Club Information
Welcome to the Rotary Club of St Augustine
St. Augustine

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 7:30 PM
Venues change depending on Meeting
East Trinidad
St George,  0000
Trinidad and Tobago
Meetings every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. Please email us at: rotaryclubofstaugustinett@gmail.com for details and venue.
Home Page Stories

Advancing Women’s Health by Increasing PCOS Awareness in Trinidad

Left to right: Diana Maharaj, President-Elect, Rotary Club of Felicity/ Charlieville, Renuka Ragoo, Team Lead-Corporate Social responsibility, Ramps Logistics; Alicia Paponette, Executive Administrator, Caribbean Eye Institute; Melissa Senhouse, Director, Rotary Club of St. Augustine; Tanya Western, President, Rotary Club of Central Port of Spain; Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, Rotary District 7030 Advocate, Empowering Girls; Team of Local Investigator: Dr. Stephanie Mohammed, Researcher, Department of Physics and Pre-clinical Sciences; Dr. Venkatesan Sundaram, Head,  Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Dr. Brian Cockburn, Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology.
 
 
"The project was approved by The Ethics Committee of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus and also received funding from the School of Graduates because of its importance. Additional support was received from the Rotary Clubs of Central Port of Spain, Felicity/Charlieville, and St. Augustine because of the alignment with the club’s international focus on Empowering Girls in Trinidad with the focus on combating diseases, promoting girls’ empowerment, and addressing mental health issues. Other corporate sponsors include RAMPS Logistics and Caribbean Eye Institute who are also active Rotarians. Recognizing that diabetes mellitus is often associated with PCOS, the Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago has also committed to join the effort to support this groundbreaking study at The University of the West Indies."
 
 
From Rotary Club of Ripley and Send (UK): Our club was contacted by a founding member of the Rotary Club of St Augustine Trinidad, West Indies, Dr John Bharath about donating a mobile Dental Unit of his to the Ukraine front line villages for treating those in need.
We were able to use our UK and Ukraine ICC members to deliver the unit as part of larger project to equip several mobile medical facilities.
The unit was shipped out from the UK within a couple of weeks.
 
Many thanks for the donation from the Trinidad club and Dr Bharath!
 
 
On Saturday 25th June, the Rotary Club of St Augustine held its 54th Handing Over Ceremony and installed a new Board of Directors.  The new Board is led by Larry Holder who joined the Rotary family as a Rotaractor in 2010 and became a Rotarian in 2013. 
 
The 2022 to 2023 Board is as follows:
  • Larry Holder - President
  • Dr Rishi Sharma - Immediate Past President
  • Rishard Ali - President-Elect and Treasurer
  • Sanjiv Boodhu - Secretary
  • Krishna Boodhai - Vice President
Directors:
  • Dwayne Haynes - Administration
  • Balraj Kelly - Service Projects
  • Maria Mohammed-Mohammed - Public Image
  • Melissa Senhouse - Youth Services
  • Dr Deo Singh - Foundation
  • Rajin Sookhai - Membership
 
 
 
Sonya Alleyne, Rotary District 7030 Governor visited the EarlyAct™ Club of The University School on Thursday 21st April for the pinning ceremony of the second Board.  
Additionally, the EarlyAct™ Club launched the 'For Kids by Kids' campaign.  This is a partnership between the EarlyAct™ Club of the University School, Rotary Club of St Augustine and Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago.
Rotary T&T Moves for Childhood Obesity
 
 
 
Date: March 06 2022, 7:00 a.m.
Activity: Walk or Run around the Queen’s Park Savannah
Starting and ending point: Queen’s Hall
Brunch provided either as take away or dine in and Fellowship after at The Garden Theatre, Queen’s Hall.
 
Contribution:
Adults - $165.00
Teens - $70.00
Kids are Free
 
Please note Queen's Hall is a designated safe zone.
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District 7030 has designated Sunday 6th March 2022, as an official Rotary Day of Service focused on promoting physical activities as part of a healthy lifestyle among both adults and children. Under the World Obesity Day’s theme for this year – ‘Everybody Needs To Act’ – District Governor, Sonya Alleyne proudly introduces the 1st Annual Rotary District 7030 Obesity Awareness Movement – a District wide activity for Sunday 6th March 2022 in which Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, EarlyActors, families, Friends of Rotary and members of the public can participate.
 
