have been a Rotarian, maybe many more women could join a Rotary. To show the leadership that the women who has open ways for women in Rotary, to me was an excellent idea because in the past you could find information everywhere about women in rotary, but now it's not so easy. So I decided that I need to emphasize the wonderful leadership that we have in Rotary, thanks to the Rotarian women. So I started with my son. I belong to Sone 23V, who are composed of seven different countries: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay. Seven countries.

SPEAKER_01 33:54

So what I did, I compile, I investigate all the women who has been in the last 30 years district governor, all the women who has been district governor in the last those, so in those seven countries, just the women that have been there. And and I'm gonna I'm gonna interrupt you really quickly by telling everybody that she has authored, Celia has authored a new book called The Voices of Leadership. And this is you know, book that all of us can get, and you're gonna tell us more, but uh the the name of the book, Voices in Leadership, and you started like that. You're saying seven so 30 years. How many female women in these seven countries have been in positions of leadership? Is that correct? 68. 68, and the name of the book is voices that inspire. Oh look at that. Look at look at the podcaster getting the name wrong. I am sorry.

SPEAKER_00 35:03

So my first book was Voices that inspire, that is related to my son, and the second one is Voices of Leadership, who is all the extraordinary leaders who have been directors or trustees of the Rotary Foundation in the last 30 years. Why 30 years?

SPEAKER_01 35:27

Yeah, that's you know, because you've that's that's a that's a big, very actually dramatic growth in time of leadership. So why 30 years?

SPEAKER_00 35:36

Because in 1995, the first eight women became district governors. Wow. So as my husband was president-elect at that time, and

The Power Of The Simple Invite

SPEAKER_00 35:52

we were at the International Assembly, I could talk with them, I could see their excitement, how proud they were, and that was something that I never forgot. So I believe 30 years need to be celebrated, and that's why these two books. The book Voices that inspired in my son, seven countries, with 68 women who has been district governor in 30 years, and also the voices of leadership, who is the book who compiled all the directors of Rotary International and trustees of the Rotary Foundation, who has been in the leadership position in the last 30 years. So by reading the book, you could see how who was the first vice president, the first treasurer, the the I mean, it's so interesting, and you could see the testimonies that they had written. And it's it's you know, it's you grow. I read the book and I grow myself because it's I I become more inspired about what I could read in the book. Thank you for testimonies.

SPEAKER_01 37:08

So just just to make it clear to all my listeners, it is two separate books. It is Voices That Inspire, and that's the 30 years of all of the testimonials, and then Voices of Leadership. So you have to buy them both, you guys. It's a two-package. But I I do think it is fascinating that in 1995 you said there was eight eight district governors, which is that just in these seven countries, or is that no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 37:40

In the rotary world. In the rotary world.

SPEAKER_01 37:42

In the rotary world in 1995, we had eight. Do we happen to know how many are women now?

SPEAKER_00 37:50

They were all from US. They were all from the US, okay.

SPEAKER_01 37:55

And do we have any idea in current day in 2025-2026? Do we have any idea how many women district governors we have these days? In the whole world? In the rotary world by chance. Do you happen to know?

SPEAKER_00 38:11

Well, I don't know, but I can write a book about that.

SPEAKER_01 38:16

Book number three coming out, and you know, but but I mean, it is it is kind of kind of funny. I mean, that we only had at the whole rotary world, there were these eight lonely women in 1995 that were willing to take it on. Wow. Do we know if those if any of those ladies are still around with us and still doing the rotary stuff?

SPEAKER_00 38:41

Well, in the books that I wrote, there's only three who we are missing, but the others are very active. I love it. I love it. The originals, yes, yes, yes, and you know, uh are missing because they died, but not because they they didn't want to continue participation. So it's it's it's very it's very when I I would love to give you a book. I I hope that our path will cross in the future.

Women’s Leadership And The 50 Percent Goal

SPEAKER_00 39:14

Oh, absolutely. You will be very, very inspired to read all the testimonies of the ones who has open ways and inspire others and are doing their work in order to promote service about self. So it's it's very inspiring to read all the testimonies.

SPEAKER_01 39:35

Now I know as a woman this may seem like a silly question, but I'm gonna ask it anyway. Is Rotary better with women? And if so, why?

SPEAKER_00 39:47

Rotary is better with women, and not because we are better, but because rotary needs the leadership of women and men in order to make progress. Because the vision and the capacities of women and men are different, but together they produce a marvelous product. That's why Rotary needs women.

SPEAKER_01 40:27

And I think it's very interesting because we've had the honor of having Sylvia Whitlock on on the show, one of the women who went all the way up to the Supreme Court to uh allow us as both females and proud Rotarians to be on the show today. But what I think it it does say is you guys, if we have diversity and we have equity and we have inclusion, here's here's your marker, here's where you can start. Look how much better Rotary is with women. Just imagine if Rotary opens its arm freely to all nationalities, all religions, all learning processes, all music, all culture, all it could only make us better. Is that a true statement?

SPEAKER_00 41:13

Definitely, yes. But Rotary is open to cultures, to what you mentioned. So uh this is the way that we have to continue. Diversity is a value that we need to put in everything we do in Rotary, in everything we do.

