The hottest ‘ticket’ in town each year is a freebie, and one that will fuel your ambitions for the rest of the year. It’s Rotary Midday’s Farley W. Wheelwright Citizen of the Year Awards Ceremony, which this year will honor Betse Davies for almost 30 years of dedication to San Miguel’s youth, social action, and visitors. Come to Rotary Tuesday, March 6, at Hotel Mision, Salida a Queretaro 1, at noon as this will be packed-room ‘sold-out’ event. The ceremony will be conducted in English with a special musical interlude and refreshments.
Betse is a young-at-heart 91-year-old who has lived in San Miguel for more than 28 years. After retiring as a history teacher, she relocated to San Miguel to “catch the magic” her parents discovered after many winters in San Miguel in the 1950s and 1960s.
Betse has been involved with and has supported many organizations that help children, particularly smart and motivated young people who needed financial aid to realize their goals. In 2001, she helped found Jovenes Adelante to help send these young people to university. Currently, the Betse Davies Special Stars Fund helps financially top-off those students who cannot provide their portion of university costs. Betse also works with Mujeres en Cambio, a scholarship group serving young women in rural schools. She also supports Libros Para Todos, another educational group which provides books and a visit from their authors for rural schools.
Betse has always had boundless energy and perhaps is best known here as an historic walking tour guide and former tour leader for Patronato Pro Ninos, which provides health services for underserved youth here. Alongside her husband Jim, she continues to be an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in San Miguel. Betse has served on the Board, and presently is a member of the Social Action Committee. She also has been active with Democrats Abroad.
She is a woman of high ethics who can teach all of us a thing or two about service above self, which is the Rotary motto. Betse is often asked how one gets to an active old age, to which she answers, “yoga, exercise, walking, and having a direction in life which excites you.” San Miguel, Betse says, provides all of those things. She also believes that one should, “Smile a lot, be of some use, and have fun!”
Special guests will include previous recipients of the Rotary Citizen of the Year Award, which has honored the leaders of 10 other organizations in its 10 years, including Apoyo a Gente Empredadora, Casa de los Angeles, Casa Hogar Santa Julia Don Bosco, Casita Linda, CEDESA, Centro de Infantil San Pablo, El Charco del Ingenio, Feed the Hungry, Mujeres en Cambio, and So Others May Eat.
- What: Rotary Citizen of the Year Award Ceremony
- Event: Betse Davies Named Rotary Citizen of the Year
- Date, time: Tuesday, March 6, 2018, 12:30 p.m.
- Where: Hotel Mision
- Address: Salida a Queretaro 1
- Extra info: 152-5192
- Cost: Free
Rotary is where neighbors, friends and problem solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change. For more information about the COY award and ceremony, contact John Doherty atjd98lv@hotmail.com. For more information about Rotary, see RotarySMAMidday.org and contact President Fred Collins at presidentmidday@berkleyline.com.
by Robin Loving