To the Rotary Club of Lethbridge Sunrise
Thursday, June 24, 2021
As I take on the role of President of Sunrise Rotary Club, I am very mindful of the importance of the work we do, how much we impact our community and the world, and therefore, I recognize what an honour it is to take on this role.
One of the most important aspects of Sunrise Rotary Club is its commitment to people. As has been proven time and again over the years, it is this fundamental belief in, and commitment to people that launched so many successful projects.
And it is this principle that will provide a solid launching pad for many more projects.
As we wrap up our 2020-21 year and commence our 2021-22 year, there are so many things to consider. Do we really have COVID controlled? What will be the lasting changes that started during the COVID lockdowns? How will we further adapt?
One thing of which I am certain is our incredibly strong desire to pursue service above self. Rotary in general, and our Club in particular has always looked at our community and our world, observed situations and said "not on our watch" or "not in our back yard"
In other words, we won't ever sit idly by when our efforts will help improve community standards, or at the very least, prevent erosion of community standards.
There are many things to which we have made commitments. What else will we see that will cause us to say "not on our watch" or "not in our back yard".
Is it other schools needing some assistance? Are there new parks that need equipment? What about the situation of poor water quality in so many Canadian communities? (I find this to be particularly disturbing.)
Are these the things that will make us say "not on our watch" or "not in our back yard"? Perhaps it is worthwhile to couch these in more positive Rotarian language such as " on our watch we will…" or "in our back yard we will…"
For the next few months as we recover from the COVID pandemic, we have projects that have been on hold which we will revive. Westminster School, Los Amigos, the various you programs will slowly come back.
Fundraising will be a priority as we have not been able to do any for well over a year. Our fundraising committee is already hard at work planning projects.
A second priority is recruiting a few more members. For various reasons we are down from 40 to 35 members. Our commitment to people will serve us very well in finding potential Rotarians. (Perhaps the most common comment our guest speakers make is how energetic and welcoming our club is.)
As we move through summer and into fall we will return to a more normal mode of operation, and with that we can re-engage all the energy and ideas that are the hallmark of this club.
I am deeply honoured and truly excited to be your President for 2021-22
Don Robb