鹽湖城－他們差不多是來自地球的每個角落－從美國的心臟地帶的中心到尼泊爾的山脈。但是儘管家鄉有很大的差異，然而每個人共同都擁有兩件重要的事情。每個人都是扶輪社員，並且每個人都安排了他或她，他們的第一次來到洛基山鹽湖城鎮結成國際友誼的國際扶輪年會之旅。

Salt Lake City — They come from just about every corner of the globe — from the heart of America's heartland to the mountains of Nepal. But despite the vast differences in the homelands, each has two important things in common. Each is a Rotarian and each makes his or her first trip to an RI convention where they have come to forge international friendships in the Rocky Mountain town of Salt Lake City.

6月16日僅能容納人群700位新手站著空間的類似一小型聯合國訓練會議。在國際扶輪年會今年只是少許的新面孔︰

The standing room-only crowd 700 first-timers for an orientation session on 16 June resembled a miniature United Nations.  Here are just a few of the new faces at the convention this year:

Jawalakhel扶輪社的巨額捐獻人Jaya Rajya Laxmi Shah，從尼泊爾加德滿都一直旅行至鹽湖城。尼泊爾王后的前財務主管，說她現在大部分的時間是在擔任義工。Shah是位6年社齡的扶輪社員，並且是她扶輪社的創社社員。擔任2007-2008年度的社長當選人，她希望她的扶輪社增加12位新社員，而有65%的女性社員。她特別受到尼泊爾扶輪日益增多普及所鼓舞著，那兒超過1,900位扶輪社員以及至少有65個扶輪社，並且自2008年7月1日開始已獲准成為一個新的國際扶輪地區。Shah說她想要儘可能搜集多的資訊好讓新的地區有個健康的開始，而她對青少年計畫特別感到興趣。"我們對我們的青少年們有很多的期望，因此我們需要給他們領導技能，"她說。

Major Donor Jaya Rajya Laxmi Shah, of the Rotary Club of Jawalakhel,  traveled to Salt Lake City all the way from Kathmandu, Nepal. The former treasurer for the Queen of Nepal, says she now works as a volunteer much of her time. Shah has been a Rotarian for six years and is a charter member of her club. As president-elect for the 2007-2008 year, she hopes to add 12 new members to her club, which has 65 percent female membership. She is especially encouraged by the growing popularity of Rotary in Nepal, which has more than 1,900 Rotarians and at least 65 clubs, and has been approved for a new RI district starting 1 July, 2008.  Shah says she wants to glean as much information as possible to get the new district off to a healthy start, and she is especially interested in youth programs. "We expect a lot from our youth and we need to give them leadership skills," she says.   

美國密蘇里州的Chillecothe扶輪社的大衛•莫利納，帶著他的妻子Jacqui，以及9個月大的女兒斯蒂法妮。莫利納是位Chillicothe第一個基督教長老會的牧師，5年社齡的扶輪社員，談到他之所以會來參加國際扶輪年會，因為他是他的扶輪社社長當選人並且"期待結交些新朋友，並得到些可用在他的扶輪社的想法。"莫利納說他對潔淨飲用水計畫特別感到興趣。他添加參與國際扶輪年會與地區會議對於扶輪組織的氣息和範圍、它的計畫和遍及全世界的領域已讓他的眼界大開。

David Molina of the Rotary Club of Chillecothe, Missouri, USA, brought his wife Jacqui, and nine-month-old daughter, Stephanie. Molina, a pastor for the First Presbyterian Church of Chillicothe and Rotarian for five years, says he came to the convention because he is a president-elect for his club and was "looking forward to making new friends and getting ideas to use in (his) club." Molina says he was especially interested in clean water projects. He adds that coming to the convention and district meetings has opened his eyes to the breath and range of the Rotary organization, its projects, and worldwide scope.

奈及利亞Ikoyi扶輪社的拉蒂夫Adetunji是一位退休的工程師和顧問，決定透過參加國際扶輪年會作為他成為扶輪社員差不多一週年的紀念日。Adetunji說國際聯誼的概念激起他的興趣，他想要更詳細地了解扶輪和服務，結交許多新的朋友，並且擴大他所謂"生活大學"的經驗。他說他現在在他自己的生命裡一個他能回饋的地方。他說他很高興看見那麼多超過40歲的人們，因為他們都是"在生命裡有經驗的人"並且有很多可以去分享。

Lateef Adetunji of the Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Nigeria, a retired engineer and consultant, decided to mark his nearly one-year anniversary as a Rotarian by attending the convention. Adetunji says he was intrigued by the concept of international fellowship and he wants to learn more about Rotary and service, make a lot of new friends, and broaden his experience in what he calls the "university of life." He says he's now in a place in his own life where he can give back.  He says he was happy to see so many people above the age of 40 because they are "people with experience in life" and had much to share.

紐西蘭Whakatame的卡羅爾•凱倫，不久將搬到澳洲昆士蘭Bundaberg。一位兩年社齡的扶輪社員，她說如果她的扶輪社朋友愈早告訴她，扶輪是如此龐大的一個組織，她早就參加了。有微生物學專業知識的一位獨立大報系統顧問，她決定於她北美旅行增加國際扶輪年會的停留，該旅行包括了扶輪友誼交換和以與美國中西部的家庭一起生活的拜訪活動。"如果我們紐西蘭人旅行這麼遠[到美國]，我們不要只來一星期，"她說。凱倫希望更詳細地了解扶輪和"我能幫助什麼。"

Carol Cullen, of Whakatame, New Zealand, will soon relocate to Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. A Rotarian for two years, she says she would have joined earlier if her Rotary friends had only told her sooner that it is such a great organization. A freelance quality systems consultant with expertise in microbiology, she decided to add a stop at the convention to her North American trip which included a Rotary Friendship Exchange and a visit with family living in the American Midwest. "If we New Zealanders travel this far [to the United States], we don't just come for a week," she says. Cullen hopes to learn more about Rotary and "what I can do to help."