Pictured are Marion Beckerink, Rotary Club of Jamestown president, Michael Harrington, District 7090 assistant governor, and Dave Alexander, District 7090 governor.

The district governor of Rotary District 7090 recently visited the Rotary Club of Jamestown.

Marion Beckerink, Rotary Club of Jamestown president, introduced Assistant Governor Michael Harrington from the Mayville-Westfield Club, who was accompanying Dave Alexander, governor of District 7090. Harrington has been president of the Mayville-Westfield Club three times, a Paul Harris Fellow, and currently serves as an Assistant District Governor and serves on the Stewardship subcommittee for Rotary District 7090’s Foundation Committee as well. He will serve as the foundation committee’s chairman beginning in June 2025.

Harrington introduced Alexander, whose district includes more than 75 clubs in both southern Ontario and western New York. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Welland, Ontario. He joined Rotary in 2008 and served as club president in 2018-19. Prior to joining Rotary, he was a JayCee for 15 years. Harrington came to district leadership first through the International Committee and then the Rotary Leadership Institute as a trainer. At the RI Convention in Toronto in 2018 he became interested in the Environment and Sustainability Rotary Action Group with his new friends from around the world, currently working on the newest area of focus, the environment. At the RI Convention this past May in Singapore he was proud to represent District 7090 as a session speaker. Alexander has served on the board of the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities board, judge of the Canadian Sustainable Community Award and as Chair of Leadership Niagara. He has also served two terms with the Welland City Council.

Alexander shared samples of “Coffee Crisp Mini’s” with each member. He has visited the area several times, especially enjoying the fall season and the Comedy Center. Alexander stressed he is a “club member” first. His goal as district governor is to support each club and hear the members’ voices. He supports the Rotary Club Runner app as a good tool to reach him and others in all the clubs. Prior to his visit to Jamestown, he researched the history of the local club on its website and hopes the club can solve a mystery for him. Jamestown has had two District Governors Daniel Lincoln and James Riggs Sr. . Riggs worked on many initiatives and became district governor right after women were able to join Rotary and which he assisted in making happen. However, there is a gap where Riggs is not mentioned in the 1980s or early 1990s. Alexander would like some background on Riggs’ story to solve the mystery.

If anyone has information on James Riggs, Sr. and his wife Janet, please contact Club Historian, susanjones369@gmail.com.

The Rotary Club of Jamestown was the eighth club in the district; local members hosted the district conference three times, 1927, 1933 and 1952; in 1927 more than 1,000 Rotarians came to Jamestown for the district conference.

This year’s Rotary District 7090 Conference is April 5th in Niagara Falls, Canada (the conference alternates each year between the US and Canada, as does the home of the District Governor.) This conference will support Rotary and its community partners to have a broader conversation to chart new opportunities. Speakers and panels are planned. Participants will listen to best practices and learn about new projects and how to make them a reality.

Alexander encouraged every member to continue to look at the Lighthouse award as it serves as a goal-setting mechanism for each year’s work. He spoke about the continuing polio eradication campaign and said Rotary will continue the fight. He then moved to questions from the members.

Beckerink then surprised Alexander with a Paul Harris Fellow Award.