Rotarian Theo is now the president of the club
The Rotary Club of Accra, the first Rotary International Club in Ghana has inducted its 64th Club President, Rotarian Theo Ayitey-Adjin for the 2021-2022 Rotary Year, starting July 1, 2021.
Accepting the mantle to lead the club for the new Rotary Year, Rotarian Theo expressed his gratitude to the club members for “their confidence and trust in me by electing me as the president of the Club for the 2021/2022 Rotary Year.”
The new president assured the club members of his willingness, with the support of other board members to meet the challenges and standards set by his predecessors.
Rotarian Theo noted that “there are many needs in our community and the world and there are needy people whose only hope will come from Rotary. Let us all leave here ready to serve to change their lives for the better.”
He further stated that, for this Rotary Year, the club will focus on high impact-low budget projects in health and education; youth service and programmes; educational and fellowship meetings; improving public image; fundraisers and sponsorship and membership recruitment and retention.
The President stressed that “we cannot achieve any of our goals without your commitment, support and your willingness to voice out your opinions whether good or bad. Greater collaboration and participation from you in decision making will make the year better for all of us.”
He urged the club members to support the new board to serve them better through active participation in all club activities.
The theme for the 2021/2022 Rotary Year is “Serve to Change Lives”. New Rotary International President, Shekhar Mehta explained the theme as “caring for and serving others is the best way to live because it changes not only other people’s lives, but our own.”
Rotary Club of Accra is a Rotary club within Rotary International District 9102. It is Ghana’s first Rotary club and the first Rotary club in Anglophone West Africa. It has a current membership of 53.
Club History
The Rotary Club of Accra owes its conception, founding and inauguration, almost entirely to the dream, vision and singular initiative and dynamism of Dan Michael Quist, Chief Accountant of Texaco (Ghana) Limited; an American Petroleum Products Marketing Company, with headquarters in Accra.
In his letter to RI dated February 12, 1958, Quist submitted his report of Survey Extension for the establishment of a Rotary club first in Accra and eventually other principal cities and towns in Ghana. In the report, he described and identified 62 businesses and professional areas, which could provide not less than 120 classifications.
Quist then invited 32 men from the 62 identified businesses and professional concerns for a preliminary meeting at the Accra Community Centre on February 26, 1958 at 6:00 PM; ten attended, eight apologies were received and the remaining fourteen did not respond. Quist persevered in his endeavours until he subsequently got the commitment of 28 who constituted the charter members.
Meetings were held once a month in the evening of the first Monday of the month until August of 1960 when weekly meetings were introduced. In this new arrangement, the first Monday was retained as an evening dinner meeting with the rest as luncheon meetings. Later on, the evening meeting was abolished and the rule became a weekly luncheon meeting as we have today.