New Rotary Vision Statement. At its recent meeting in Atlanta, the RI Board of Directors adopted a new vision statement: "Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves."
New Membership Chair. I am extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Corey Lopardi as Membership Chair for District 5020, effective December 15, 2017. Corey is past president of Hawks Prairie Rotary, a PNW PETS training leader, and has been serving as District newsletter editor. Please join me in congratulating Corey (corey@pardimanproductions.com) for accepting this important position.
Photo Caption: Governor Tom Carroll inducting Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor (no relation to Her Majesty The Queen) into the Rotary Club of Brentwood Bay.
2018 District Conference. Please take a moment to register for the 2018 District Conference (Tacoma). https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50092/SitePage/2018-district-training-and-conference Conference Co-Chairs Greg and Mary Horn of Lakewood Rotary are busy making sure the 2018 Conference is the best yet. Contact Jennifer Durham at jdurhamrotary253@gmail.com if you have questions.
Rose Bowman Memorial Bus Update. Earlier this year I requested Rotarians donate to refurbish a bus to be delivered to a small Mexican village to honor the memory of Past District Governor Rose Bowman. Last month the bus and an ambulance were delivered to the Mexico community of Cabo Corrientes, which is adjacent to Puerto Vallarta. Approximately $14,000 USD remaining in the budget will be leveraged with Rotary Foundation Grant funds to provide support to the community of Cabo Corrientes.
Rotary’s January Theme is Vocational Service. by Cliff Dochterman, Past RI President
No matter how much we like to think that Paul Harris and his friends created Rotary for such noble ideas of humanitarian service, goodwill and world understanding — it just was not the case. Rotary was started for business reasons and professional purposes. Paul Harris had the unusual idea that friendship and business might mix and result in even more business! He began to wonder if one person from each business and profession could actually work together, in a non-competitive atmosphere, to help each other improve their business and income. Thus, the idea of friendship and business was combined — and the idea of a Rotary Club evolved. As a matter of fact, the constitution of the Chicago Rotary Club, written in January of 1906, stated two objects of Rotary. The first was “The promotion of the business interests of its members.” The second object was the concept of friendship. Although the business concept had evolved to a broader statement, it was still listed as number one — “To promote the recognition of the worthiness of all legitimate occupations, and to dignify each member’s occupation as affording him or her an opportunity to serve society; to encourage high standards in business and professions; and to increase the efficiency of each member by the exchange of ideas and business methods.” T.A. Warren, RI President in 1945-46, stated this opinion: “The only unique feature of Rotary is vocational service; everything else that we do is repeated by some other organization. If we are unique, if we have a special message or mission in the world that is unique to ourselves, it lies only in the realm of vocational service.”