DISTRICT GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE — JANUARY 2017
by Joanne Croghan, District Governor 2016-17
Happy New Year--and a big thank you to all the Rotarians who have made Don and me feel so very welcome in your areas.
This year we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Rotary Foundation. To quote past Rotary International (RI) President, Kalyan Banerjee, “Let’s never forget that The Rotary Foundation belongs to all of us. You and I provide the funding for just about every bit of good that our Foundation is doing in the world—and has been doing for an entire century. Let’s make sure we continue that tradition for the next 100 years.”
It makes me proud to be a part of The Rotary Foundation, an organization who’s web of good work provided the funding necessary to make so many projects in our neighborhoods and throughout the world a reality.
A big thank you to all of you for supporting our Rotary Foundation as we move into the next 100 years of providing necessary funds for changing the world. Throughout our District, there are a number of celebratory dinners planned to mark this milestone. Don and I are looking forward to attending a number of events as our schedule permits. If you know of an event that has not been mentioned in our newsletter, please send the information to croghanj@gmail.com, and I will make sure it is in the next newsletter.
“It all Started with $26.50” is the theme for the evening with speaker, RI Director Dean Rohrs on March 22. This will begin at 5:30 pm at the Kitsap Golf and Country Club and will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres and a no-host bar. The evening will also include a dessert auction. The event is hosted by Areas 9 & 10 but is open to all Rotarians and friends.
In January we like to talk a bit about our Vocational Avenue of Service.
Our District has a dynamic Vocational Service Director: Darwin Husa. Darwin has been a member of the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island for 19 years and has served the club in a number of roles over the years.
The Vocational Service Committee would like to know what you are doing in your club with respect to Vocational Service. Let Darwin know by emailing him at: Darwin@husaco.com. What is vocational service? If you are an active, engaged Rotarian, you probably view vocational service as a way of life, even if you find it difficult to articulate a clear definition.
Consider these suggestions:
• Talk about your vocation in your club, and take time to learn about fellow members’ vocation.
• Use your professional skills to serve a community.
• Practice your profession with integrity, and inspire others to behave ethically through your own words and actions.
• Help a young person achieve his or her career aspirations.
• Guide and encourage others in their professional development.
• Talk about your vocation in your club, and take time to learn about fellow members’ vocation.
• Use your professional skills to serve a community.
• Practice your profession with integrity, and inspire others to behave ethically through your own words and actions.
• Help a young person achieve his or her career aspirations.
• Guide and encourage others in their professional development.
If you do any of these things, you are performing vocational service. If vocational service motivates and energizes you, then you’re in the right place, because vocational service is the very essence of Rotary. It is what sets Rotary apart from other service organizations.
Whatever you are doing in Rotary, keep it up. Collectively this District accomplishes an astonishing amount of good work.
above photos:
1. District Governor (2016-17) Joanne Croghan, and District Governor Elect (2017-18) Tom Carroll
2. Joanne Croghan accepting recognition for her work in Uganda