Why I Joined Rotary by Dorinda Emery
Posted by Judi Reed
on Dec 05, 2010
I
originally joined Rotary at the invitation of the infamous Robin Hood. He and I were working on an initiative to
encourage Downtown Rotarians to become blood donors. Downtown Rotary enrolled in a program called
Partners for Life whereby the group made a pledge to donate blood as a group. Robin and Bernie Carriere both encouraged me
to join Rotary. As a result I joined the
Downtown Club that year.
What
began as a primarily business initiative changed drastically for me when I transferred
to Lethbridge Sunrise. I found myself
with commitments that conflicted with the downtown club’s Monday lunch meeting
and I prefer a morning meeting. Immediately,
in the Sunrise club I found a group of people that inspired me with their sincere
commitment to service, both within the community and the world at large. I felt a warm, welcoming and accepting
spirit. The weekly meetings serve to keep me mindful of the many ways we can
help others, while enjoying the good fellowship of the members.
So
perhaps more importantly, why will I remain a member of Rotary? There are many
reasons. The ones that come to mind for
me now are: the Four Way Test keeps me focused in the way I want to live my
life; the members of our Rotary group are a diverse and entertaining group who
get things done; and lastly, I love the principles and universal awareness of
the organization as a whole.