Civic clubs more than meeting: they often lead to exciting travel

If you like to travel and mix business with pleasure, joining an area civic club could be your ticket to adventure.

Mary Burton, president of the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club, one of three Cape Girardeau Rotary clubs, said many club members have traveled to Rotary district, national and international meetings and conventions. She said she hasn't attended international meetings, but others have, such as Mary Miller of Jackson who attended a Rotary International Convention in Japan a few years ago.

"Lots of Rotarians travel to meetings and get to know new people," said Burton, adding that Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders. She said local Rotarians Dan Cotner, Bob Gifford and Paul Lloyd are well traveled.

Burton said Rotary has a program called Rotary International Group Exchange, and the local club, which has almost 100 members, is helping a Rotary club in Russia obtain musical instruments. Rotarian Lloyd Peterson of Cape Girardeau will visit the Russian club later this year.

At Cape West Rotary Club, eight-year Rotarian L. Havelock Jackson has attended several international conventions. He said a recent convention in Chicago had nearly 50,000 attendees.

"These conventions are fantastic," he said. "People come in their traditional clothing, and you can learn about their customs and traditions. It's a big exchange of cultural information in a friendly atmosphere."

Jackson said he attended an international convention in San Antonio several years ago. He said that last year the convention was held in Barcelona, Spain, and in June, Rotary International will hold its convention in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"I might go to it," said Jackson, who is fluent in several languages. "These are big deals if you have the money to go."

Jackson is familiar with the Rotary International Group Exchange program. Several years ago he and fellow Rotarians from the United States visited Brazil where Brazilian Rotarians were the hosts.

Lori Lynn, director of campus life at Southeast University, and Dustin Michael, who works in the university's writing lab, joined Jackson on a Rotary International-sponsored trip to Italy in 2004.

Michael said the group traveled the Adriatic Coast of Italy for a month.

"I was a team member of the Rotary International Group Exchange of District 6060 Missouri. Larry (Jackson) was the team leader. The program was my introduction to Rotary, and I'll be joining it soon," said Michael. "The trip was life-changing and it was free ... amazing hospitality."

Van Robinson, president of the Cape County Rotarian Club, and his wife attended the National Rotarian Convention in Orlando, Fla., in 1992, two years after the local club formed. Robinson said he met a man from the Rotary Club in Mount Vernon, Ill.

"This fella had visited 147 countries where there were Rotary clubs," said Robinson. "Now there's about 165 countries with Rotary clubs."

Robinson said the three Cape Girardeau Rotary clubs will meet with members of the Jackson Rotary Club in Jackson on March 30.

Bill Meyer, president of Hi-Noon Toastmasters Club in Cape Girardeau, said Toastmasters International held a convention in Canada last year, and this year New Orleans may be the host.

Karen Cupp, a former member of Hi-Noon Toastmasters who several years ago started a Toastmasters club in Carterville, Ill., has attended international meetings. In 2003, she attended the convention in Atlanta, and last year she traveled to Toronto, Canada, for the Toastmasters International Convention.

"This year the convention will be in Washington, D.C., in August," said Cupp. "Toastmasters has 211,000 members in 10,500 clubs around the world. We're all friends when we meet."

Cupp said she was a Rotarian before she became a Toastmaster. "I wanted to grow my public speaking skills." Cupp said her 13-year-old daughter travels with her to Toastmasters meetings.

Other local civic clubs that routinely meet and hold annual meetings include Cape Girardeau Jaycees, Jackson Jaycees, Cape Girardeau Kiwanis Club, Jackson Kiwanis Club, which formed earlier this year, Knights of Columbus and its Auxiliary, Lions Club, Optimists clubs of Cape Girardeau and Jackson and Cape Shrine Club.