A prestigious visit

Rotary International President Elect 2025-26 Mário César Martins de Camargo visited the Rotary Club of Beijing on 7 January 2025, part of his tour worldwide to visit clubs.
He also visited other Rotary clubs in Beijing and Shanghai.
As a club member I had the privilege to meet many of the RI presidents. The visit of Mário was special for me as he is from the State of São Paulo and I resided in Brazil many years, including in the city of São Paulo.
I introduced to him my friend Nelson who is the journalist of the well-know Folha de São Paulo. Nelson later interviewed him.
We had a big turnout and the dinner in Kempinski Hotel was a success. And the food was great!

Pictures by Rtn Tom and Rtn Gilbert
This post is my personal view, not an official report of our club.

The program

An overview of the evening, as related by Mário himself and slightly edited by myself
Source: Mário on Facebook.

On 7 January 2025, Rotary International President Elect 2025-26 MARIO CÉSAR MARTINS DE CAMARGO, in Beijing, China, participated in moments of exchanging experiences and fellowship, with great engagement with the local Rotary community. It was moments to reinforce the values of solidarity, leadership and teamwork, pillars of Rotary, in an international context. It was a unique opportunity to exchange experiences, strengthen bonds among Rotary Clubs in the region, and promote global initiatives that reflect Rotary’s commitment to making a difference in the world.

RIPE 2025-26 Mario –  Great Moments at Rotary Club of Beijing

We highlight special moments from the President-Elect’s visit to the Rotary Club of Beijing.
▪︎ Registration of the attendees at the occasion. Present: members of the Rotary Clubs of Beijing, Beijing Riviera, Shenyang, Rotary China delegates among others and guests.
▪︎ Presence of journalists of Folha de São Paulo (Brazil), Pakistan and Germany
▪︎ Admission of new members: Realized by RIPE Mario, strengthening the associative framework of the club. Induction of our new member Joel.
▪︎ Presentation by our club directors of the activities of the club.
▪︎ Speech by Mário after the introduction by Rtn Tom and thanks by Rtn Didier who presided the dinner
▪︎ Special gift: Mario received a traditional Chinese scroll with calligraphy in Chinese characters, symbolizing friendship and gratitude, from Rtn Tom.
▪︎ Historical recognition: Rotary International Certificate in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Beijing.
▪︎ President-Elect with Katrina Sam, Associate Rotarian with the Rotary Club of South Barbados in the Caribbean. Former president of her home club and currently an expatriate in Beijing on an international mission for a multinational development bank, Katrina has been instrumental in supporting the disclosures of the President-Elect’s actions in Beijing. She cooperates with sending materials and responds promptly to requests. Katrina participates as a visiting Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Beijing, proudly representing District 7030 in the Caribbean

This visit reflects the spirit of unity and cultural exchange that Rotary promotes globally.

Some background

See the background of Mário here:

Rtn Tom explains the sophisticated design of the scroll he donated:

Indeed a state of the art AI à la Tom…