Excellence in Fellowship and Fun

Quota International of Cambridge, Maryland, United States, District 10

A 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run—all in a day's work for Cambridge Quotarians! Club members don't actually compete in the Eagleman Triathlon hosted in their hometown annually, but they play a crucial role in the event, and their participation plays a crucial role in building club fellowship. From Saturday morning through Sunday night, the club takes care of food preparation and service, which is no small feat when 2,000 athletes with big appetites roll into town! Quotarians assist the caterer in setting up and serving food for the pre-race dinner, and on the day of the race, they set up the serving area for lunch and post-race snacks.

Relieved of the stresses of running their own event, club members can follow orders and really focus on enjoying one another's company and supporting athletes, laughing and bonding throughout the day. The club has become well-known in the community for its participation in the race, one of the town's major events, and event organizers are so appreciative that they provide members with blue shirts in honor of Quota. Not only do Quotarians' legs get a workout as they set up and serve food, but they stretch their vocal chords, too; by the end of the weekend, most are hoarse from cheering on the competitors at various legs of the race.

To read or print the club's winning application, click here*.

Quota International of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia, District 26

A whirlwind trip to Paris, a dinner beneath the shadows of the Eiffel Tower, drinking wine, and dancing the can-can at the Folies Bergere…it sounds like a luxurious—and expensive—vacation, but for Parkes Quotarians, it all happened in a single evening. Without the hassle and expense of travel, "The Last Time I Saw Paris" was the theme of this club's annual International Dinner. Over the course of an entire year, club members work in committees to plan an authentic evening that transports Quotarians and guests to a whole new world.

More than 80 guests crossed international borders when they entered the Parkes Golf Club on the evening of the event. Inside the gates was a Parisian restaurant featuring French maids and Eiffel Tower centerpieces, and just beyond that was a courtyard featuring a wine bar, café, and an artist with his palette and easel and small French poodle at his feet. The walls boasted many interesting French objet d'art, including a double portrait of the Mona Lisa—one as she appears in the Louvre, the other as she'd look after living it up in New York. After a delicious French meal, guests sung the Marsellaise and constructed their own Eiffel Towers, then retired to the Folies Bergere, where a surprise awaited: male guests dressed in colorful skirts performing the can-can! A clapometer measured audience response to the dance to award the best dancer, but after such a delightful evening, each guest acknowledged that every "Parisian" Quotarian who had worked to put together the event was a winner.

To read or print the club's winning application, click here*.

To return to the 2008 Excellence Award Winners main page, click here.

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