Calgary – June 18-25, 2025
By Karen Kendrick-Hands, ESRAG RICON 2025 Coordinator, ESRAG Co-founder, and Past Director
Calling all Volunteers!
The 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary is later than usual – June 18-25, 2025 – because our Canadian hosts are hopeful that their hockey team, the Flames, will need the convention venue for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Plan to come early to enjoy all the excitement ESRAG has planned before and during the Convention. There is a wealth of opportunity, so be sure you answer this call to action to help ESRAG have the best showing ever at convention! Food, Fellowship and Fun. Here are the key dates and ways you can help. Sign up today!
Thursday, Sept. 5: How to propose a RICON Breakout Session:
ZOOM prep session, 10 am CDT.
Rotary’s Convention break-out team has again shared a call for proposals: submit your proposal online . Be sure to submit it by 23:59 Chicago time (UTC-5) by Monday, 14 October 2024. Rotary can’t accept proposals submitted by email or after the deadline. Write to [email protected] if you have questions.
Join ESRAG for a Q and A session to help prepare your Breakout Proposal on Sept 5. Sign up for the session by completing this RICON form so that we can email you a ZOOM link.
June 19 – Thursday Daytime Tours: Local ESRAG members are exploring local ecotour options. We’ll share details as plans evolve.
Thursday RAGTime is the traditional evening gathering of all the Rotary Action Groups (RAGs) and senior Rotary leaders for a low key mingle with good food, great fellowship and a laid-back vibe. Plan to arrive early in Calgary so that you don’t miss it.
June 20 Save the date for the ESRAG Eco Summit, Friday 7:30 am to 5 pm
Proposed Theme: “Protecting the Environment through Partnerships”
Potential event partners include Rotary Action Groups for WASH and Against Malaria, and Rotaract Multi-District Information Organizations. We need volunteers to help Dave Alexander, DG 7090 (a member of the RC Welland, Ontario, Canada) to organize this event, during which local Calgary environmental groups will inspire us with their best practices and commitment to sustainability. Sign up here to volunteer.
June 21-25: Saturday 9 am through Wednesday 2 pm in the House of Friendship (HOF)
ESRAG’s Traditional Booth will be chaired by Caroline Dewitt (RC West Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, D 7040), ESRAG Director and Co-Chair of Regional Chapters. Historically, ESRAG’s Booth has been a hopping, happening place, and we expect it will be even better in Calgary. The tentative theme is “Fueling our Future.” We need volunteers to staff the booth in short shifts for all the hours it is open. Sign up to help here. We will be introducing the Rotary community to ESRAG and our work to protect the environment and take climate action and signing up new members! ESRAG Chair Yavuz Atila has ambitious goals for membership growth, and RICON is a great opportunity to fulfill them!
NEW in 2025 – Environment HUB in the HOF
ESRAG has volunteered to help Rotary program and staff a HUB for the Environment Area of Focus on the floor of the HOF. The theater-style presentation space will allow us to offer 32 hours of programming (30-60 minutes presentations) during the hours the HOF is open (except during plenary sessions) and provide a space to host informal gatherings at the beginning and end of the day. It’s an exciting opportunity to showcase ESRAG’s broad range of eco-action, our task forces and initiatives to everyone passing through the HOF.
To heighten the visibility of our work, presentations will be listed in the official Rotary program. To make the HUB a reality and fulfill the potential of this opportunity, we need commitments of time, talent and treasure. Sign up here to contribute.
Feast Together TBD
We will gather for a fellowship dinner either Friday or Saturday evening, based on availability and interest.
Meet UP TBD
ESRAG will host a membership gathering in a meeting space provided by Rotary. The time and location are to be determined. Our Annual General Meeting will be held virtually, not during convention, to maximize participation by ESRAG members worldwide.
17,000 folks from our Rotary community have already registered for RICON 2025!
We expect great participation because so many Rotarians will be within “road-trip” distance. (Think driving on sunshine in your EV, vanpooling, or chartering a bus, all lower-carbon alternatives to flying.) Let’s work together to make their travel to Calgary worth it!
