Dear Editor,
I write in response to the Rotary Notice carried by the Stabroek News on Page 3, Monday April 11, 2016. The Notice was signed by Rotary Assistant Governor: Guyana, Mr Marcel Gaskin and listed the Rotary Club of Demerara, Rotary Club of Georgetown, Rotary Club of Georgetown Central and the Rotary Club of Stabroek. A number of derogatory and untrue statements were made by Assistant Governor, Mr Marcel Gaskin, as it relates to myself. I will now detail these statements and respond to them individually.
In the Rotary Notice Mr Gaskin alleges that I “typically identify myself as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar”. I do not typically identify myself as a Rotary Scholar. I am a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar as a result of the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship that I was awarded with from Rotary International/Rotary Foundation located in Evanston, Illinois, USA. The Rotary Clubs here in Guyana and those in the Rotary District 7030 along with Rotary District of North East Florida 6970 – Jacksonville and Rotary International contributed towards my scholarship funding for my studies at Jacksonville University in the United States of America (Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship Award letter – Rotary Foundation 22 April 2008). This scholarship title is given to you and Ambassadorial Scholars are expected to serve as outstanding Ambassadors of Goodwill in their home country, scholarship country and in other countries that they travel to in both formal and informal settings before Rotary and non Rotary groups. Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars are expected to continue to always create personal links between countries and are important in forming greater understanding and goodwill in the world (Text: The ABC’s of Rotary, Rotary International Publication: Ambassadorial Scholarships pages 36-37). I am being referred to as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in all publications in the United States of America and Rotary International and around the world (please refer to Rotary Newsletter of 4/2/2009 http://jaxrotary.org/newsletter). Therefore there is no reason/s for me to create a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar identity as the Rotary Notice is embarrassingly alleging.
Secondly the Rotary notice stated that “I am not authorized to transact any business on behalf of any Rotary Club/s in Guyana”. This statement is incorrect. I am not employed by any of the Rotary Clubs in Guyana, so how can I transact any business financially or otherwise on behalf of any of the Rotary Clubs located in Guyana? I have never been given any business/financial contract(s) by any organization(s) as a result of any rotary clubs here in Guyana or globally. Further, all community service/charitable work that I have undertaken I have financed them myself with little or no assistance from any Rotary Club(s) here in Guyana.
In addition, I have contributed extensively towards the work of all the Rotary Clubs here in Guyana and personally to the community service cause of Mr Gaskin. Some of my charitable work or service work to specific Rotary Clubs here in Guyana include but are not limited to:
Rotary club of Demerara: Assistance with the donation of medical supplies to their medical outreach programme.
Rotary club of Stabroek Georgetown: Acquiring of Educational Speaker to serve as Guest Speaker for the Club’s weekly meeting. Rotary Club of Georgetown and Rotary Club of Georgetown Central: Donation of books to the clubs’ literary programme and the provision of eye care screening/care for students in the clubs’ Literacy Group – as recently as of Sunday April 10, 2016 assistance to the Rotarians of the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown’s hosting of their Annual Tea party.
I find the Rotary Notice by Mr Gaskin: Assistant Governor of Rotary Guyana to be totally dishonest and an attempt to discredit me as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and my honest work in the area of service. Therefore, I respectfully ask that the notice be recalled by the Office of Rotary Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Samantha Henry
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar
(RAS)