My International Assembly ExperienceBy DGE Reggie Nolido

It has truly been a rigorous but fulfilling journey. Preparing for our term as District Governor of Rotary International District 3830 has been quite exhaustive. We started training with the Pre District Governor Nominee Training Seminar in Club Filipino (November 2023), then the District Governor Nominee Seminar in the Kaoshiung Zone Institute (December 2023), then the Pre District Governor Elect Learning Seminar in AIM (November 2024), then the District Governor Elect Learning Seminar in the Taipei Zone Institute (December 2024) to finally end with the International Assembly at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida held last February 10 to 13, 2025. But it was all worth it.

The International Assembly was especially significant in that it was here where I truly felt the internationality of Rotary. Even before the event we were already thrust into different smaller groups with our “cohorts”, which in my case meant being grouped with my classmates from North Carolina, California, India, Australia and Denmark. It was interesting swapping stories with a very disparate group of individuals whose experiences were significantly different from ours but were all born out the common desire to do good for our communities.

Then the assembly proper placed us in the midst of 530 fellow district governors-elect, with our respective spouses and partners, all coming from over 200 countries and territories. It was during the first plenary session that our Rotary International President Elect Mario Cesar Martins de Camargo from Brazil unveiled the theme for our year of service, “Unite for Good”, a simple but concise message that fully encapsulates the twin goal of uniting and uniting for a purpose, i.e. to do good in the world.

In his speech, RIPE Mario said that, “Rotary’s greatest asset is not our history, our projects, or even our unmatched global reach. It is our members.” He then added that the three pillars of growth to develop a vibrant and dedicated membership are Innovation, Continuity and Partnership. He emphasized the need to innovate and think beyond the tried and tested. He decried the fact that our membership has stagnated over the past several decades and that the challenge is to present rotary in a new light, to make rotary available to a larger audience, in the hope that more will embrace the life of Service Above Self.

Then followed three and half days of plenary and breakout sessions touching on every possible aspect of Rotary Leadership, while sharing ideas with fellow leaders from all corners of the globe. To say that we learned a lot would be an understatement. Sharing from classmates from all over gave us a glimpse of how rotary is in their communities. We are truly lucky to be part of an organization where our diversity is celebrated and is a tool for impactful service.

With me throughout is of course Sue Ann who attended the Partners assembly. She too had her own breakout sessions and events where she impressed her “classmates” with her knowledge and experiences. She has even received an invitation to speak to a club in England albeit through a zoom meeting. I will forever be grateful to her for her support and participation.

Then of course, I could not have done this without my 9 other Philippine Governor classmates in Zone 10A. Not only did we uphold the reputation of Philippine rotary as a dynamic and enthusiastic group, we were even considered (unofficially) the best dressed bunch, what with our distinct green, yellow and grey suits and our elegant and stunning Filipiniana alampay. It is not an exaggeration to say that participants from everywhere stopped us and took pictures of us all throughout the assembly.

Lastly, know that I am profusely thankful to my club, you guys for being there to support me in this journey every step of the way. Your encouragement has been invaluable through all this. Our year of service is coming up. Let us together make District 3830 the best it can be.