 
 
 
From left:  Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, Immediate Past President, Rotary Club of St Augustine (RCoSA); Indar Ramnath, President, RCoSA; Kennedy Flemming, President, Rotary Club of San Fernando South; Roger Bose, Past Rotary District 7030 Governor; Dr Paulson Skerrit, Lecturer - Reading Education, School of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Education, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus; Dr Stephen Ramroop, Past Rotary District 7030 Governor; Jan Siegel, President, Rotary Club of Willowdale, Toronto (RCoW) and Courtney Doldron, Immediate Past President, RCoW, Toronto.
 
 
The Rotary Clubs of St Augustine, San Fernando South and Willowdale (Ontario, Canada), along with Dr Paulson Skerrit, Lecturer - Reading Education, School of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Education, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus (UWISTA), recently held an information session for Rotary Clubs, on the recently launched Psychoeducational Diagnostic and Intervention Clinic (PEDIC). 
     PEDIC, based at the School of Education, UWISTA, was formed to address challenges that exist in Trinidad and Tobago, where there is limited access to assessment and intervention that result in barriers to learning not being identified and addressed for many learners. 
    This includes issues specific to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Reading Challenges, which will be highlighted as it relates to the need for the PEDIC project in 89 primary schools across the country. 
     The PEDIC is spearheaded by Professor Jerome De Lisle, Team Leader, Principal Investigator, PEDIC and Director, School of Education and the rest of his team, Dr. Korinne Louison, Manager; Dr. Elna Carrington-Blaides, Inclusive Education Specialist and Dr. Paulson Skerrit, Reading Specialist, PEDIC.
     Highlights of this multi-phase research project include:
 
·      Surveying the ADHD/Reading context within the primary school system of Trinidad and Tobago;
·      Ascertaining the prevalence of ADHD in school-aged children and student attitudes toward reading;
·      Conducting clinical interviews and administering parent/teacher behaviourial rating scales
·      Screening for Dyslexia and Tier I and II assessment of reading challenges, that will drive evidence-based interventions.                                                                    
    PEDIC envisages that in Phase IV of the project, the support of the Rotary Clubs will provide the resources for the screening, diagnostic assessments and interventions specific to reading challenges on a scale that will fit with PEDIC’s social entrepreneurship business model.
 

 
 
Indar Ramnath was recently installed at the 2019 to 2020 President for the Rotary Club of St Augustine at a ceremony held at Jaffa Restaurant, Port of Spain.
 
2019 to 2020 Board
Left to Right:  Past Presidents Balraj Kelly, Anand Rampersad;  Assistant Governor Gary Williams; Past President Dietrich Schoeller; 2019 to 2020 President Indar Ramnath; Immediate Past President, Maria Mohammed-Maharaj; 2020 to 2021 President-Elect Krishna Boodhai and Past President, Dr Deo Singh.  Missing:  Rotarian Dr Joeline Charles; Past Presidents Rajin Sookhai and Ramesh Ramlogan.
 
To culminate the 50th year of the Rotary Club of St Augustine, a Joint Celebration was held together with the Club's Annual Handing Over Ceremony recently at Jaffa Restaurant in Port of Spain. Ten year old Ella Elizabeth Pollard, Charter President of the first EarlyAct™ Club in Trinidad & Tobago (of the University School) delivered the Opening Remarks.  The Club was honoured to have Charter Member and Past Rotary District 6600 (US) Governor John Brodbeck - now with the Rotary Club of Springdale - come in from Arkansas, US to deliver the Feature Address. 
 
 
Additionally, seven Honourary Members were inducted including: Charter Members: Nath Sharma who celebrated 51 years as a Rotarian on 26th June 2019; Dr John Bharath and John Brodbeck who will now be both an Honourary Member with the Rotary Club of St Augustine while still being an active member of the Rotary Club of Springvale in Arkansas, US.  

Honourary Membership was also conferred for Meritorious Community Service to Past Presidents, Dr Bishnu Balbirsingh and Rashide Tallim Mohammed; while Dr Ferdinand Penco and Dr Sateesh Ramphal received same for their contribution to Heartbeat International Trinidad & Tobago (HBITT), a project that was started by the Club over thirty years ago.

Outgoing President Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, handed over the Presidential Chain to 2019 to 2020 President Indar Ramnath.

Other attendees included:  Mr. Joseph FitzGerald, Political Section Chief of the U.S. Embassy, Mr Aniruddha Das, Second Secretary, High Commission of India, Joe Ramkissoon, Past Rotary District 7030 Governor, Principal and Vice Principal of the University School, Rotarians from St Augustine and other Rotary Clubs, Rotaract Club of St Augustine, Inner Wheel Club of Trinidad & Tobago and other guests.
 
