Dear Family of Rotary,I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving! Even if it was smaller this year, we are all connected by our Rotary family, and I am thankful for each and every one of you. I posted a Thanksgiving Greeting on our District Facebook page from our Interact District Governor, Ashton Bialek-Kling. If you didn’t have a chance to see it, CLICK HEREto watch. It’s for all of you.
Being District Governor is such a wonderful role in Rotary because I am blessed to hear about all the wonderful things you do. The list is endless, and the projects are too many to count! I wish there were a way that I could capture each club in a bottle and send it out to the world! I will work on that! 😊
December is going to be a busy month for our District. Our Interact Ambassadors program is in the final stages of sending a 45 ft. container of used wheelchairs, walkers, and mobility equipment to Mexico. This is going to benefit rural areas and the Enchulame la Silla (Jazz my Chair) program and Global Grant. We should all be so proud of our students. I want to give a special thank you to American Furniture Warehouse, specifically Lauren Lukas and Brian Winn. AFW has been so generous in serving humanity and have expended massive amounts of employee hours to work with Crutches 4 Africa and our Interact Ambassadors program. It is almost impossible to quantify their support of our students and Rotary. Thank you! We will let you know once the container has shipped and provide updates throughout the year and as we begin work on our Kenya shipment.
We are also in the final stages of closing out our next phase of the Navajo Water Project, this time led by the Rotary Club of Sedona. If you have any questions or would like to support the project, please contact IPDG, David Simmer (dsimmer9@gmail.com) as soon as you can. The work initiated by this team (so many Rotarians) is a legacy that will last forever. To bring one of the most important aspects of life to our neighbors, clean water – that is what being a Rotarian is all about.
I think we can all agree this year has not been the easiest, but I can promise you that our Rotary clubs are operating at the highest level. As we enter 2021, hopefully the worst of COVID-19 will be behind us soon. I think it is important to reflect on what we learned and can take away from this year, and where we want to be moving forward. No one is ever too old to set goals. Maybe consider something you would like to do differently or more of in Rotary this coming year. I have found in my life that writing down what I am grateful for and where I want to be has been one of the most effective tools I have.
- What are you most grateful for? What did you realize was most important to you in 2020?
- Where do you want to see yourself at the end of 2021? What do you want to make a priority throughout the year?
- Who do you want to become this year? Are there learning opportunities you could take advantage of? OR – can you mentor someone else, and share your expertise? Jim Rohn often said, "Who we become is more important than how much we earn or acquire."
- Where do you want to give to in 2021? What causes or who are you most called to help this year?
- What is the next step to just get started?
I want to thank you for all you’ve done in 2020 and wish you the ABSOLUTE BEST 2021. I wish for everyone: great health, unbelievable joy, connection, and the ability we all have to continue to make our world a better place for all. “Be Good in the World” – “Be People of Action”. It is a true honor to be among all of you. What a cool thing to be in something like Rotary – to be among the nicest, caring, effective, and generous of people. Happiest of Holidays and a Very Happy New Year!
Love you all,
Elizabeth