This past Tuesday was our ’bring a prospective new member’ day. Eric Germain, Club Membership Director, gave a short presentation on what Rotary is, and how to become a Rotarian. He explained that Rotary is all about ‘Service Above Self’ and how the purpose of life should be a life of purpose.
He also spoke about the activities that our club supports and the service opportunities that we have as Rotarians. He gave a short history of Rotary, founded in 1905, and Rotary in Edmonton, which started in 1916. Our club was founded forty-three years ago. He spoke about how he grew up in a Rotary family, with his father John, and how that led to him becoming a Rotarian along with his brother Ken, and now his daughter Nicole,. He explained that Rotary is a social group of people who are committed to making their communities and the world, as a whole, a better place for everyone.
There are one point two million Rotarians around the world in thirty-four thousand clubs, of all types. The twenty-two clubs in the greater Edmonton region range in membership from twelve members to over a hundred and twenty members. It is possible to find a club that meets on a day and time that is convenient for just about anyone. He also spoke about some of our local club activities throughout the year and some of the charities, both local and international, that we support, as well as the J Percy Page Interact high school club that we mentor.
We also heard from three Rotarians, Loida Lumanlan, Rose Marie Basaraba and Dimitri Papanicolas on what Rotary has meant to them as individuals. Loida spoke of how she enjoys being surrounded by like minded people who want to serve their community. Rotary has allowed her to meet a lot of amazing people that she would otherwise not have met. She also spoke of how much she enjoyed the weekly array of speakers, the apple strudel with whipped cream, and the joke of the week, which she can relate to her husband later, to gain points at home. Rose Marie spoke of how she had retired from a very busy and engaging work life, but had no plan for what to do next, and had an invitation from a friend who brought her to Rotary. Joining Rotary gave her life purpose, and she has not looked back since, being busier than ever, with all kinds of Rotary activities. She spoke of how Rotary allows you to bring your skills with you when you volunteer. Dimitri talked about how he had joined Rotary at a time in his life when he was totally immersed in his work, and it gave him an opportunity to get to know people from other walks of life and helped to broaden his horizons. He has enjoyed being a part of the many volunteer opportunities it has presented, and is especially thankful that it is also flexible enough to recognise that working people may not always be available to help, but that they very much welcome the opportunity to help when they can. He also enjoys the variety of local speakers, on many diverse and interesting topics. Additionally, he appreciates the opportunity it gives for people to travel to other places and almost always be able to find a group of welcoming, like minded, people to socialize with.