 
Ten year old Ella Pollard, Charter President of the EarlyAct™ Club of the University School receives the Club's official gavel from Vishnu Balroop, Past President and EarlyAct™ Co-ordinator, Rotary Club of St Augustine.  The EarlyAct™ Club of the University School is the first to be formed in Trinidad & Tobago, sponsored by the Rotary Club of St Augustine.  EarlyAct™ is  a school-wide service club of children aged 5 to 13 years old.
 
 
 
 
The Rotary Club of St Augustine sponsored Trinidad and Tobago's first EarlyAct™ Club of The University School on Monday 6th May at a Charter Ceremony held at the School's Auditorium
 
EarlyAct™ Club of The University School Charter Board (Standard 3):
  • President - Ella Pollard
  • Vice President - Braeden Velasco 
  • Corresponding Secretary - Gianna Boodram
  • Recording Secretary - Kirsten Jade Rampersad
  • Treasurer - Aimee Manoo
  • Head Chairperson - Jazlene Ramsingh
 
The EarlyAct™ Club of the University School was launched during the 50th Anniversary year of the Rotary Club of St Augustine.  The University School started in 1954 with its initial aim to provide educational facilities for children of the senior staff of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA).  By 1966, the ICTA had been replaced by the University of the West Indies (UWI).  While first priority is therefore given to children of members of the staff of The University of the West Indies, others are accepted up to the limit of numbers.  Part of the land on which the school is situated is owned by the University.
 
Charter Ceremony:
Present at the charter ceremony, were all students of the school, Principal, Vice Principal, Teachers, Rotarians and Rotaractors from the Rotary Club of St Augustine and also the President and President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Willowdale (Toronto), which is the twin club of the Rotary Club of St Augustine.
 
n the photo,  (Left to right) Gary Williams, Assistant Governor East Cluster, Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, President, Rotary Club of St Augustine  and Vishnu Balroop, EarlyAct™ Co-ordinator and Past President, Rotary Club of St Augustine with the Charter Board after they received their pins, TShirts and Charter Certificate. 
 
Video of Charter President Ella's Speech can be viewed here:  https://youtu.be/df-ioB94USE
 
 
 
Courtesy Call at The High Commission of Canada by twin Clubs, Rotary Club of St Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago and Rotary Club of Willowdale, Canada. Left to right: Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, President, Rotary Club of St Augustine, Courtney Doldron, President, Rotary Club of Willowdale, Jane Siegel, President-Elect, Rotary Club of Willowdale, Dr Deo Singh, Past President, Rotary Club of St Augustine. High H.E. Carla Hogan Rufelds Canadian High Commission to Trinidad & Tobago, David and Heather Graeme, Rotary Club of Willowdale. The Clubs are working together on a local project under Area of Focus for Education and Literacy
 
 
 
The Rotary Clubs of St Augustine and Sangre Grande recently held a Joint Induction Ceremony at The University Inn & Conference Centre.  Presidents Maria Mohammed-Maharaj (St Augustine) and Mervyn Ali (Sangre Grande) together inducted a total of thirteen (13) new Rotarians; ten (10) into the Rotary Club of St Augustine and three (3) into the Rotary Club of Sangre Grande.  Feature Speaker was Roger Bose, Past Rotary District 7030 Governor. 
 
New Rotarians (Rotary Club of St Augustine)
  1. Rishard Ali, Chartered Accountant, Managing Director of Financial Essentials Solutions Ltd.;
  2. Vinod Bholaisingh, Manager, Corporate Finance, RBC Merchant Bank;
  3. Leisha Dhoray, Systems Analyst, Trinidad & Tobago Electricity Commission;
  4. Jason George, Country Manager, United Airlines;
  5. Wynell Gregorio, Marketing and Communications Director, The University of the West Indies;
  6.  Francis Joseph, Marketing & Protocol Officer, Centre of Excellence;
  7. Amarjeet Kocher, Operations Manager, Massy Stores Ltd;
  8. Jagdesh Ramjit, Manager, Head Office, Republic Bank Ltd.;
  9. Crystal Remy, Branch Manager, JMMB, Tunapuna;
  10. Dr Rishi Sharma, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Caribbean Eye Institute.
New Rotarians (Rotary Club of Sangre Grande)
  1. Shivana Sooklal, Investment-Treasury Analyst, CLICO;
  2. Shivan Sooklal, Information Management Document Control Analyst, BPTT;
  3. Seeta Juteram, Board Member at The Ministry of Social Development and Family Service.
 

