The following is a reprint of a newspaper article that appeared in May 1998 concerning the burial of a time-capsule by the Rotary Club of Maraval.
Female Rotary Club Celebrates
Five years ago, a group of professional women shattered a long-standing gender barrier when they established this country’s first all-female Rotary Club.
That historic event, formalised on May 4th, 1993, was commemorated on Tuesday when the group, the Rotary Club of Maraval, hosted a luncheon at the Princess Elizabeth Centre, Port of Spain, to mark the fifth anniversary of the club.
Highlights of the occasion were the burial of a time capsule by Port of Spain Mayor, John Rahael and the planting of a poui tree by the British High Commissioner, Gregory Falkner.
The club’s charter president, Dolores Jardine, explained that the Princess Elizabeth Centre was chosen as the venue for the anniversary celebration because the group has carried out many projects there.
She said the capsule, which is to be dug up and opened in 25 years, contained copies of all the local daily newspapers of May 4, 1998, a copy of the club’s charter certificate, membership directories for the first and current years, and a copy of the charter night programme.
Past-president Heather Alcazar, who assisted with the planting of the yellow poui, said that type of tree was selected because it is likely to bloom every year at the time of the club’s anniversary.
Canon Winston Joseph of the All Saints Anglican Church conducted a thanksgiving service as part of the lunchtime celebration, while the club’s current president, Adeline Wee, reported on the group’s achievements over the last five years.
The Rotary Club of Maraval holds weekly lunchtime meetings at Singho Restaurant, Long Circular Mall. Major projects undertaken by the group include support programmes with the Rampanalgas Village Corps, the Princess Elizabeth Home and St. Dominic’s Home, an adult literacy programme, career guidance for young people, erection of a bus shelter at Saddle Road, Maraval, and distribution of environmental workbooks to schools.