Dear Fellow Rotarians,

     By now, all of you have heard the injunctions I recite at the end of our Thursday morning meetings: “Wear your masks. Be sociable, but keep your distances. Use your hand sanitizers. Be safe- stay well.”  We are close to seeing the end of this pandemic caused by the virulent Covid19 virus. So let me add this: Stay patient. Stay the course. Together, we have got this.

     I am now fortunately numbered among the 75% of Americans over the age of 65 who are now fully immunized. And I am thankful. I got my two shots at the Kasych Pavilion on the LV Hospital Center Cedar Crest campus. As our lines moved toward the staging area, we passed several large graphics on the hospital walls. One caught my eye. It read:

 

The point is not to payback

kindness but to pass it on.

     At first, I thought it was a deep sentiment. Then as I pondered it, I realized it is a pale shadow of the service Rotary extends with goodwill, peace, and friendship around the world. Together, we offer our skills, experiences, expertise, leadership, time, and money to make a lasting change in this uncertain world.

     One of the frameworks that helps us channel our efforts is the enumeration of Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus.  These include:

  • Peacebuilding and conflict resolution 

  • Disease prevention and treatment

  • Water, sanitation and hygiene

  • Maternal and child health

  • Basic education and literacy

  • Community economic development

  • Supporting the environment

     This is Maternal and child health month. As privileged, middle-class Americans we may not pay much attention to this area. But when we open our eyes, ears, and hearts, we know there is much to do both at home and aboard. A few days ago, I heard of a program in Indian which is teaching the midwives not to put the naked newborn on the dirt floor so that they can push on the mother’s belly to expel all of the afterbirth where bad spirits hide! To do this, the mentors had to pay attention to the culture and learn that the gatekeepers for this customary way of childbirth were the vigilant mother-in-laws and the fathers. Working together, mothers and babies and fathers and paternal grandmas are all doing well!

     Have you read this far? Thank you. 

     So here is a “ pop-up quiz”. There will be a prize for the first Emmaus Rotarian who finds the word I believe holds Rotary’s true essence and strength. Your hint? I have used it 3 times in this letter. You may text or phone your answer to me. Use the ClubRunner app on your phone for quick access to my cell number.

 

Yours in Service,

Lexa Shallcross

Emmaus Rotary President, 2020-2021