By Charlene Davis
A great Rotarian and a very dear friend of mine told me a few years ago that Rotary changed her life. I didn’t totally understand the significance of that statement at the time, but I’m getting closer now. Most, if not all of us join Rotary to make a difference, to give back and to make a positive change in the world around us. We succeed spectacularly, we do change the world, but maybe we don’t always realize that Rotary changes us, in profound ways.
Comox Rotary is my church. It has it’s own set of commandments, called the four way test. Its qualifications for joining are that each of us wants to make the world a better place. It’s my community, my not related by blood or marriage, family. The world knows Rotary as a trustworthy group, having integrity and grit, a work ethic, a spirit of generosity, a straight and true moral compass. Living up to that reputation requires that I filter every one of my daily actions through the four way test. At it’s very essence, it says that if we live with integrity, 99% of our decisions are already made. Treat others as you want to be treated.
In the Comox Rotary club, I’ve found that we may have radically different political views, different ideas about religion, about climate change and the fossil fueled economy that is Canada. But we don’t let those opposing views prevent us from working together towards alleviating the suffering and deprivation of others less fortunate than ourselves. We recognize the incredible good luck of having been born in this country (or have made it our home from other places) and how that good for-tune obliges us to help others. We know that we have a responsibility to pay back and to pay forward good works to leave this place in better shape for the future. We set aside our differences and embrace each other in doing this. It’s pretty simple.
Simple yes, easy no. It’s not exactly fun to fund raise and ask people for money. But the results make us happy. And it’s fun to do it together. Like barn raising in the past, the work wasn’t easy or fun, but the shared meal and the camaraderie are the reward and satisfaction.
Comox Rotary, my church, has changed me. I do the things I don’t like to do with a smile. I carry the load when required, I step up as the need arises. Just like everyone else in this room. It is our signature move – do what needs to be done. I am so honored to take up this mantle, to join the ranks of the truly exceptional individuals who came before me in the same role.
But our success is not about one position, one role, one person. It is about every last one of you who come here tonight to join in this celebration of passing the baton. It is about the other clubs in this valley who do so much good work that they make each of us better. It is about the world wide community of Rotary that has done what no other volunteer organization, no other government, no other group has ever done before. We are powerful, we are significant, and we are making a profound difference.
We have some exciting new initiatives to explore in this upcoming year. Peace literacy, Indigenous people inclusions, and especially dear to my heart, the WeCanShelter project. I’ve told you a little about that previously and I know many of you have lots of questions. They will all be answered.
Why homelessness? It’s in the news, it’s obvious everywhere and it’s growing. Our local government says it is their problem but not their responsibility. Think about that word, responsibility. Made up of two words. Response and ability.
I heard a 66 year old man speak the other day who was made aware of 4 dis-abled young girls who were going into foster care and were going to be split up. He asked his wife what they should do. She said, their responsibility. He had not planned to spend his golden years raising 4 young girls, let alone disabled ones. But he knew she was right. They were able to do it, and they both knew what their response had to be.
All through my life when I got a job, got married, had kids, I thought it was my responsibility to do my best every day, my obligation, my promise to someone else. But it’s not really it is it? More than an obligation or a promise, it was about my ability and response to a job, problem, question, a child, a family, etc.
Every single study that’s been done on homelessness says that having a roof over ones head is the cornerstone to addressing it, the most basic and crucial primary step to helping the marginalized people living on the streets. At Comox Rotary, we have the ability, and we know what our response is. We ask how it can be done, not why it can’t. I believe in you, in Comox Rotary and I know that together we can do this.
I originally thought I was supposed to try to get you to believe in me. But that’s not right. It’s my job to get you to believe in yourselves. I also used to think that it was my job to inspire you but now realize that it is you who have inspired me. You show up when needed and when asked. That in and of itself is incredible, inspiring. You’ve demonstrated time and time again that while there’s always a plethora of reasons to not do something, there’s always at least one, and usually more than one, really good reason to do it. I am emboldened by this; to set a very big goal, to put our foot on the path to alleviating homelessness in our valley, to again have Rotary accomplish what others have not been able to so far.
I’m hoping to make some changes this year. I’m hoping we spend less time complaining about the food and more about being grateful that we have some. I’m hoping we spend less time looking at other members and questioning their level of commitment and spend more time congratulating and appreciating those who give so very much of their free time to accomplishing our common goals. After all, for lots of us, time is our most precious commodity and there are so many in our club who devote amazing amounts of time and who have in the past devoted countless hours. We need to appreciate everyone’s individual contribution and not compare it to anyone else’s. We need to remember those who have contributed in the past even if they’re no longer able to swing a hammer or take a Ducky shift. We need to be grateful that our club is as strong and vibrant as it is and strive to make it more so.
Leonard Sweet said, “What is the difference between a living thing and a dead thing? In the medical world, a clinical definition of death is a body that does not change. Change is life. Stagnation is death. If you don’t change, you die. It’s that simple. It’s that scary.”
So this year we will make changes. Some will work, some may not. I ask you to be patient and give these changes a chance. I ask you bring your own suggestions for change forward so that we can evaluate and perhaps try them out. I ask you to be open to change, to growth, to help us avoid stagnation and death.
Well. Can you feel it? The excitement in the air? The momentum building?
I can and I’m both exhilarated and scared to death. Thank you for being who you are and for what you do. Thank you for letting me be part of your family. I look forward to a fantastic year!