DISCURSOS - Rotary International

I joined Rotary in 1997, and my family of Rotary immediately grew to include all of the members
of my Rotary club and of the Interact club we sponsor. Together, when needed, we pack and
deliver blizzard bags for Meals on Wheels. Blizzard bags are paper bags filled with nonperishable
food for people to have on hand when bad weather prevents the drivers from making their regular
deliveries. We Rotarians were satisfied with simply packing the bags, but not the Interactors:
They thought we needed a more personal touch, and insisted that we decorate the bags as well.
So we all got into the spirit and decorated the bags before delivering them. Oh, the joy of working
with kids! They took a task that might not have been too exciting and got every one of us
laughing, and putting love into our work. As we delivered the bags, we took time to visit with the
recipients.
One of the Interact students discovered that some of the people we served were sharing their
meals with their dogs because they could not afford dog food. As a result, we began packing dog
food to be delivered with the meals of the dog owners. I’m so proud of these kids, and proud to
see them grow up as the next generation of our Rotary family.
When Ron and I were aides to Past President Bill Boyd and Lorna Boyd, they often talked about
their friend Jenny, who was doing wonderful work for PolioPlus. I met Jenny when she spoke
at the 2006 International Assembly, and I discovered that she had an Oklahoma connection. In
1971, she was a Youth Exchange student in my district in Frederick. On a return visit to Oklahoma,
her Okie dad, Jim, told her about Rotary’s PolioPlus program. Later, as a Rotary member herself,
Jenny went to India for a National Immunization Day. It was a very emotional experience, and
soon polio eradication was consuming her life. She has worked tirelessly in India, Pakistan,
Ethiopia, and Nigeria to eradicate polio. Jenny once said, “I wonder if, when my Okie dad shared
his passion for PolioPlus with me, he realized just what an impact that would have on my life and
the role I would later have alongside him and many others in reaching our goal of a polio-free
world.” Jenny, a dear member of my Rotary family, is still working to eradicate polio.
Last October, Ron and I attended a Rotary institute in Invercargill, New Zealand. The theme of the
event was “Make a Ripple,” and the image on the program was a pebble dropped into calm water,
with the ripples expanding outward. It’s a wonderful metaphor for the work we do in Rotary,
and it’s how I feel about my family of Rotary — that it’s like those ever-expanding ripples that just
keep going.
My family of Rotary includes Rotarians; Youth Exchange students; Interactors; Rotaractors; GSE
team members; peace fellows; district governor, training leader, Board of Director, and Trustee
classmates; and all of their families. Just as I look at my own family’s accomplishments with
pride, I look with pride on all of the Rotary service achieved by my family of Rotary. Every time I
see these people, whether it’s been a few days or many years since we last met, I’m always glad
to hear what they’ve been doing in their Rotary clubs and districts.
Today, all of you have joined my family of Rotary. I’m so glad to have you all as a part of the family.
And I can’t wait to see what all of you do in the new Rotary year — as each one of you finds
your own way to Engage Rotary, Change Lives, and send those ripples spreading ever outward,
on and on.
Thank you.
International Assembly Speeches 2013 19