 

 
The University School will soon launch the first EarlyAct™ Club in Trinidad & Tobago, sponsored by the Rotary Club of St. Augustine. EarlyAct™ is a school-wide club for student ages 5 to 13 years old, whose ideals are closely linked to the ideals of Rotary.
     EarlyAct™ engages students in character-building activities and prepares them for leadership roles to identify and carry out projects which benefit their school, local and global communities.  There are many EarlyAct™ Clubs located in the USA, Europe, Australia and in the Caribbean, including St.  Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Maarten and in other islands.
     "The Rotary Club of St Augustine, now in its’ 50th year, looks forward to our partnership with The University School in the development of their EarlyAct™ Club," Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, President of the Rotary Club of St. Augustine. "The school’s willingness to partner with us on the establishment of the Club is a demonstration of their  mission of  being “.. devoted to the development of healthy, enlightened, self-reliant children in an environment of caring…”
     "This will enable a successful and sustainable EarlyAct™ Club that will encourage the spirit of volunteerism from an early age.”
 
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Second from right:  Odessa Vincent Brown, Principal of The University School receives an EarlyAct™ Manual from Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, President of the Rotary Club of St Augustine.  Looking on are Stacy Richards-Kennedy, Chairman of the School Council and Vishnu Balroop, Past President and EarlyAct™ Co-ordinator, Rotary Club of St Augustine
 
 
One of the projects that will benefit from proceeds of our 28th Annual Fete for Life is our 50th Anniversary Eye Project, where we will once again be partnering with Caribbean Eye Institute and Medical Associates Hospital to provide eye surgeries to patients in need.
 
 
The Inner Wheel Club of St Augustine recently celebrated Inner Wheel Day with Feature Speaker, Caroline Alcock, british Deputy High Commission to Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday 19th January.  According to International Inner Wheel: President Helena Foster (1969-1970) came up with the idea for a special day for a special organisation, so she wrote a letter to all clubs worldwide.
 

"I would like to ask all members of clubs throughout the world to link together in ACTION ON JANUARY 10th. I have chosen this special day because it was on January 10th 1924 that the Mother Club, the Manchester Inner Wheel club, England, first adopted the name INNER WHEEL.

 

Read more at:   https://www.internationalinnerwheel.org/about-iiw/inner-wheel-day.html

 

The Rotary Club of St Augustine together with The Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry & Commerce and partnering with NCB Global Finance presents a Breakfast Meeting entitled:
Overview of Procurement Legislation
Date: Friday 25th January 2019
Time: 7:00 am to 10:00 am
Petrea Hall, Centre of Excellence, Macoya.
Cost: $150.00
Link to register: https://goo.gl/forms/v5lGSqqWcODLcKal1

Feature Speaker:
Monilal Lalchan, Chairman, The Office of Procurement Regulation. Mr Lalchan is the Chairman and Procurement Regulator of the Procurement Board of Trinidad and Tobago. In the past, he has served on the Board of Governors and was also Chairman of the Audit Committee of the National Energy Skills Center (NESC), as well as Chairman of the Board of Directors of InvestTT Limited and of the Education Facilities Company Limited. No stranger to directorship in a number of prestigious firms; Moonilal is a former Director and Vice-President, Finance and Planning at the Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad and Tobago, a former Director of several RBC financial institutions and the Hotel Facilitation Company Limited. With charitable work always close to his heart, Moonilal was a director of the Heroes Foundation and several other charitable organisations, in addition to being a past President of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
To book call: 645-5639 or 270-6442 or Email:

gtchamberinfo@gmail.com rotaryclubofstaugustinett@gmail.com

The Rotary Clubs of Chaguanas, Princes Town, San Fernando South and St Augustine will be having a joint meeting next Wednesday 23rd January from 7:00 pm.

Details are as follows:

Topic: The Role of the Entrepreneur as related to the Transport System in Trinidad & Tobago

Feature Speaker:
Mr Wayne Richards, Former Transport Commissioner (Retired September 2018)

Venue: Passage to Asia Restaurant, Chaguanas.

