By Jennifer Daknis, Point Comfort Wealth Management
Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Warwick at City Center traveled to England this past May to participate in a Rotary Friendship Exchange (or RFE). A RFE allows Rotarians to take turns hosting one another in their cities for a chance to experience different cultures, build international friendships, find partners for grants and establish a foundation for peace and service.
Warwick at City Center Rotary has a history of Youth Exchanges and RFE’s dating back more than 30 years. In April 1997, Rotarians from the Warwick Rotary Club in the U.K. visited our club and enjoyed historic Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg. In both 1998 and 2004, we returned the favor and visited our Rotary friends in Warwick, U.K. In 2006-07, in honor of Jamestown’s 400th anniversary and Pocahontas, a Group Study Exchange was conducted between Rotary Districts 7600 and 1120 in Gravesend, solidifying a relationship with both U.K. Rotary Districts 1060 and 1120.
Journeying to England, I was among five Rotarians, including Priscilla Bele, Ella Abney, Kimberly Abney, Robin Nelhuebel and her husband Kevin. After spending several days in London, we made a day trip to Gravesend, visiting with the Rotary Club of Gravesham with Ebbsfleet. The highlights of the day included a group lunch at Three Daws Pub, visiting Pocahontas’ gravesite at St. George’s Church and the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara Sikh Temple as well as meeting with Mayor Daniel Adewale King.
We spent a day in the town of Warwick. Hosted by our sister club, Rotary Club of Warwick, U.K., we enjoyed a guided tour of the town, visited Lord Leycester Hospital and Warwick Castle.
gathering to attend dinner at Guy’s Cliffe House celebrating the Rotary Friendship Exchange.
Our hosts took us to Stratford-upon-Avon with visits to Shakespeare’s birthplace and a relaxing boat ride on the River Avon. A group dinner at Guy’s Cliffe Warwick gave us the opportunity to share common interests, and presentations were made by both clubs, District Governor 1060 Denzil Williams and Warwick Mayor David Skinner.
Before returning to the U.S., we took a side trip to Amsterdam. Highlights included an Anne Frank guided walking tour, a Heineken Brewery Experience, a canal cruise and the famous Keukenhof gardens.
In appreciation, District Governor of 7600 Joy Kline extended heartfelt gratitude to the Rotary Club of Warwick U.K. and the Rotary Club of Gravesham with Ebbsfleet for creating this incredible opportunity to build lasting friendships and strengthen the bond between our countries.
Invitations were extended for a return RFE visit to the U.S. in 2026 to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, and seeds were planted with both clubs on future global grant projects. Tony Cassano, owner of GoBucketList Travel and a Rotarian with the New Kent Club, was instrumental in helping with all the travel details. Robin Nelhuebel said of the trip “We enjoyed making new connections in old places.”
Jennifer Daknis, AIF®, PPC,TM managing partner and LPL financial advisor with Point Comfort Wealth Management, is an active member of the Rotary Club of Warwick at City Center. For information about the Rotary Club of Warwick at City Center, Daknis may be contacted by phone at 757-223-5902 or by email at Jennifer.Daknis@lplfinancial.com.
