THE FELLOWS WHO HAVE TO LEAVE

Posted by Bernie Carriere

on Oct 05, 2010

Most clubs have an embarassing problem with Early Leavers or "Scooters" and this bit of tongue-in-cheek humour needs to be spread throughout the world of Rotary as a clarion call to those who have joined any organization just for saying they are a Member and don't really fulfill ALL of their obligation. To be a Member of anything, one must ATTEND the meeting and that means ALL of the meeting. So, if you are a "Scooter", this one's for YOU. The following is with apologies to that "other" great Canadian poet, Robert Service. The Cog is the RC of Calgary weekly bulletin.

There are strange things done 'neath the noonday sun, Every Rotary luncheon day,

When the gavel falls and the Chairman calls and the 4-Way Test holds sway;

Every Club, each week, has a guest to speak to it members, on this, or on that,

And the members stay 'til he's had had his say on his topic - and that's just that !

That's the way it's done - it all Rotary fun and the meetings are geared that way.

He's your guest, you know,so you just don't go 'til he's said what he came to say.

But it seems there's a hub at the core of each Club who must march to a different drum;

They're the Early-Leave Takers; the movers and shakers; the chasers of Glory-To-Come.

At the back of the hall, by the far away wall where the exit sign redly glow,

You can pick out the group who'll be flying the coop, the Fellows who'll up and go.

They're the famed Early Leavers who live on the run, the entrepreneurs and the winners;

The over-achievers who're under the gun, The Salesmen, the Saints and the Sinners.

They're the high praise receivers who glint in the sun; the Performers, the fantasy spinners;

The profit perceivers, sharp, second to none, and a long way from being beginners !

They're the fellows who just have to leave, my friends, the guys with no spare time to take;

They've got client consultations and customer calls and appointments there's no way to break.

They've got meetings to chair and reports to prepare and they's courses they just have to take;

They've got business to do, and they've deals to push through and a million decisions to make.

They're the guys who leave early, the guys who forget, in their hurry to put on the Dog,

That they've promised to take ninety minutes and set them aside, once a week, for the Cog !

Just an hour and a half, once a week - that's the price a Rotarian's expected to pay

For the pleasure, companionship, fun and advice he picks up on the Rotary way.

So be proud of your status in Rotary's ranks and remember what Rotary's about.

If your time's really precious, you'll stay and give thanks that you don't need to rise and run out !

Stick around and be seen, folks will take that to mean your're someone who deserves to be prized,

Since you're cool and untaxed, self-reliant, relaxed, with your time, and your day, organized.

And stay clear of the wall at the back of the hall: Sit up front with the winners, and grieve

For the poor, misled group who'll be flying the coop: The poor fellows who just have to leave.

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