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Brief histories of the
first clubs of each geographic regions or countries
Rotary Club of Apia,
the First Club of Samoa
Rotary International
District 9920 Part of our section on
the Pacific Region
Soon after the RC
of Pago Pago, American Samoa was chartered in October 1969, it sponsored the
creation and chartering of the RC of Apia, which was formally chartered on
28 September 1970.
Shortly after celebrating its 30th birthday, Marco Kappenberger became
the District 9920's Governor and Special Representative to form and
charter the RC of Savaii, which meant a 100% rise of the numbers of
Rotarians and of Rotary Clubs in Samoa, of District 9920.
In the meantime the number of Rotary Clubs present in Samoa rose again
in 2005, when Marco was invited to join the membership of the Rotary
eClub of Latinoamérica from its chartering on the 27th of January of
2005.
This became possible because, having moved to his plantation, it had
become very difficult to attend all the meetings in
the capital Apia.
This meant another 50% increase of Rotary Clubs represented in Samoa.
The 2nd RC in Samoa was the RC of Savaii which is the world's most
western. It's the
island from where about 1500 years ago the canoes left to populate
every island between Easter Island or Rapa Nui,
NewZealand and Hawaii (so that's from where the name of Hawaii comes
from: from Savaii, from where the first natives came)
Meanwhile, Kappenberger was a member of the Rotary eClub of Latinoamérica,
chartered in District 4200, part of Rotary International's project of
eClubs to be made permanent by the CoL of 2010, from when the
President and Directors of RI propose that the Rotary eClubs be a
kind of Rotary club henceforth available for Rotarians who are not
able to attend local RC meetings sufficiently.
Since, Peter Paul, the Charter President of the RC of Apia passed away, a
fund in his name began providing scholarships to needy children.
The present longtime Prime Minister of Samoa does consider himself a
"Sleeping Rotarian", since, soon after he had been invited and was a
member of the RC of Apia, foreign postings and politics impeded him
from continuing being active, but "perhaps once i retire".
All along, Rotary has been active in Samoa in the fields of Education,
Health, and the Environment, where the need is greatest in this still
'Least developed country' in beautiful pristine Polynesia.
In Samoa we have 3 Rotary Clubs represented: 2 Rotary
Clubs of D9920, and one member of the Rotary eClub of D4200.
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