A long time ago I met our recipient of the “Be the Inspiration” award when he and I were in Toastmasters. He had a button on his suit that said, “The Red Coats Are Coming”.
When I asked him about it, he said the “Red Coats” are the United States Marine Band and they were coming to Rochester to do two concerts. The Rotary Club was sponsoring the Marine Band as a Community event and a fund raiser for the Rotary Club.
My interests were peaked after Judy and I went to the evening concert and saw this incredible presentation.
But as important as the event, I got interested in Rotary. Our Honoree proposed me to the membership. About 4 months later I was inducted, with Al and I being the youngest Rotarians by far in this all male organization.
I learned so much from our honoree by his “service above self” – His Rotary accomplishments and Inspirations.
As President in the late ‘70s, he was youngest ever president. He got involved in the Group Study Exchange, Hosted the Finland Group, lead a group to Queensland in 1984, Hosted another Group from South Africa, hosted a Rotary exchange student, Daughter Kirsti went to South Africa as an exchange student (1991). One of the founders of the Greater Rochester Rotary Club.
He then got involved with the District Leadership, DG 1999-2000. He visited every Rotary Club in the District. He also hired Lois Nietz as first E/D, when he was president.
He was the idea person for the Rotary Christmas Basketball Tournament; served on the Rochester School Board; Chaired and was a Trustee at Hamline University; and a member of Mayo Clinic Board of Governors. He was the President of The Rochester Area Foundation where he and Al Tuntland developed First Homes.
Al DeBoer inspired me and many others to do many of things we have done in Rotary. Truly the epitomy of “Be the Inspiration”