Induction to Induction: My First Year As A Rotarian

(L-R) President Elect Sean Teaford, Treasurer Patricia Mosteller, Incoming President Dr. Sherman Leis, Past District Governor Joel Chesney, Outgoing President Richard Trivane, Secretary Thomas Wiener, and Program Chair Patrick Walsh.  

My Rotary experience during this past year has been quite different than most first year Rotarians.  By joining a smaller club, I knew that I would be able to have an immediate impact and I would have the opportunity to quickly establish my presence in the club. This isn’t always the case as this is reliant upon an open minded membership of trusting and supportive men and women. Fortunately, I am a member of such a club.

Since I joined Rotary last August, I have had a wide range of experiences and I have held numerous offices. I quickly established myself as a board member and almost immediately took upon the role of Sergeant-At-Arms. Earlier this year I accepted the honor of becoming the Vice President of the club and yesterday I was, along with all the other incoming officers, officially inducted as the President Elect of the Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd – Narberth by Past District Governor Joel Chesney. It was also a great day to have my wife attend her first Rotary meeting with me!

I have done my best to represent the club and Rotary as a whole in a positive light in the community and I look forward to doing so in this new role. I look forward to both supporting our incoming President, Dr. Sherman Leis, as well as bringing ideas and strategies to the table that will both enhance and expand upon the goals established under his leadership. However, these initiatives are dependent upon a strong and engaged membership that is motivated by the ability of Rotary to change lives. Thankfully, we have such a membership.

I have made it known both in person and on this blog what my goals are going into this new Rotary year and I am looking forward to seeing all of them to fruition. These and similar goals should be adopted by all service centric clubs as we are all essential to the community especially in this time where technology has widened our world it is important for us to bring people back to center. We must take pride in the community and do all that we can to ensure the success of our neighborhoods, cities, towns, etc.

Our club has a long history in the community having received our charter in 1926 by sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Philadelphia. While the community around us has changed, our presence and commitment has never wavered and we will continue in our duty to remain a grounding constant among our neighbors. As part of the worlds' oldest and largest community service club of its kind, we will continue to serve as a doorway to greater world where service is placed above self and the morals set forth by Rotary permeate our daily lives.  

I take great pride in many things not the least of which is my Rotary club and I am humbled by the responsibility entrusted in me by my fellow Rotarians. While our club is small, preventing us from changing the ebb and flow of the tide, we can still create waves by making ripples in the water. This is how we make our presence known in the community and impact the world around us. One on one, person to person, we can change lives for the better. What greater meaning can there be in life?