Dear BBRC Friends,Last week, Past President Jerry Starr mentioned last that he’s so proud to be a member of Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club. I share that sentiment, and I hope you do, too!
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Don’t hide your light under a bushel”? You may wonder, what light? And what’s a bushel? Well, the saying originally came from the Sermon on the Mount in the Bible where Jesus tells His followers not to hide their faith “under a bushel” (which, at that time, was a type of wooden bucket). Today, the phrase is used to encourage people not to hide their talents and positive qualities (out of shyness or modesty).
Now is a very important time for Rotarians to avoid hiding our light under a bushel! As we have learned from some of our speakers at BBRC meetings (and we also know from our own work at service projects), our community has many needs. I joke a lot, encouraging members to wear that Rotary pin and admonishing those that get caught without it, but the truth is that we should, indeed, share Jerry’s pride in Rotary. And--more than that--it really is incumbent upon us to invite others to serve alongside us.
This week, a few of us from BBRC (led by new member Frank Tripicchio and Community Service Chair Kathy Berry) will be meeting with some of our previous meeting speakers (Louis Gill and Pastor Robin Robinson), to explore possible ways BBRC can take an active role in impacting Bakersfield’s homeless situation. Addressing the challenges facing our local and global “neighbors” requires dedicated and caring “People of Action.”
Do you know others that are looking for a chance to serve? Someone who, like you, is a person of action? A friend? A client? A colleague? An acquaintance? Don’t hide your Rotary light under a bushel! Bring them to a meeting, and let’s be people of action--together!
-Cheryl