Dear Rotarians-I hope you are enjoying the holiday week and continuing to put our Rotary motto “Service Above Self” into action each day. What a wonderful day we had together on June 25 for our Passing of the Gavel ceremony. It’s with huge appreciation that I thank each of you for your support. I would like to give a heart felt thank you to Bob, Molly, and Tony for their involvement with such a meaningful and important day for our Newark Rotary Club. Thank you, again, to Jack for his leadership over the past year.
My family and friends were impressed with our Passing of the Gavel tradition. Each person could see how much pride each Past President exuded through this process along with the significant impact each had upon the Newark Rotary Club and its mission. By revisiting the International Theme for each president, it showed the importance of what we do each day, not only locally, but internationally.
President Jack shared with us last Tuesday, “You will get out of Rotary what you put into it.” I would like to build on this thought and ask that each of you reflect on this statement and internalize what this means to you. As Rotarians, we can impact so many by our actions each day and in all that what we do. Being a Rotarian is more than just coming to a weekly meeting; it’s volunteering, being a mentor or leader for others, and supporting Rotary causes. We must ask ourselves each day, “As a Rotarian, how can I/we make a difference?”
I am excited for our next Rotary year together! As a Club, we have a strong plan of action to guide us through 2021. We will continue to work together to lead into the future while honoring our past. Our International Theme is “Rotary Connects the World” and we will do our part to honor this theme to make a difference.
We are fortunate to live in a country that honors our Five Rotary core values:
Service, Fellowship, Diversity, Integrity, and Leadership. Wishing you each a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July! I’m looking forward to seeing each of you on Tuesday, July 9.
“We’re blessed with the opportunity to stand for something-for liberty and freedom and fairness. And these are things worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to.”
-Ronald Reagan