Good evening, everyone!

 

DG Georges Azar,

Assistant Governors,

Past Assistant Governors,

Presidents of Rotary,

Past presidents of Rotary,

Fellow members of RCBC and other clubs joining us tonight,

Dear guests,

 

I am truly delighted to stand before you tonight as the newly elected President of Rotary Club Beirut Cedars for the year 2023-2024. It is a great honor for me to be the 13th president of this exceptional Club, which has made remarkable progress since its inception 14 years ago.

 

First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to President Rony Farra for his outstanding leadership, patience, management skills, wisdom, and the incredible achievements he has accomplished during his two years of presidency. I would also like to acknowledge his remarkable 13-year journey as one of the main founders of this Club, contributing significantly to its growth and success. Please join me in giving a round of applause to President Rony Farra.

 

Throughout our Club’s journey, we have successfully implemented projects in all seven areas of focus defined by Rotary International, totaling approximately $6 million since our inception, with $3 million dedicated to projects in the past three years alone.

 

Every minute of every day, Rotary makes a difference in someone’s life. We feed someone, house someone, vaccinate someone, perform life-changing surgeries, bring comfort to those in need, and provide clean water to those who lack it.

 

Our mission at Rotary Club Beirut Cedars, and Rotary Clubs worldwide, is to create hope for a better tomorrow for the less fortunate. This year’s Rotary theme is to Create Hope in the world

It revolves around fostering hope. We aim to provide hope for better education, hope for improved healthcare through vaccination, hope for clean water and a healthy environment, hope for peacebuilding and conflict resolution, hope for disease prevention and treatment, and hope for community economic development.

 

I want to express my gratitude to all the dedicated fellow members who have worked tirelessly to make this event a reality.

 

Lastly, but certainly not least, I want to extend warm wishes and a Happy Father’s Day to all present fathers and fathers-to-be among us.

 

Thank you all for gracing us with your presence tonight, and I wish you a pleasant evening.

 

Thank you.