Three nations united by Rotary friendship for 44 years

Members of Cannock Rotary Club travelled to Germany for their annual tripartite reunion with fellow Rotarians from France and Germany.

On Wednesday, June 17, a party of Rotarians from Cannock set off on their annual tripartite reunion. This year, the club visited Bad Kreuznach Rotary Club, based in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. Joining them were members of the Rotary Club of Brie-Pontault-Combault, based near Paris, France.

The tripartite association between the three clubs goes back 44 years and, over that time, the Rotary clubs have worked together on many interesting and varied charitable projects around the world. This relationship is quite unique within Rotary and is certainly one of its longest-established friendship links. It is seen by many Cannock club members as the highlight of their Rotary year.

On Thursday, June 18, there was a special event for the German club with the inauguration of the Franco-German Rose Garden in the central park area of Bad Kreuznach. The garden, which was first opened by the French Ambassador in June 1986, has recently undergone a major restoration organised and funded by the German club. Holding great significance for the town of Bad Kreuznach and the surrounding area, it was officially reopened by the Honorary President of the European Union, Julia Klöckner.

On Friday, while some of the Rotarians played golf, others enjoyed free time sightseeing in the beautiful spa town of Bad Kreuznach, known for its medieval bridges over the River Nahe dating back to the 1300s. The area is also renowned for its wines, especially Riesling. In the evening, the group was entertained by the Winzenheim Youth Orchestra before travelling to the nearby town of Bad Münster for a Greek tapas evening.

On Saturday, the group visited the town of Rüdesheim after crossing the River Rhine by ferry. They then visited a rose garden in the town of Eltville before enjoying a guided tour of Eberbach Monastery, which was used as a filming location for the Sean Connery film The Name of the Rose. In the evening, the main event of the weekend took place with a gala dinner at Meisenheimer, which included the presidential handover. All three club presidents spoke about the importance of maintaining this long-established friendship while continuing to uphold the aims and values of Rotary, summed up by its motto, "Service Above Self".

On Sunday, the clubs shared breakfast, providing an opportunity to discuss their recent projects and future plans. Before saying their final farewells, the visitors were invited to tour the Natural Radon Therapy Clinic, which treats chronic pain and rheumatic diseases and is managed by Dr A Zoiler, a member of the German club.

The weekend gave Rotarians from the three European countries the opportunity to review their activities over the past year and explore new ways of working together on future projects. Just as importantly, it provided the chance to renew longstanding friendships and enjoy Rotary fellowship.

Planning is already under way for the 2027 reunion, which will be hosted by the French club.