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Since we haven't met for a couple of weeks due to the holidays, I thought we should ask some of our members "WHY THEY JOINED ROTARY.'' For my part and I don't want to overstate an old cliche, but for me it was to be a big part of the community with a strong effort of making a difference for everyone in the community. We have but one community to serve regardless of our age and to make it a better place to live is important to me. Reshal - I joined Rotary because our Club has a reputation for doing amazing local projects in addition to being very generous to the LSHS seniors for college and trade school bound scholarships. Don - I joined Rotary because I like to give my time as well as money locally. I also enjoy spending time with like-minded people in the community. Rotary is the ticket. Loren - I have always considered Rotary to be my guide for community service. To become a Rotarian was an early goal that I had. I admired those I knew who already had the honor and looked forward to someday being asked to join Rotary. For me, that happened in March,1967 and I never looked back. Today, my service is not as physical, but I have the ability to support Rotary projects with funds. Wow, Loren will celebrate 55 years in Rotary in March and still maintains a Perfect Record of Attendance for all of those 54+ years. Jim H. - I joined Rotary because my brother had joined the Everett Club a few years earlier. He talked about serving and all, but said he really enjoyed the programs, learning about what was happening locally, and that appealed to me a lot. That’s still an important part of Rotary for me but I also enjoyed getting to know all of the members and developing lifelong relationships. Service projects were fun and then I went to my first District Conference and learned the real purpose of Rotary and its vast reach in helping all areas of the world. That’s when I became a true Rotarian. Ken - In the 70's I was my school's representative to my hometown (Cashmere) Rotary Club. I really enjoyed that experience so when I was the Principal at LSHS, Randy Celori, who was then Chief of Police came and recruited me for the Club, I was excited to join, and it was past time. Plus, Randy had a gun and a badge, and you never say "no" to a person with a gun and a badge. Jim S. - I joined Rotary in 1982 and my first Club was the Sparks Rotary Club that met at John Ascuaga’s Nugget Hotel/Casino in Sparks/Reno. Reno was my first civilian job out of active military duty and I was a director at St Mary’s Medical Center. The CEO at that time actually had a requirement that every member of his executive team be a member of a local service organization. So I went “shopping” and found Rotary to be an excellent fit with my personal values and goals. I have been a continuous member of RI ever since and Lake Stevens Rotary has been my favorite club (out of 4). I have been a member of Lake Stevens Rotary since 1992 and was president in 2000. Kyle - Why I joined Rotary Club is because I have always enjoyed helping others when they need it most. Rotary Club is the vehicle for which I can continue giving back and helping others. Rotary provided numerous volunteering opportunities to give back to the community I work. Building relationships among current membership and networking is a great way to learn from others. Learning from other members about their careers, interests, and experiences is invaluable that can last a lifetime. Lastly, a quote I read on Rotary's International website stated, "Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves" - Paul Harris was inspiring. Lance - I joined Rotary because I was invited at a time that I was looking for an opportunity to become more involved with my community. As I learned more about Rotary, I realized what a good fit it was with my own personal values. These are just some of the reasons that each of us has chosen to join Rotary. I joined Rotary in Longview, Washington and again when I moved to Baton Rouge, LA. When I returned to the West Coast after retiring, I found the Rotary Club of Lake Stevens to be as much a family organization as a Club with outstanding service. Both are important. e may be a small club, but we do mighty things in the Lake Stevens community, which makes me proud of our service to the community. |
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