May is Youth Service month. Under Youth Service we have Interact, RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), and Youth Exchange. We must continue our focus on youth; in a few short years they will grow into the business, community and government leaders of tomorrow, and many will become Rotarians.
Our future will certainly be shaped by today’s youth. In my monthly letter a few months ago I mentioned the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and that many of our Rotary clubs throughout the district are supporting that initiative. More clubs are joining the effort all the time. Port Townsend Rotary is the latest club to add their support. They are making a commitment to all the youth in Jefferson County.
I urge you to visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/ to see what they do and how they operate. If your club isn’t already involved, please consider joining this very worthwhile effort. The small investment now in young children and their ability to learn will return lifelong dividends for them and the communities in which they reside.
I cannot begin to tell you what an honor it has been to lead our great district this past Rotary year. The friendships I’ve made with individual members throughout our district far surpassed anything I could have imagined.
I would like to particularly thank all the club presidents, club officers and district council members who stepped up to their leadership roles.
I could not have done my job without the help from our 18 wonderful Assistant Governors. Your leadership and devotion to your area clubs helped them be the best they could be.
And thank you to all the other members of our District Council and the committees that allow them to function. Rotary is not just a service organization but also an association of leaders throughout the world.
Eight individuals went way beyond my expectations this year. My wife and Chief of Staff, Mary Horn put in countless hours keeping me organized, answering e-mails, scheduling meetings and just plain keeping me on track.
Executive Assistant Governor, Jamie Gregory, was invaluable with his management skills and helping with the Assistant Governor team. And he was always available, about 20 hours a day, to help with advice when I needed it.
District Trainer, Marnee Obendorf, was always focused on how to bring the best training experience to our district members in every way possible.
Corey Lopardi was involved with technical expertise in several areas throughout the district and zone.
Howard Svigals, our District Foundation chair and Craig Gillis, his Canadian sidekick, promoted successes of The Rotary Foundation all year long.
Bob Zawilski, Grants Manager worked tirelessly tracing all the grants both large and small. Thank you, Bob, for your dedication.
And Caleb Summerfelt, the man who never sleeps, was always there to help with his incredible talents in everything technical. Thank you, Caleb for the producing the best District Directory ever! And your fantastic idea of producing the electronic news magazine UD5050, in which all clubs could showcase their successes each month, perhaps was a victim of it’s own success.
Although I wasn’t able to personally travel to most clubs, I feel I made up for it in my many, many, many virtual visits. Thank you Zoom! I feel I got to know a lot of the individual club members personally because I was able to attend so many club meetings.
Please mask up, avoid even small gatherings, and be safe every way you know how. Encourage people to get vaccinated. If not for themselves, for the people around them. We will get through this.
Thanks, and I hope to see you at one of your weekly Zoom club meetings soon.
Yours in Rotary,
Greg Horn