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Rotary Banner Column from the President..
September, 2009
As the new President of the Bennington Rotary Club, I have been asked to write an article on behalf of our club. We have teamed up with the Catamount Rotary Club to offer monthly columns informing the community on the activities and mission of our clubs. This month, I'd like to focus on what it means to be a member of Rotary.
I became a member of the Bennington club in April 2004. As is the case with many new members, I don't think I was truly aware of what it meant to be a Rotarian. As time passed, I became more involved in the club's activities and enjoyed the relationships that developed with other members. Eventually, I was asked to join the Board as the Club Service Chair and held that post for several years. As I learned more about our club and the larger organization of Rotary, I couldn't help but be impressed.
Our club has contributed so much to the community over the years. We have called many great community leaders our fellow members, helped countless students further their education, assisted those in need during difficult times and completed many community improvement projects. After all these years, we still remain committed to these ideals.
These ideals were set forth more than 100 years ago by Rotary's founder, Paul Harris. Paul, who grew up with his grandparents in Wallingford, Vermont, was an attorney in Chicago when he created the world's first service club in 1905. It is said that he wished to capture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.
Popularity of the club grew quickly with clubs on six continents by 1921. With that growth came an expansion of Rotary's mission. No longer was Rotary merely serving the members' professional and social interests, Rotarians began serving community needs. This ideal is expressed in the Rotary motto "Service Above Self."
Currently Rotary International has 1,221,880 members worldwide. Each of these members has one thing in common; they believe in the ideals proposed by Paul Harris in 1905. More specifically, members understand and benefit from networking, service, friendship, family, ethics and leadership. As members of local clubs, Rotarians enlarge their circle of business and professional acquaintances with a cross-section of the community's leaders; much like the original Rotary members did in 1905. They also enjoy many opportunities for humanitarian service both locally and internationally. Additionally, members build fellowships, a cornerstone of Rotary that continues to flourish. They involve their families in many of the club activities including foreign exchange programs, local service projects and social events. They aspire to high ethical standards in their work and personal life, adhering to the Rotary "Four-Way Test." And finally, Rotarians hone their leadership skills with opportunities to do public speaking, fundraising, team building and planning.
The requirements of being a Rotary member are that each Rotarian attends weekly meetings, participates in service projects and helps bring new members into the club. Weekly meetings are an important part of each club and are intended to enrich the professional and personal knowledge of members while increasing fellowship. As mentioned, service became a strong Rotary ideal shortly after its inception; therefore, members are expected to participate in the club's service projects. This helps keep members involved, in touch with the club's activities and committed to the needs of the community. Membership is vital to any club. Rotary believes that there is no better way to bring in new members, then to have current members recruit them. Members are encouraged to invite potential members to meetings or to participate in service projects. Names of prospective members are then presented to the club. Members are also asked to take some responsibility in retaining the current membership. This can be accomplished through maintaining good fellowship and membership involvement.
So what does it mean to be a member of Rotary? It means that you have a commitment to your community. It means that you enjoy the camaraderie of other people who practice high ethical standards in their profession and personal lives. It means that you want to learn more about the world and that you want to make a difference in the world. It means that you aren't afraid to give up your personal time. It means that you want to be a leader in the community.
For me, being a Rotarian means doing the best I can and giving back whenever possible.
By: Lisa Byer - Bennington Rotary Club President
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