Ms Frances David, Ms Maltina Anthony-Waldron and Ms. Margaret Penn honoured as three of the first women in Rotary in the Virgin Islands. Photo: VINO

At the session to honour the women Past District Governor, Mr. Vance Lewis said that it was after the Rotary Club of Road Town was chartered in January, 1991 and shortly after a group of men led by Charter President, Ronnie W. Skelton took to the task of including women into Rotary. Photo: VINO

The three now share the distinction of being the first women to join Rotary in the VI when they became members of the Rotary Club of Road Town in August, 1992. Today they continue to serve as an inspiration to other women in the Territory and on January 28, 2015 they were presented certificates of award for their pioneering.

At the session to honour the women Past District Governor (PDG), Mr. Vance Lewis said that it was after the Rotary Club of Road Town was chartered in January, 1991 and shortly after a group of men led by Charter President, Ronnie W. Skelton took to the task of including women into Rotary.

"Once the decision was made we never looked back. The admittance of ladies to club membership, although it may have sounded funny to men when it was touted, has added to the life of Rotary and the women do work hard in all the undertakings of the club to ensure it is successful," said Mr Lewis.

Reflecting on her journey as a female Rotarian, Margaret Penn recalled that when she joined the Rotary Club of Road Town as one of the first three female Rotarians in the BVI, the move to treat women as equal to men was becoming a worldwide concept.

"The Rotary Club of Road Town, under the leadership of Hon. Ronnie Skelton must be commended for the brave step they took in making the decision to include women in the Club. And I must say in our Club, women have always been equal to men. Indeed only a short time later, we had the first female Rotary President in the BVI when Past President Jeffery Potter-Canton assumed leadership of the Club," said Mrs. Penn who is a current member of the club's board.

She said society has changed over the years where gender no longer defines nor limits one’s career choices.

Mrs. Penn stated, "Our Club was the first to reflect this equality of contribution to society; indeed it is a good thing that the other Rotary Clubs and other service organizations have seen it fit to include men and women in their groupings. I would like to thank the Rotary Club of Road Town for recognizing us the first three women Rotarians. I am honoured to have been a part of the great initiative started by our Club, providing women another avenue of opportunity to make a difference in our community."

PDG Lewis shared with the meeting that Potter-Canton became the first female President of any Rotary Club in the Territory when she was elected to the position in the Rotary Club of Road Town in 1997-1998.

There have been five female Presidents in the Rotary Club of Road Town, including Potter-Canton, Janice Rymer, Nona Vanterpool, Stephanie Benn and Yvonne Crabbe.

Today women in Rotary have risen to prominence as the present Assistant District Governor, Mrs. Delma Maduro was the first female President of the Rotary Club of Tortola while the Rotary Club Sunrise of Road Town was chartered in March 2009 with a female President, Monica Ramgeet.