ROTARY DISTRICT 5320 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
District Governor: Cliff Nelson, Editor: Jim de Boom, http://www.ROTARY5320.ORG
Issue No. 1 July 1998
Governor's Message -July 1998
...... A paramount responsibility for each Rotarian this year should be one of seeking out new
Rotarians who will add diversity and energy to their Club. A sound Rotary Club represents a cross section of the best of a community's professioal and business life. A Club's vitality is determined by its desire to use new energy into its membership. We who love Rotary have an obligation to share Rotary with others. I believe that there are thousands of potential Rotarians out there looking to serve their fellow man and seeking Rotary to be part of their lives. Those untapped future Rotarians have an innate desire to practice the principles founded on our Rotary motto, Service Above Self They others by seeking other men and women dedicated to these same principles. This is why I jomed Rotary! This is why you joined Rotary!
At one time in your life some one shared Rotary with you. Have you ever thought what a shame it would have been if your sponsor hadn't proposed you for membership? what a loss that would have been for you! what a loss that would have been for Rotary! Rotary can only grow if we, as Rotarians,
share with others what has been shared with us.
Over the last 13 years, I have had the pleasure of proposing and sponsoring 11 new members into our Club. what can you do to share Rotary with someone else! First, meet with your Club Membership Chair and find out what it takes to propose a new member to your Club. Second, invite a potential Rotarian to one of your Club meetings. Third, encourage your fellow Rotarians to invite potential Rotarians to a club meeting. Yes, at some point we were all invited to a Rotary meeting
because some Rotarian thought that we might be interested in serving our commulMties and our world. It follows that we must love Rotary or we would not still be members. If you sincerely love Rotary, then invite someone. Maybe he or she will find Rotary to be that "some thing" they were looking for.
What Do You Mean - Too Young For Rotary?
Are men and women rn their 20s and 30s too young to be Rotarians? Consider this: Eight of the
12 Rotary Interational presidents since 1984-85 were age 35 or under when they joined Rotary.
Likewise President Glen W Kunsoss and President-Elect James Lacy were ages 29 and 33, respectively, when they became Rotarians. Among this group, Past President Luis Vicente
Giay and Past President Herbert G. Brown were the youngest when they joined Rotary, each at 22.
President Giay said that it is no exaggeration to say that Rotary formed him: "Rotary showed me the way to achieve my goals in life." The six other recent RI presidents who were not "too young for Rotary", their terms and their ages when they joined: Carlos Conseco (1984-85) 18; Charles C. Keller (1987-88) 27; Kevin M Archer (1989-90) 35; Paulo VC. Costa (1989-91) 26; Rajendra
K. Saboo (1991-92) 26; and Clifford L. Dochterman (1992-93) 33.
Compared to this group, founder Paul Harris was a late bloomer, nearly 38, when he came to
Rotary. But when he did, he invited other young men to join him.
