We were pleased to welcome an international visitor today to one of our regular club meetings – José Luis C Ponte. José is a member of the Rotary Club of Viana do Castelo (Portugal). He is a Past President of his Club and currently presides their Commission for Club Administration; he is also the Designated Governor for his District (1970) for the Rotary year 2019/2020. José is visiting Canterbury as his son is working here.
The Rotary Club of Viana do Castelo was born in 1956 and currently has 30 members: 26 men and 4 women. They also have a Rotaract Club, an Interact Club and a Rotary KID Club. The main club is twinned with the Rotary Club of Bordeaux Montaigne (France) and Porto Seguro (Brazil). José has been part of the Club for the last 15 years and is nurturing a family tradition of involvement with Rotary through his granddaughter, Maria who is a Rotary KID (and also visited us).
José presented our President, Martin Ward, with a pennant and a commemorative tile representing the filigree work typical of his city. He also gifted a traditional scarf (offered by his wife) and a bottle of Port Wine which was produced locally by Maria’s grandfather.
José kindly invited members from our club to visit his city and club. He tells us that Viana do Castelo is a lovely city in the northwest coast of Portugal, with about 90 thousand Inhabitants, surrounded by sea, river and mountains.
Picture: José presents our President Martin with a pennant, looked on by Maria, a Rotary KID. (Picture credit: José Luis C Ponte)
