Cordel  EA   Josiah, MBE,  past  president  of  the Rotary Club of Antigua, has just  returned from Virginia, USA, where he  participated in  the  Rotary  International Caribbean Partnership Celebrations 2011 held at the Sheraton  Reston Hotel from July 21-23, 2011.

 
The conference  provided opportunities for Rotarians in the United States and throughout the countries of  the  Caribbean and North Atlantic to become better educated as to countries’  respective  cultural similarities and differences.  It was also  held  to develop  relationships,  share knowledge, ideas, and interests that would result in partnered clubs that provide for worthy community needs,  assisting  individuals in need with the basic necessities of life, advancing education and literacy, eliminating prejudice  and  discrimination,  and as always, advancing   peace through fellowships.

Remarks were made by  Horace  G  McCormack, past district governor D-7610 and conference  chair man; James “JV” Vlass, past district governor D-6910 and Caribbean partnerships chairman/partnering coordinator; John  Smarge, Rotary  International director;  and  Barry Rassin,  past Rotary   International  director /past  Caribbean partnership chairman. Josiah also gave remarks  at  the conference “on the benefits of the partnership  between the Rotary Club of Antigua  and  the Rotary  Club  of  Alexandria, Virginia.”

Josiah was also invited   to   be   the   guest speaker  at  the  Rotary  Club of  Alexandria,  Virginia,  the largest  Rotary  Club  in  the State of Virginia, on Tuesday July  26. He made presentations of Antigua & Barbuda’s book A Little Bit of Paradise  and  the DVD  “The beach is just the beginning.”

He  presented the Rotary Club of Antigua flag to John Woods,  president of  the Rotary Club of Alexandria. While in   Virginia, Josiah  secured  partnership arrangements  with  several Rotary clubs to the benefit of Antigua & Barbuda.