Stan Carignan offered our invocation and Hal Leland was our song leader. Thank you notes from third graders were on all our tables, reflecting appreciation for all the dictionaries we distributed. President Lori reported our IRS Form 990 has been completed and filed, and we were reminded that the book distribution to second graders will occur after our November 14th meeting. December 12th is the date for our next social, starting at 5:00 p.m. in the basement of Mill Street Residence, when we will be joined and entertained by the choir from M State. Last week's correct guess for the baby photo was Mike Westergard but no one identified him correctly; there was a good natured comment or two that hopefully we will see him soon so we won't forget what he looks like as a grown-up.
Lori led off our brags and fines, celebrating their son's 12th birthday. Kati Johnson contributed for having missed some of our meetings while John MacFarlane corrected this writer's error from the prior week, when $100 million was reported instead of $100 billion as it should have been (the number of investment dollars held by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Kathy Austvold reported on a wonderful trip to Pennsylvania.
President Lori introduced our District Governor, Blaine Johnson, who is one of the youngest District Governors we have ever had in District 5580. Blaine noted that our founder, Paul Harris, was 37 when he started Rotary and the average age of the first four Rotarians was 38. Dave Lundeen was identified as the person in our club with the most years in Rotary -- 52 or 53, and Dave recalled that his senior partner brought him into Rotary. The member present who has been in Rotary the shortest period of time was Anthony Nordan who reported his predecessor at Salvation Army -- Linda McCormick, told him that the best service club in Fergus was ours and that we did worthwhile service projects and would be of help to his mission at Salvation Army. Blaine then reported that Rotary International recently did a survey of why people join Rotary and why they stay in it and the number one and two reasons were the same, fellowship/building relationships and service (with service being the number one answer for why people joined and fellowship being the number one answer for why people have stayed). Those two answers are part and parcel of who we are and what Rotary has been about from the very beginning, Paul Harris suggesting to a client of his law office that perhaps they would both benefit from developing a personal relationship beyond a business relationship. While one of the first four members of Rotary left within the first six months of its formation, those who stayed realized service was an important ingredient to attracting and keeping members. Blaine told us that Rotary's first service project was not building public bathrooms in downtown Chicago (it was the second one) but raising $25 to give to a traveling minister whose horse had died unexpectedly.
Blaine also told us that he started practice with a small law firm in southern Minnesota and there was another attorney who was well established in the community who asked Blaine's firm for some help due to health concerns. At age 27, Blaine was sent over to help this man who had been in practice for 45 years and that lawyer gave Blaine what he considers the best professional advice he has ever received -- that he must be a member of Rotary. It took him 2½ years to realize the wisdom of this advice but now recognizes how important it was to weekly sit among the movers and shakers of the community at weekly Rotary meetings. While not motivated by financial gain, we ultimately prefer to do business with people we know and trust and there is no better way to develop those relationships than seeing other professionals on a weekly basis. Blaine can't help but believe there are 27 year old individuals out in our community who would similarly benefit from joining Rotary.
Our District Governor then asked, in 2018, are we as an organization still relevant and yes, building relationships and giving back is still relevant. But the answer may be different to the question of whether or not the way we accomplish our purpose is still relevant. Things change and Blaine gave as an example Montgomery Wards, which was also founded ion Chicago, with its purpose to serve people in rural America who had a problem getting good quality items at a fair price through its mail order catalogues. By the 50th anniversary of Wards in 1922, it was the number one retailer in the U.S., and as a result of its success it continued to do what it always had done. After World War II, Wards hoarded its money expecting a recession that never happened and failed to expand into suburban malls. By 1985 the catalogues were gone and in 2001 Wards filed bankruptcy. The question that was the asked, what is the difference between Wards and Amazon? The platform, and Blaine remarked that Rotary can either be like Amazon or, if we don't end up keeping up with the world as it is changing, be another Wards. And change is nothing new to Rotary. In 1911 we went international, when some thought that was a mistake, but Paul Harris argued strongly that it was necessary. Paul Harris said Rotary must be evolutionary at all times and revolutionary on occasion. Blaine described as revolutionary the addition of women to our membership rolls in 1987, Rotary being better now than it ever was before that occurred. He further made his point by saying none of us are likely to watch the Super Bowl on a 13 inch black and white television.
Blaine said we have two obligations in Rotary: 1) to honor those that built the organization while 2) making sure that Rotary continues to be a positive force in our communities and next generations by adapting to change. Walt Disney said the best way to get started is to stop talking and get doing. Without saying it directly, there was a clear challenge laid down to all Rotarians: get doing.
Our speaker received a well-deserved standing ovation for his remarks and hopefully those of us who could not be present to hear them will get some motivation after reading about them.