Neepawa Rotary Club welcomes new president

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Published on Thursday, July 9, 2015

(L to R) Outgoing Neepawa Rotary Club president Dave Bennet welcomes incoming president Rrain Prior. Photo courtesy of Kate Jackman-Atkinson  

By Kate Jackman-Atkinson

The Neepawa Banner

On July 3, outgoing Neepawa Rotary president Dave Bennet presented the president’s pin to Rrain Prior, marking the beginning of her term. Prior is the service club’s 67th president and the first women to head the club. 

In addition to club members, about 10 guests were also on hand to celebrate the occasion.

Although she has only been a member since April 1, 2013, Prior has a long history with the club. In high school, she twice took part in the Model United Nations Assembly, which is run by one of the Rotary Clubs in Winnipeg. Then, she spent a year in the Philippines on a Rotary Youth Exchange.  When she moved back to the community and took over as director of Programming for the Viscount Cultural Centre for the Arts, becoming a member of club seemed like a natural fit. “I had the background to understand what the club is about,” she said. 

Prior has spent the last three years on the club’s executive, two as vice-president and one as president elect.

Prior talked about how the club has changed over the years, both nationally and in Neepawa. While it used to be perceived as a very-closed, old boys’ club, that’s not the Rotary Club of today she said. Today, the club one of inclusiveness. She added that the club members, “share a commitment to volunteerism, and a commitment to goodwill”.

It the upcoming year, Prior plans to build upon the club’s successful history while also trying to grow membership and increase the club’s profile within the community and among the community’s youth. Having come through Rotary’s youth programs, she sees it as an important way to grow the club. With the current district governor being a survivor of childhood polio, she would also like to see some additional focus on Rotary’s Polio Plus program, which aims to eradicate Polio worldwide. 

Prior would also like to see the more women join the Rotary Club. “We can, and should, do better. Together, we can do something special,” she said.

The Neepawa Rotary Club meets every Friday, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Viscount Cultural Centre.