On the third weekend in October, Třebíč transformed into a centre of Rotary joy and fellowship. From Friday 17 to Sunday 19 October we celebrated, together, three decades of service and friendship that our club has tirelessly cultivated since 1995. Below is a brief look back at a weekend that - we hope - left everyone with only fond memories.
The first guests arrived at the Grand Hotel Třebíč in the early evening. The sense of anticipation was soon replaced by warm greetings among Rotarian friends, including District Governor Jan Bílek and representatives of our partner clubs RC Rothenburg and RC Torgau-Oschatz. A shared dinner provided an opportunity not only to reminisce but also to plan for the future.
Saturday began with a guided tour of the Jewish Quarter, after which we enjoyed coffee at the home of the Ryneš family, who live in this beautiful part of Třebíč. Lunch followed, during which we welcomed additional guests, and the afternoon continued with a visit to the Basilica of St Procopius.
At 3 p.m. we moved to the Stone Hall of the Vysočina Museum for the main ceremonial gathering. Club President Marie Smrčková and master of ceremonies František Ryneš welcomed everyone and opened the proceedings. Marie introduced two key areas of the club’s work - youth exchange and the Rotary Foundation.
An engaging lecture by Milan Klapetka of RC Brno City on the theme of aristocracy then invited reflection on each individual’s responsibility for democracy and its values. The cultural highlight was an 11-year-old pianist, Vojtěch Fišera, whose talent is supported by the clubs Jičín-Nymburk, Hradec Králové, Pardubice, Telč-Prague Golf/NGW and Tábor.
František Ryneš revisited the club’s history from 1937 and 1995, after which Jaromír Barák outlined our activities, flagship events and Foundation projects, placing special emphasis on youth exchange.
In the second part of the cultural programme, Vojta swapped the piano for the violin. “A balm for the soul,” someone whispered after his performance, which was rewarded with rapturous applause. The formal section concluded with greetings from guests and an exchange of gifts. A particularly moving moment came when exchange students personally thanked Mirek Barák. “It changed my life - literally,” said Tomáš Hráček. “Through the exchange I grew up, stopped being afraid and started believing in myself.”
At 7 p.m. the celebrations continued with the comedy ‘Zmrazovač - Il Congelatore’ at the Národní dům. The actors won the audience over with spontaneous humour and were rewarded with applause and a red rose from the club president. The day ended with an evening buffet at the Grand Hotel, where guests celebrated into the early hours.
Warm thanks go to Mirek Barák and František Ryneš for their invaluable cooperation in preparing the celebrations.
We also thank all the guests who joined us in celebrating this significant 30th anniversary!
Yours in Rotary,
Marie Smrčková
President, RC Třebíč
