A Friendship Exchange Comes Full Circle in St. CatharinesWhen Rotarians from Slovenia arrived at the Rotary Club of St. Catharines on September 24, they weren't just visiting a club. They were completing a circle of friendship and discovering a piece of their own Rotary history.
The visitors came to Niagara through the Rotary Friendship Exchange between District 7090 and District 1912, which serves Slovenia and North Macedonia. The exchange ran in two parts. In late spring, twelve couples from District 7090 travelled to Slovenia and stayed with Rotary host families. In September, those same hosts came to Canada and the United States to be welcomed in return. St. Catharines member Rick Evans was among the District 7090 participants.
Nine guests made the trip, including Rotarians from five of District 1912's clubs.
A shared history
Rotary's roots in Slovenia run deep. The country's first club was chartered in Maribor in 1930, but clubs were disbanded at the start of the Second World War and remained banned under communism. Rotary returned in 1990, when Rotary Club Ljubljana was re-established while Slovenia was still part of Yugoslavia.
That revival had a St. Catharines connection. Club members Ray and Olga Bukovec helped re-establish Rotary in Slovenia after the fall of communism, and they were recognized at the meeting with their Slovenian friends in the room. For the visitors, it was a chance to thank people whose work helped make their own clubs possible.
Rotary's roots in Slovenia run deep. The country's first club was chartered in Maribor in 1930, but clubs were disbanded at the start of the Second World War and remained banned under communism. Rotary returned in 1990, when Rotary Club Ljubljana was re-established while Slovenia was still part of Yugoslavia.
That revival had a St. Catharines connection. Club members Ray and Olga Bukovec helped re-establish Rotary in Slovenia after the fall of communism, and they were recognized at the meeting with their Slovenian friends in the room. For the visitors, it was a chance to thank people whose work helped make their own clubs possible.
Honouring local serviceThe meeting also celebrated service close to home. Rick Evans presented Paul Harris Fellow recognition to John and Linda Reiter. John is a former president of Lipa Park, the Slovenian club in the Pelham–St. Catharines area. Over the years, the Reiters have opened their home to 72 foster children. The recognition honours a commitment that rarely makes headlines but changes lives.
President Rob DePetris opened the meeting with a Truth and Reconciliation statement. St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe attended as a special guest.
Why it matters
Friendship exchanges are among Rotary's simplest programs: open your home, share your community, and make friends across borders. This visit showed how far those friendships can reach, from Slovenia to a meeting room in St. Catharines, and back across more than three decades of history.