Rotary celebrates 120 years!
I heard a story at my club meeting this week about Paul Harris and the origins of Rotary. Paul Harris received his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1891 and later moved to Chicago to open his law practice in 1896. Paul felt that there were many, like him, that had come to Chicago from farms and small villages to establish themselves in this great city.
He decided to bring some men together for fellowship. They met at his house, then they would take turns and meet at another's house or business, then rotate to another, hence the word Rotary. On February 23, 1905, four of them gathered in downtown Chicago for what would become known as the first Rotary meeting.
As we move into the second half of this Rotary year, I challenge you, as Rotarians, to keep this spirit of fellowship and service alive by inviting a prospective member to attend your meetings. Don't just invite them to a lunch, breakfast or evening get together. Share your story of why you joined Rotary, and better yet, why you have stayed in Rotary! We are the number one service organization in the world! We need to share that with others.
February is also Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month. As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of our mission. We believe when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a global effect. Rotary President Stephanie Urchick will host a Presidential Peace Conference in Istanbul, Turkey February 20-22 to bring Rotary and our partners together to build on Rotary's work in promoting peace and to recognize the opening of the Otto and Fran Walter Rotary Peace Center in partnership with Bahcesehir University.
A few reminders as we move into February. Please make sure that you have your leadership team in place and that you register your President-elect for PETS on March 22nd. Now is also a good time to review the goals that you set for this Rotary year and assess what your club needs to do in this second half of the year to achieve the Club Excellence Award.
Our district board of directors will be meeting on February 1st to discuss the state of the district, help to develop our three year rolling strategic plan that will assist club leaders in developing one for their clubs and to interview candidates to become District Governor Nominee.
I will share this information with club presidents on our zoom call on Wednesday, February 5th.
One last note: The District Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 8th. Please go to the district calendar for information on this meeting and other club and district events.
Yours in Rotary,
Tom Kerfoot, District Governor
Rotary District 5650
Omaha Suburban Rotary
tkerfoot5650@gmail.com