Visit from the District Governor
by Lorine Parks
World Record Set! Shortest Speech Ever by Visiting District Governor!
District Governor D. J. Sun made his stop at our club on his round of District 5280, and managed to say hail and farewell and set a few goals for membership, in less than 5 minutes. Visiting two-time Governor Doug Baker was impressed.
Gov D. J. did find the time to say, “For what you have done as a club, you are a gift,” thus using this year’s Rotary slogan. But there is room for improvement. Membership is crucial to a club, and clubs may now make their own definitions of how much time a member needs to give. There are five clubs in District 5280 which have “Young Professional” sub-clubs, meeting at different times and with lowered dues.
The age group we want to appeal to, from college to “plateauing” is about 20-45, added Cosette Vergari, District Aide and Governor Elect-elect for 2017-18, who accompanied Gov. D. J. Benefits for joining Rotary are not only the opportunity to be of service, but strong friendships. Not just fellowship, which is the fun we have when we get together, but relationships that last.
Friendship as C. S. Lewis said, “is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .’’ If you can count new friends like that in Rotary, you will know one of the great benefits Rotary can bestow.
Although Gov. D. J.’s speech was over in a flash, he then called for Questions and kept us interested as he fielded queries, from the location of the next District Convention, to his best and worst moments as District Governor.
As for the International Convention, it will be held in Seoul, Korea, starting May 28. This is the country Gov. D. J. left at age 25, to come to the United States, going to college, first to Southern Illinois, then Oregon State. So far, the closest he has come to the Rose Bowl is working on the Rotary floats.
There will be a wonderful 5 day, 4 night land tour package offered with the convention, and Korean Airlines will come through with excellent pricing, so start planning now to go. With a climate and geology like California, Korea is one of Asia’s fascinating economic “4 Tigers.”
Sometimes referred to as the Four Dragons, the highly free market and developed economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan were notable for maintaining exceptionally high growth rates, and rapid industrialization between the early 1960s and 1990s. By the 21st century, all four have developed into advances economies.