International Toast to Moscow
Rtn Garry Brooker, complete with Russian hat, gave a great toast to the Rotary Club of Moscow. It is located in District 2220, and was Chartered on the 5th of June, 1990. It was the first Club in Russia chartered, and before the fall of Communism in December 1991. A delegation of Rotarians went there in the 1980's, but with no success. Moscow is a village that was built at the end of WW1 - built on the blood, sweat and lives of millions. During the first 3 years, Moscow was actually part of the Finnish District, 1420. The State owned the TV, radio stations and newspapers, with food shortages being the norm. Millions died when food was being exported during the drought of 33/34. The RI Board declared 4 conditions for chartering Rotary clubs. They were:
a) Freedom of meeting and speech
b) Freedom of selecting membership without government interference
c) Freedom of travel and visiting other clubs
d) Right to pay membership dues to RI and participation in contributions to RI and TRF in convertible currencies.
a) Freedom of meeting and speech
b) Freedom of selecting membership without government interference
c) Freedom of travel and visiting other clubs
d) Right to pay membership dues to RI and participation in contributions to RI and TRF in convertible currencies.
The club supports the eradication of Polio and a home for deaf and blind children. Unfortunately the Russian language was a barrier to find out any more information, with 33 letters in their alphabet and not many that are similar to ours.