I have been a member of the Rotary Club of Douglas for three years now.

I have mentioned before that the objects and ethics of the organisation certainly resonated with me.

Rotary is a global organisation where professionals and leaders unite to provide humanitarian aid, promote peace, and support community development worldwide.

One such important mission has been to work towards the elimination of polio globally. This effort has made great progress but has faced some setbacks due to the misery caused by recent conflicts.

The club celebrated its centenary last year, and the guideline of ‘Service Above Self’ continues - and we have some fun along the way.

We have regular speakers, visits, and community events. One of the next events will be the Mini Parish Fun Walk for Kids, to be held on Saturday, July 12 at Tynwald National Park and Arboretum.

In recent years, children from across the island have raised more than £100,000 for more than a hundred good causes of their choice through their participation.

Other initiatives we are involved in include the annual schools public speaking competitions, Book Buddies, and, of course, good old Santa - his elves and sleigh appear each Christmas.

We have an internationally focused committee where we partner with others to help when needed. Each year, the club contributes many thousands of pounds to local and international charities.

We are twinned with the Rotary Club of Horwich, with links going back to the Winter Hill tragedy 67 years ago, where members of the local club and others selflessly supported rescue efforts.

Thirty-five Manxmen lost their lives in the disaster, leaving widows and little children, with only seven survivors. I recently visited the site with others - an emotional experience.

As part of our special centenary celebrations, the club has pledged to raise a significant amount of money in partnership with the Manx Wildlife Trust for the establishment of the Hairpin Woodland Park in Ramsey, which is an ongoing project and is coming along nicely.

When I first joined, our president was Clare Faulds, who made history as the first female admitted to the Manx Bar. She was followed as president by Charles Fargher, then this year by Nick Watson, and next year the role will be taken up by Ivan Bratty.

For the first time in the club’s history, last week we were visited by the President of Rotary International - the most senior person worldwide - which was a great honour for our island and those involved locally in the organisation.

Stephanie A. Urchick has herself been a Rotary Club member since 1991 and travelled from her home in Pennsylvania, USA. Before arriving in the island, she visited Ireland and Scotland; after leaving, she travelled to Wales.

She was accompanied on her visit by Eve Conway-Ghazi, a director of Rotary International; Jean Billingsley, governor for the North West District in England and the Isle of Man; and other senior figures.

Stephanie’s professional background is in higher education, consulting, and the entertainment industries.

She received her doctorate degree in leadership studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has been recognised and awarded by the Rotary Foundation and numerous community and international organisations.

She has participated in a variety of international service projects, including national immunisation days in India and Nigeria. In Vietnam, she worked with clubs to help build a primary school and travelled to the Dominican Republic to assist in the installation of water filters.

A student of several Slavic languages, she has mentored new Rotary members in Ukraine and coordinated a Rotary Foundation grant for mammography equipment and a biopsy unit for a hospital in Poland. Currently, Stephanie is helping to partner clubs and districts in the USA with Rotary Clubs in Albania, Kosovo, and Ukraine for humanitarian and educational services… and guess what - she has a Manx cat!

Eve Conway-Ghazi is a multimedia journalist. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Queen Mary University in London before working as a newspaper reporter. She later earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism in the USA, before returning to London to launch a career in TV and radio journalism that included 20 years at BBC News as a reporter and producer.

She joined Rotary in 2000 after doing a series of speaking engagements at London-area clubs, and in 2012 became the first female District Governor for Rotary in London. She served as President of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland in 2016-17, launching and leading the Purple4Polio campaign, engaging Rotarians in the battle to eradicate polio - a particular passion of hers.

A proud accomplishment was starting the Rotary Young Citizens Awards in association with BBC News in 2007, focusing on promoting positive stories about young people.

Jean Billingsley joined Rotary in 2007 while volunteering with VSO in the Philippines.

She has always appreciated the international side of Rotary and has enjoyed leading a Group Study Exchange team, working with Rotary environmental groups, and attending ten Rotary International Conventions.

By profession, she is a chartered engineer, working as a consultant in written communications.

Our Rotarian guests enjoyed a guided visit to Douglas City Hall by Mayor Steven Crellin.

They also visited Government House, where the Lieutenant Governor Sir John and Lady Philippa Lorimer hosted a buffet lunch.

Guests then visited the Hairpin Woodland Park in Ramsey before returning to Douglas for a reception at the Manx Museum in Kingswood Grove.

President of the Rotary Club of Douglas, Nick Watson, welcomed the International President on the occasion of her historic visit to our island, also on behalf of president Mark Gilson and members of the Rushen and Western Mann Club, and Joshua Quinn, president-elect of Onchan Rotary Club and its members.

Also present were representatives of more than 20 local charities that have benefited from the support of the Rotary Club of Douglas.

Stephanie Urchick responded with an energising speech about the magic of Rotary and its impact far and wide.

She then presented former chief planning officer Malcolm Watson with a gift to celebrate his 55 years as a member of the Rotary Club of Douglas - a real highlight. Malcolm, as always, was accompanied by his wife, the well-known and respected former teacher Dilys.

After the formal part of the evening, a reception was held in the gallery, which since Easter has hosted the world’s largest exhibition of works by Archibald Knox - comprising more than 200 pieces from collections across the British Isles.

The collection includes rare silver, pewter, and jewellery pieces from iconic collections, including the V&A, the Peartree Collection, Titus Omega, MNH, and major private collectors.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit, make a point of doing so.

I am certainly going to return for a more in-depth look - my favourite pieces being the clocks, silver, and pewter exhibits.

Some years ago, I met Brad Pitt, who is a very enthusiastic collector, and whilst visiting, my thoughts turned to the late Liam O’Neill, founder of the Archibald Knox Society in the island and always an enthusiastic advocate for Knox’s work.

Sincere thanks are due to Howard Callow, honorary secretary of the Rotary Club of Douglas, for his dedication to organising and coordinating a very successful programme for our guests.

So how about you? Would you like to join the Rotary Club of Douglas and play your part in working with - and for - charities and our wider community? We contribute to the wider world internationally… and have some fun along the way!