ROTARY AND THE CHIEF MINISTER'S CUP

The Rotary Clubs of the Caribbean are a fundamental part of the Chief Minister's Cup. When the Kids And The Sea (KATS) Program began planning the Chief Minister'Cup in 1997, it was immediately apparent that we would need an organization such as Rotary to make the event happen. After all, it was the Rotary Club of St. Thomas II who started KATS in 1986.

We needed contacts throughout the Caribbean to locate and put together teams to compete. As we were targeting areas where, in many cases, there were no organized Youth Sailing Organizations or affiliations with large Yacht Clubs, we knew that the teams would need financial assistance to be able to get to Tortola. Once the teams were on Tortola, they had to be met, the "Red Tape" of customs and immigration had to be cut, the teams had to be transported from one of several different Ports of Entry that they would arrive in, they had to be housed, and fed. We needed an army of volunteers. So we turned to Rotary.

Each team is sponsored by its local Rotary Club. In most cases, their entire transportation to Tortola is paid by the Rotary Clubs from ththe individual islands. The Rotary Clubs of Tortola and Road Town arrange to have the kids easily enter the BVI and transported to Nanny Cay Resort, where the event is held. They get the teams settled into their "homes" for the weekend, which in the past were charter boats donated by local charter companies and starting in 2001 became 17' X 9' Coleman tents. The Rotarians start showing up every morning at 6:00 am to start preparing breakfast and work throughout the day preparing snacks, lunch and dinner, feeding as many as 150 hungry kids and volunteers three times per day.

Then, on Monday morning, they pick up the kids and take them back to the air port or sea port from which they arrived. It's a lot of hard work and sacrifice, but we never hear complaints. In fact the Rotarians look forward to the event every year. It's an opportunity of fellowship with members of the Club and the Rotarians enjoy meeting and interacting with visiting kids. The Chief Minister's Cup is a natural event for all Rotary Clubs. It meets all of Rotary International's Four Avenues of Service: International, Community, Club and Vocational.

Above all, it serves a cause that is near and dear to all Rotary Clubs: Youth. Many of the teams that come to participate in the Chief Minister's Cup consist of kids whose first experience in sailing, or at least sailing in keel boats, has been practicing to participate in this event. Most only get together and practice for this event. The Chief Minister's Cup provides many of the kids with their first exposure to the sport of sailing. For many it is also their first introduction to the marine industries, which needs to attract more local youths to become involved with their industry. More importantly than that, the kids that participate get to know the kids from other island nations of the Caribbean. By their third night at the Regatta Village, we volunteers can't tell one team from another. They've all gotten together and have made friendships with kids from the other teams. What more could a Rotary Club ask?