Move over Rob... Tom Rosenthal is grateful for all the support during his year as president.
 
This is my final installment of the "President's Message".  The year has gone by very quickly and I am grateful for the support I have had through this year.  I could not imagine how much more difficult it would be doing this job without the assistance of my fellow Sunrise Rotarians.  It has been a busy year with the Lobsterfest and Ethics award luncheon added on top of the other activities we do.  It has not always been easy but it has always been fulfilling.  Through this year I have come to know many more Rotarians around the State and consider many of them friends.  I encourage all of you who have yet to do so to get more involved, either at the club or district level, and make your Rotary experience more fulfilling. Attend the Conference and assemblies.  Learn more of what Rotary is and does.

I will not be fading away but will instead be working as an Assistant District Governor for Terry Gilbert supporting four treasure valley clubs as a resource for information and as a liaison to the District (this is a three year commitment).  I have been assigned the Centennial, Boise East, Southwest and the Metro Clubs. I am also serving as an Assistant Inbound Youth Coordinator for the District's Rotary Youth Exchange committee assisting with the training and monitoring of youth counselors for the Western half of our district.  I have found that the program that I enjoy most is the Youth Exchange.  I can not tell you how much fun it has been (almost always) working with these kids from around the world.  This year it has been especially so and therefore sadder as I watch these kids return to their home countries.  I was over in Sun Valley for the District conference and was there to say goodbye to many of the inbound kids and just watched the tears flow as these kids said their goodbyes to each other.  I have even set up a Facebook account so that I can try to keep in touch with them.  Soon my daughter will give me a lesson in how it all actually is supposed to work – although I did manage to upload some photos all by myself.

I have just finished hosting Jorge and Terrezine Ordonez who are the parents of Jonathan, our club's inbound exchange student.  They came to Boise to attend their son's graduation. Terrezine is the President of the Rotary club in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador and Jorge is a past president .  I hope you all had a chance to meet them when they attended our club meeting.

I wish Layne Dodson the best of luck as he takes on this position in the year to come and to Gene Thurston in the year to follow.  I have come to know Layne better over the last couple of years and I know he will do a great job as your President for the 2010-2011 term.  I will be there to assist him as needed as part of the job of Past President is to remain on the board and serve as a resource for the incoming president. 

Thank you again for all of your support and encouragement during my term.  The board member who smiles the most is always the past president – move over Rob it's my turn now.