Induction of the 2015-6 Board

 

Harbourside members who have served as presidents of other local clubs are :

Unlike most of you I have made mistakes in the past. Like these 3-

In Nov. of the year 2000 I walked into HS Rotary un-invited, just to see what it was like. Dan Kelly took me in and showed me the ropes. I kept coming back, just like a bad smell. It took until March 28 2001 for me to be inducted. Maybe there wasn't much pressure to get new members back then.

Three or four years later Gordon Miller told me that playing the anthems at Rotary was "the worst musical Moment" of his week, because he had to play without warming up. I offered to bring my fiddle and play some other tunes before the meeting. Well, you know how that has turned out.

And about 2 years ago I indicated that I was interested in serving as president, and I used email to do some unpresidented electioneering. You were kind enough to give me the job and here we are.

New members please take note - the tradition in most small organizations is that when the call for nominations goes out (in our case) in November, you don't put yourself forward. This ensures that the president-elect has to approach members they feel they can persuade to serve to fill the vacant board positions. I think this is normal, but a mistake. Everyone should be on the board for the increased fellowship and the deep education you get about the breadth and depth of Rotary.

I've learned in the last 2 years that the board, the club, people in Victoria, and BC, and Canada, and the world are all part of a conversation about how we are to BE in the world. If you don't join in to that conversation where you can and where you can make a difference, no matter how small, you are missing something important and meaningful.

What can I do as president? I can be the head juggler for the club and keep all the same balls in the air, or I can be ambitious and add a few new ones.

Last week Gordon and I were discussing by email what we might play this morning. He asked what my theme was for this year. I told him what the Rotary theme was. Does anyone know what it is? It's "be a gift to the world". Make your contribution to a better world by participating in Rotary meetings and projects.

"Yeah, yeah", gordon replied to me, but what's YOUR theme.

"Stay out of trouble", I replied.

or "stay the course".

And we could do that if that’s what you want. But I'd like to try to inspire you to do more.

Just as the Victoria Club has seized a larger vision and has many of us working on their food rescue project, we too need to try to have a wider influence in our community.

If you read my email asking for your advice that I sent last Saturday, (if you didn't read it the new version of ClubRunner lets me I know who you are), you will know that I am suggesting a speaker series in which we ask business & goverment leaders questions like:

1. What does your organization contribute to life on the south island, the province, the country and the world? Why is this important?

2. How are you trying to guide and shape that contribution in the near and long term?

3. What are the chief obstacles or frustrations to delivering that contribution?

4. In an ideal society what would your organizations contribution to society look like?

5. How can Rotary help you achieve that?

 

The goal is to get leaders thinking about social responsibility and the bigger picture AND to associate those ideas and ideals with Rotary. Can we make change in our community by talking to community leaders? I think we can.

Could we have 4 federal candidates and the press here Sept 9 so we can ask them about their vision of Canada as individuals, and how they plan to achieve that through their parties if they are elected?

This is my vision, but I can't do it alone. I need your help and your connections in the community. I need you to believe in service above self and the better world we can create.