It was a memorable meeting as we welcomed two new members into our Rotary family, expanding the connections and energy within our club. We also celebrated the spirit of Service Above Self by recognizing a member with a Paul Harris Fellow +3, honoring their continued commitment and generous support of The Rotary Foundation. The meeting was a great reminder of what makes Rotary special: bringing people together, recognizing service, and creating opportunities to make a meaningful difference in our communities and beyond.
Kathleen’s Visit – Key Takeaways
Kathleen’s visit focused on connection, collaboration, and increasing Rotary’s impact through engagement.
Kathleen introduced District 5050’s new Engagement Initiative, a pilot designed to help clubs strengthen relationships, collaborate with other clubs and community organizations, and increase the impact of projects already underway. The initiative also encourages clubs to share their Rotary stories and support The Rotary Foundation, which helps turn local contributions into grants for service projects around the world.
A key theme was that great projects often start with a simple conversation. Kathleen shared a personal example from Lesotho, where one presentation about local needs eventually grew into the Global Neighbor Project—a partnership involving Rotary clubs, World Vision, churches, government, and UNICEF. Over several years, the collaboration supported villages through caregiver supplies, clean water, sanitation, solar power, food production, HIV medications, schools, and other resources.
The most powerful story was that of Bobo, a 19-year-old Kathleen met while he was seriously ill with HIV/AIDS. When she returned 18 months later, Bobo was not only alive and in remission, but had started a small business making and selling shoes produced from recycled materials. His recovery was made possible through a combination of medication, nutrition, a microloan, and a caregiver who refused to give up. The story illustrated how bringing the right people and resources together can create life-changing impact.
Kathleen challenged clubs to think beyond what they have accomplished in the past and ask:
- Who else should be part of this?
- Whose life could be better because we invited them in?
- What could we accomplish together next?
The visit also highlighted the importance of supporting The Rotary Foundation. Kathleen encouraged members to participate in Every Rotarian, Every Year by giving what they can, when they can. Even a $10 contribution from every member across District 5050 would generate more than $20,000 toward future grants.
Finally, clubs were encouraged to share their service projects through Rotary’s Service Project Center, allowing other clubs to learn from and replicate successful ideas.
The overall message: Rotary’s greatest impact happens when we connect people, invite others into the work, collaborate beyond our own club, and turn those connections into action.
After Kathleen spoke, she had the honour of inducting two new members to the club, as well as presenting a Paul Harris +3 for Erin.
