DG Gaven Hurly Official Visit -- "Peace Through Service"
2012-2013 District Governor J Gaven Hurley was our guest this week. Gaven was invited to join the Rotary Club of Morristown, NJ in 1982. He later served as President in 1988-1989. In 1993, he and his wife Kathie moved to the Rochester area. Gaven believed the fastest way to get to know the area was to join a local Rotary club, and so became a member of the Pittsford club.
During his time in Rotary, he has held almost every club office and chaired many committees. He was instrumental in introducing the Dictionary project to our District. He has been involved with the District Simplified Grants and the Rotary Leadership Institute.
DG Gaven used his “official visit” to introduce himself to our club, and to relay some information about this year’s Rotary theme: Peace through Service.
He explained RI President Sakuji Tanaka’s feeling that peace has different meanings for different people, and that “no definition is correct and no definition is wrong.” Whatever meaning we ascribe to the word, that is what peace is, to us. Gaven pointed out that here in America, most would probably define peace as the absence of conflict, the absence of war. But in our culture, we have many freedoms; clean water to drink; good education systems. We take a lot of these for granted. In many parts of the world, these items are absent. If they became available, that might represent peace to those who needed them. Through service, we can help to achieve peace in the world.
"This is a lesson that I think the whole world can learn from, in a positive way. When we see the needs of others as more important than our own needs -- when we focus our energies on a shared goal that is for the good of all -- this changes everything. It changes our priorities in a completely fundamental way. And it changes how we understand the idea of peace."
- Sakuji Tanaka, 2012 International Assembly
Pictured above, l-r, are Assistant District Governor Tim King, Club President Dianne Sloan, and District Governor Gaven Hurley
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