TEE TIME

More than 200 golfers from around the world will tee off in August in the International Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians 48th World Championship at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, USA.

Hosted by District 7690, the tournament will be held 21-27 August on three courses at Pinehurst, which is consistently ranked by Golf Magazine as one of the top golfing destinations in the world.

Ray Taylor, event chair and past district governor, says that golf is only one of the attractions for the Rotarians who will gather for the event..

"The appeal is the course itself, but it's the magnetism of meeting old friends and making new ones that makes the week so much fun," says Taylor, who will be attending his 20th golf fellowship tournament. "I have made friends from around the world; I probably would have never met them if it weren't for the golf fellowship."

The fellowship, which is one of 58 recognized by the RI Board of Directors, began in 1963 and has more than 1,500 members from 60 countries. Fellowships bring Rotarians, their spouses, and Rotaractors together to share common interests, explore new opportunities to serve, enhance the Rotary experience through fun activities, and further vocational development through friendship. Each June, they are celebrated through Rotary Fellowships Month.

"Fellowships are important because they add another dimension to the organization," says Taylor. "International friendship is the glue that holds Rotary together."

Here’s a sampling of Rotary fellowships:

• The International Fellowship of Authors and Writers, which encompasses both professionals and amateurs, was approved by the Board in January. It has members from Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, Nigeria, and the United States.
• "Surface Above Self" is the motto of the International Fellowship of Rotarian Scuba Divers, whose members travel the world for underwater adventure and contribute to a local Rotary club project or cause on each expedition. Their most recent trips include a 10-day cruise through the Maldives and a weeklong excursion to Little Cayman Island.
• Members of the International Home Exchange Fellowship of Rotarians stay in one another’s homes, either for vacation, work-related stints, or special events. The exchanges give members the opportunity to experience different cultures and make lifelong friends.

View a complete list of Rotary fellowships.