Thankful 1 of 4: Service Above Self
I know many of my friends are doing a daily memo of thanks, usually on Facebook. That’s way too much work for me, so I will do it four times during the month on Extra Points. And, my family, friends, health, etc. are all givens. I want to loo a bit deeper by peeling the onion.
On November 4, 1993 I was inducted into Rotary. I actually remember it like it was yesterday. Little did I know at the time what an impact this wonderful organization would have on my life. In the past 20 years, Rotary has given me the opportunity to really learn (emphasis on really) what their motto, Service Above Self, truly means. As a relatively young Rotarian at the time, it helped me to grow up with service to others as a mantra for myself and my family. Every member of my family has done work through Rotary, including work parties, hosting exchange students, and a project trip to Mexico.
Thank you, Rotary. You continue to teach and define for me the value of community; you provide opportunity for fellowship with other like-minded people; you enrich lives of the people we work and raise money for by doing good in the world; and you perpetuate the belief, the genuine belief, of the words written by Charles Dickens a century and a half ago in The Christmas Carol, that “mankind is our business.”
© 2013 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved
This week’s quote –
“It has been the way of Rotary to focus thought upon matters in which members are in agreement, rather than upon matters in which they are in disagreement.”
~ Paul Harris (founder of Rotary)
