"I see more and more in each Rotary meeting that I go to that the Rotarians are actually being the inspiration. They live their motto Service Above Self and they get their hands dirty." - Eloisa de Castro Costa, Rotary Exchange Student from Brazil, hosted by the Rotary Club of Brighton (see her article in this issue & photo below)
The end of the calendar year brings us halfway through our 2018-19 Rotary year. And, however you mark time, early January is a great time to reflect on past accomplishments and to set goals for the months to come.
For me, travelling through our District these last six months has been truly inspirational. I have been astonished at the quantity and variety of service projects undertaken by our Rotary, Rotaract, and Rotary Clubs. I have been humbled by the depth of devotion shown by individual Rotarians who doggedly pursue projects to make lives brighter and more hopeful for others. I have realized just how many people it takes to make Rotary happen from an organizational point of view, including leadership teams at the club, district, and Rotary International levels.My experiences have strengthened my resolve to Be The Inspiration in the second half of our Rotary year and well beyond. If you’d like to join me in this resolution, here are a few suggestions for both motivation and action:
- Attend the January 12th Membership Workshop in Trenton to share strategies for sharing and strengthening Rotary throughout our District.
- Become a Rotary Direct online donor and support the inspired work of our Rotary Foundation.
- Invite someone to join you for a Rotary event or project, including:
- Chef Jagger Gordon’s dinner & presentation at the Rotary Club of Etobicoke on January 16
- Rotary Toronto Beach(es) community open houses on January 5, 12, 19 & 26
- and, our January 23rd event celebrating 30 Years of Women in Rotary!
Read about Zarmina Nekzai, an inspirational member of the Rotary Club of North York who built a hockey rink for girls in Afghanistan. See page 43 of the January 2019 issue of The Rotarian.
- Visit the newly-redesigned Rotary Learning Center to learn more about Rotary via an online course. Log into My Rotary and open the Learning & Reference section. Try the 15-minute course called “Getting Started with the Leaning Center.”
Yours in Rotary Inspiration,
Mary Lou
Mary Lou Harrison, District Governor 2018-19
P.S. Congratulations to Joe Solway (pictured with me) and to the Rotary Club of Bowmanville on an inspiring concert that raised over $13,000 to help Feed the Need in Durham on December 16th!