In January, Marshfield Rotarian Ben Bauer had the honor of serving as a host for the 2026 Rotary International Assembly (I.A.) in Orlando, Florida. I.A. is the annual training event that brings together roughly 540 incoming District Governors from around the world to prepare them for the year ahead. Sharing the stage with a fellow host, a young Rotarian from Venezuela, was one of the most meaningful parts of the experience.
While he was co-hosting he stayed busy introducing speakers, guiding the energy of the room, and watching firsthand how Rotary's global community comes together around shared purpose and service above self. Ben shared highlights from the week, how he was selected to host, what it was like standing on that stage, and reflections from some of the incredible speakers he had the privilege of introducing. He shared a video clip from one of his favorite speakers (Michael, McQueen, author of Mindstuck). To view the full video and several other videos from I.A. Speakers, visit this link. Check out Ben's slide deck full of photos and details of his experience.