Long Night At The Lodge

Simply put, yesterday was a marathon. 26 hours without sleep isn’t very good for the system but it is great for getting things done. What began with my night job quickly transitioned to my new day job. After that I was able to spend a couple hours with my wife before staggering back out the door and off to my stated lodge meeting.

I was already tired by the time I got into the car and the driving did not help the situation. However, as soon as I pulled into the parking lot my eye lids seemed to lift and the weight was removed from my sluggish legs. By the time I got out of the car I was ready to go for the rest of the night and it’s a good thing because it was a long night.

The crowd seemed a little light and everyone looked like it had already been a long week but we all took advantage of the opportunity to catch up with our brothers. It was also a great time to chat with the District Deputy Grand Master (DDGM) who was there in an unofficial capacity and so it was a much more laid back affair. Dinner always goes quickly and soon enough we all began making our way up stairs for the meeting.  The one problem… where was the Secretary?

I knew that the Assistant Secretary was out of town but I was expecting to see all the officers there for the meeting. If he didn’t show up it would have been my turn to sit in the chair and I had very limited experience and really nothing to work with as I don’t have access to the locked office. This had the potential to be very interesting.

With ten minutes to spare, all officers were present and getting ready to go. Our meeting got underway on time and we made a quick night of the agenda to leave ample time for the Shriners presentation to follow. With the meeting over and the presentation concluded it was time to finish up a few things in the office and head across the street for a quick beer.

A small group of brothers gathered around an upstairs table talking about the goals for the following year. It really isn’t too early for such conversations. There are a few great ideas and shifts in mentality that I am looking forward to being a part of when I take office in December. It really is shaping up to be a great start to what I hope will be a longstanding tenure at the lodge.

We all made our way back to the parking lot while still continuing the free flow from our earlier conversation until the only two people we left were me and the DDGM. Unfortunately for him, I can talk. By the time I got back in the car it was about 11:00 PM, dead tired, and excited for both the following day at the office and the following year in office. It was a long day but a great one!

Schedule Shift

This week I missed my Rotary meeting for the first time in months. There have been a few close calls from time to time but I outright missed it yesterday. If you read my post from yesterday you can understand why.

This is not a unique problem. Many Rotarians have to adjust their schedules to find the time to attend a meeting. It is the commitment we made when we joined Rotary. Sometimes things work out and you can find a way to attend your home club meeting. But that is not always the case.

Given my new daily routine, I am going to have to find a number of clubs to fit into my calendar. I will do my best to occasionally attend meetings at my home club in Bala Cynwyd but, at this point, I can’t guarantee anything. It will continue to be my home club but most of my meetings will have to be beyond the confines of Aldar Bistro.

What does that mean for some of the projects I have undertaken? Nothing, I am still going to work as hard as I have been on them. This schedule shift may even be to my benefit as it will give my club, our projects, and our raffle greater exposure.

What I will miss are the people. These people are not just my fellow Rotarians or club members; they are my friends who have been there for me during much of this recent rough patch. They will always be dear friends and I will continue to talk to and coordinate with them regarding the goings on in the club and what they happen to be doing beyond the Rotary world.

You may not see as many posts regarding the speakers at my club, which should have been obvious by now. But I will write about all the events, conferences, training programs and visitations to other clubs that I experience moving forward. In fact, you will be (or maybe you won’t if you tend to skip over these posts) reading about a Rotary event that I will be attending on Saturday when I finally finish up with Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI).

So, some things are definitely going to change in my own Rotary world but many things are going to stay the same. Change is good most of the time and in this instance it has the potential to be great. Stay tuned for a different Rotary perspective.

Change Is Good

(L-R) Rotarian Sean Teaford and City Controller Candidate Terry Tracy at the Union League during a meeting of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia (Photo by Assistant District Governor Richard Trivane)

On Thursday, for the second day in a row I was off to a Rotary meeting. The reason for my Rotary double down was to hear the guest speaker presenting at the Rotary Club of Philadelphia. Not only was I interested in what he had to say I was also the one who introduced him to the opportunity earlier in the year.

In Rotary, as many of you know, we do our best to remain neutral when it comes to politics. This is a rule that I respect and abide by no matter what my views are on a particular subject. However, I fully support the discussion of ideas and the sharing of opinions as to the best solutions for problems that we face both in our club and in the community. It is for this reason that I set up the date for Terry Tracy to open up a dialogue with my fellow Rotarians over lunch at The Union League of Philadelphia.

I met Terry a number of months back at a Commonwealth Club event in center city and was immediately impressed with his reasonable views and how his background would offer a unique perspective to the position of Controller in the City of Brotherly Love. As Rotarians we all bring different abilities and talents to the table to serve each other and the community and I believe that we should look for those same traits in those running for office. His experience running retail stores throughout North America for major multinational fashion brands grants him with exceptional ability to view the city through a lens of global appeal and appreciation for the creative management necessary to spur growth in tough times.

  

I can hear some of you commenting now about neutrality and party politics. Rest assured, Terry abided by the 4 Way Test throughout his discussion.

It is the truth? He stuck to the facts and was completely honest in his background and opinions.  

Is it fair to all concerned? He did not venture into conjecture and made no mention of party politics.

Will it build good will and better friendships? In a time when partisan politics is running rampant, the meeting ended with complements from Rotarians across the political spectrum.  

Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Regardless of location, the race for controller is often overlooked. This brought focus to a position that has a great impact on the health of the city but regularly receives little attention. All benefited from the awareness of this important position.

Just because someone is in politics and/or is a member of one party or another, it doesn’t mean that neutrality can’t be achieved. Ones personal views will always color your perspective but it shouldn’t prevent us from seeing both sides of a political race or a discussion in general. In fact, you could be surprise by what you see. Who knows, maybe your opinion will change. Maybe change is something we need.