At our Changing of the Guard ceremony last Thursday I had a few notes of what I wanted to say but I missed a few points. But first I will start by another big thank you to all of the Club Presidents who served before me and the entire Club membership. Their collective work has made Mesa West the great club that it is and has built the foundation that allows me to enjoy the position of Club President even more.
The points that I missed last Thursday are a couple of big thank yous. There is one individual in the club that I give credit to for enhancing my viewpoint of Rotary to a level much larger than the club level and allowed me to enjoy the personal growth that Rotary has to offer. That individual is Past District Governor Don LaBarge. Long before I transferred my membership to Mesa West Don asked me to participate in some district events and I accepted that invitation. That was the beginning. To me Don can be a bit intimidating at times (Vietnam veteran, Phoenix police including undercover work, etc.) so I don’t always think of him as using finesse with a gentle nudge. But looking back that is exactly what happened as he mentored me. A big thank you to Don.
The other thank you I missed is to my wife Colleen. She has inspired me to make major changes in my life and is someone I will be leaning on daily to accomplish my duties as Club President. Thank you Colleen.
Let’s enjoy our year ahead.
Dan