Contribution: $150.00

Online Registration Form:
https://goo.gl/forms/ifolPK5tES02IyTG3

Bio:
Mr Wayne Richards retired at the prestigious position of Transport Commissioner where he has made an indelible mark in transport and transport related activities in Trinidad and Tobago. He possesses a Masters Degree in Business Management and a Bachelor in International Transport Management, Motor Vehicle Technology and also studied in Singapore at the Land Transport Academy with certification in Intelligent Transport Systems and Transport Innovation Mr. Richards has served on numerous Transportation committees as far back as the 1990s.

 
Members of the Rotary Club of St Augustine journeyed to sister isle to celebrate the Rotary Club of Tobago's 50th Anniversary.  In January 1969, members of the Rotary Club of St Augustine also attended the Charter Ceremony of the Club.    According to John Brodbeck, Charter Member of the Rotary Club of St Augustine"The event was held at the newly opened Mt Irvine's Resort.  Frank Misir, QC from the Rotary Club of San Fernando who was the Rotary Administrative Advisor for the Group of Rotary Clubs presented the Charter to the Rotary Club of Tobago.  If I can recall the Charter President of the Club was the head of Customs in Tobago."   Past District Governor John sent a video message to the Rotary Club of Tobago on the occasion of their 50th Anniversary.  This video can be viewed at this link:  https://youtu.be/vUWATPwemT4.
 
Past District Governor John migrated back to the US in the 1970s and has been a Rotarian for over 50 years, starting with the Rotary Club of St Augustine and currently a member of the Rotary Club of Springvale.  He keeps in constant contact with some members in our Club.  For details on his 50+ years in Rotary, you can view this article from the Arizona Democrat Gazette at this link:  John Brodbeck
 
There are currently three (3) members of the Rotary Club of St Augustine who started their Rotary career at the Tobago Club.  One of those members Dietrich Schoeller, Past President also sent video greetings to the Club, which can be viewed at this link:  https://youtu.be/EWnkf1ewnWc.
 
Left to right:  Dr Paulson Skerritt, Lecturer in the Reading Education and Literacy Studies (School of Education, The University of the West Indies); Ms Donette Gray, Librarian, Holy Saviour Anglican School;  Courtney Doldron, President, Rotary Club of Willowdale (Toronto -District 7070), Jan Siegel, President-Elect, Rotary Club of Willowdale (Toronto) and Mrs Hazel Edwards, Principal, Holy Saviour Anglican School during the recent visit to the school by the Rotary Club of Willowale - who donated hardware items for the Library and the Rotary Club of St Augustine.
 
The School of Education at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus was very thrilled to be involved in a partnership between the Rotary Club of St. Augustine (District 7030) and the Rotary Club of Willowdale, Toronto (District 7070) and Holy Saviour Anglican School initiated by final year PhD student Mr. Asif Dover. The Rotary Clubs have demonstrated a keen interest in investing resources and expertise that will make a significant impact on the reading achievement of the students at the school. The resources provided along with the implementation of other aspects of the reading programme drafted by Mr. Dover will also support the efforts of the reading specialist at the School of Education, Dr. Paulson Skerrit. He is currently building the capacity of a small diagnostic team as they work toward assessing students referred by their teachers for having reading challenges and making recommendations for addressing those challenges.
 
 
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
Anniversaries:
  • Tallim Mohammed
    Rose Mohammed
    March 15
Join Date:
  • Bal Sukha
    March 20, 2006
    18 years

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Projects and Initiatives
Disease Prevention and Treatment
 
  • Sight for Life
  • Childhood Obesity Prevention
  • Mental Health Initiatives
  • Polio Eradication
Supporting Education
 
Promoting Peace
 
Growing Local Economies
 
Girls Empowerment
 
Protecting the Environment
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fund Raisers
Annual Golf for Life - October 2023 - in aid of Education, Literacy and Sports for Youth.
 
Annual Fete for Life - Carnival 2024 - in aid of Club Projects
 
Annual Bar-b-Que for Life - in aid of Club Projects
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rotary International News
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How the polio survivor learned about Rotary

Rotaract club in Bangladesh rocks on, raises profile

Members of the Rotaract Club of Dhaka Orchid use popular music to boost Rotaract’s profile, attract members, and raise funds for projects.

Rotary honors a tireless advocate for women and girls

The 2024 Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award recipient promotes women’s health and empowerment

New film tells story of Sir Nicholas Winton, World War II hero and humanitarian

Rotarian saved hundreds of children at risk of being killed by the Nazis in the lead up to World War II

Rotary projects around the globe March 2024

Learn how Rotary clubs are taking action in the United States, Canada, Hungary, South Africa, and India.

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