WHAT IS IT ABOUT BEING A ROTARIAN?

 There are many things we can say about being a Rotarian but, to boil it down to just a few, I would emphasize these:

• Networking
• Fellowship
• Learning
• Serving
• Growing

Networking takes us back to the beginning.  Rotary was established in 1905 in Chicago when a group of businessmen decided to meet on a regular basis with the purpose of networking.  They rotated the meeting among their places of business, thus the name ROTARY.  Networking is still a vital part of Rotary, whether for business, community or other reasons.  When we make contacts and collaborate effectively, more is accomplished.

Fellowship naturally follows as networking occurs.  One of the benefits and pleasures of Rotary is getting to know the other people in the Club, or getting to know them better.  Life is all about relationships, and Rotary provides a great opportunity to develop relationships that are both long-lasting and mutually beneficial.

Learning is a very important life-long process and Rotary provides many opportunities to enhance our learning.  We do this primarily through our programs.  When we meet for lunch every Tuesday, we have programs that are interesting and informative.  The programs and speakers are intentionally diverse.  The subject matter could be business, health care, education, community issues, or any number of other areas.

Serving is important for each one of us, both in general and as Rotarians.  The Club provides opportunities to serve through various projects such as the annual Rotary Reverse Raffle which supports our scholarship fund, Happy Feet which provides shoes for local elementary students, ringing the bell at Christmas for the Salvation Army, and various other projects during any given year.

Growing in the context of Rotary is two-fold.  We are continuously looking for new members to join us and help us become an even better and more diverse Club.  But we also want to be growing as individuals.  As we network, as we have fellowship, as we learn, and as we serve, we grow!  We become not just better Rotarians, we become better people.  As we become better people, we help make our Club better, our community better, and our world better.

If you are already a Rotarian, thank you for your involvement, and I hope you will enhance that involvement in the coming months.  If you are not currently a Rotarian, I hope you will consider becoming one of us, so that we may grow together.

Yours in Rotary Service,

Pete Teague, President