SPEAKER_01 41:32

So in 1995, there was eight women. Now you have two books filled with these inspirational women. What would be the biggest biggest real real change because we've had women? What is the main thing that you could point at and say, well, I'll tell you, in the last 30 years, because women have been a part of Rotary, this has happened. What would you say to that?

Two Books: Voices That Inspire And Leadership

SPEAKER_00 42:00

Well, first they helped the organization growth. Yep. They help the community has projects that maybe in the past we didn't have because of the female view related to children, related to aspects of life of people. Different perspectives. Yes, exactly. Different perspective. Okay. That is very important too. We have improved because we have women that really are capable, put their ideas at the rotary service, and that is also very important because you know an organization needs new ideas in order to progress. So if we have women who are leaders and who have good ideas, this is something that we also need to think in an organization that is worldwide. I mean, it's universal. There are aspects of Rotary that they are not going to change. Our values, our mission, but but other things have to change because time has changed, and we need to change with the times.

SPEAKER_01 43:17

Yeah, maybe maybe get that 70,000 people virally at our next convention. Wouldn't that be fun? Just say, throwing that word Celia and I are just throwing that out there. Whoever wants to listen. So, one more question, and I thank you so much for spending time with me. I like I said, this could easily be three shows. We could just break it down with all of the things that you've done. And now you have these two magnificent books. What is next for you? I mean, are are you just you just can't stop? Or I mean, I know you're saying you're celebrating summer right now, but what what else do you want to do in Rotary? Is there something you haven't done?

SPEAKER_00 44:00

And you still love to do when when I lie that you asked my ask me that question. I you know, I always say the day that I I don't have enthusiasm and curiosity, I will lie. Okay. Okay. I agree with you, yeah. So now I would like to share with you that I am in a project that I believe is the most international initiative that Rotary has had in 120 years to celebrate the Rotary anniversary. It's it's a project that the name is The Sun Never Sets in Rotary.

SPEAKER_01 44:44

We've had that on the show, it's beautiful, yeah. Oh yeah, you know that. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 44:51

So remember what it is, please. It's 24 hours of rotary continuous continuous rotary meetings with only one link soon. And then the celebration is from February 23rd to 24. It involves around 58 countries every year, and through 24 hours of program, you can do uh the travel around the rotary world for 58 different countries looking projects, what they do, what they feel is an amazing project. I have been involved since the beginning. I one of the three who are organizing this, and you know, every year is too much work. No, yes, it's it's a lot of work, but I love yes, uh I love work, and and the president has supported us the five previous years. President Francesco this year also is supporting us. So on February 23rd, I will send you a very special invitation. I hope you can you can be with us. Oh, I love it. And and uh for people who listen to your podcast, and if they are working for the Sun Never Sets in Rotary, I I send my regards and my deep appreciation because you know it's when everybody's working with the same goal, that is when you can achieve what you want. And Rotary deserves a celebration like this one because it's international and rotary is is the whole world. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:41

We do we do forget sometimes, I say it all the time, that we are called Rotary International. Exactly. We are an international organization. Okay, so just in case you you want to go, I do believe it is called the Sun Never Sets on Rotary.org, if I remember correctly, is the website. Go check it out, February 23rd, 24th. It's 24 hours of rotary. So,

The First Eight Women Governors

SPEAKER_01 47:04

you guys, it's not reciting the four-way test for 24 hours, I swear. But you are gonna get a glimpse of literally rotary clubs all over the world and what they're doing. And it's great because all of a sudden you feel like we really are one big family. It's one big blue marble that we're all living on and we all have a lot of fun. Celia, what an honor to not only make your acquaintance, but have you on the show. I feel there's been two ladies that I've had on the show, yourself and a friend of the show, Dean Roars, that have such an amazing repertoire of what they have done in their lives, and uh you're an inspiration to me. So keep being the most magnificent of Rotarians. It was an honor to have you on the show, my friend.

SPEAKER_00 47:54

Oh, thank you so much. For me, it has been an honor. Again, I hope our pass will cross. When thank you so much for your invitation. I feel really honored to be with you and your audience. Thank you so much. Thank you. Take care. How cool is Celia?

SPEAKER_01 48:16

I mean, I loved it. I had so much fun. And if you heard, I said it was so great to make her acquaintance. Well now it is time for me to throw myself under the bus. Celia and I had met before when we talked about the Sun of her sex on Rotary before. I mean, way back I'd done a podcast about this amazing event. So it was great to reconnect with Celia. It was great to hear her story, not only of her rotary career, but wow, having a husband that was a Rotary International president and the love story that was theirs, it's cool, I gotta say. Alright, well, I hope you've enjoyed this podcast. Do realize we are on YouTube as well. So if you'd like to see this zoom call with Celia, hop on over to our YouTube page, subscribe, and of course tell friends of clubs about the podcast. If you have somebody that you think would be great on the podcast, RotarianPod at gmail.com. Alright, I think that's all your homework. Oh, and you can be a sponsor of the show. Go to our sponsorship page and help me out. Putting this labor of love together is not entirely free, so YouTube can get a shout out here on the show, sponsor a show, etc. etc. Anyhow, that's all our website. So, until next week, take care of yourself and the world around you, and we'll hear you next time, hopefully without a frog in my throat, on the Action to Impact podcast. Have a wonderful week, everybody. We'll talk to you soon.