Back To Bala: A Rotary Recap

Me with President George Hatzfeld.
Another memory captured by Richard M. Trivane,
President Elect of the Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd - Narberth. 

It is hard to believe that it has already been over a year since I was last at Aldar Bistro in Bala Cynwyd. It was a drive full of memories as I made my way into town and almost all of those excellent meetings rushed back as soon as I walked through the doors of the restaurant. Actually, many of those remembrances came to me when I was greeted in the parking lot by the restaurant manager who, somehow, still remembered me after all this time. It had been too long and it was great to reconnect with many of the people whom I used to see every week and also speak with a number of people whom I was meeting for the first time.

The purpose of my return has been long overdue and required some time to arrange my calendar. I was asked several months ago to come back as a speaker/presenter but given my schedule it has been difficult to find a Wednesday that worked. But, I was finally back at a meeting and, per a request from the club, ready to talk about a passion that has occupied much of my time over the past few years… genealogy.

While presentations are usually about 30 minutes in length, the minutes seemed like seconds as I gave an overview of my journey of discovering my Revolutionary War ancestor and my recent acceptance into the Sons of the American Revolution. I reviewed not just what is required regarding proof but also some of the challenges that I have faced along the way especially given the fact that Native American genealogy has its own set of challenges (particularly in the Commonwealth of Virginia). Not surprisingly, especially for those who know me, by the time I got around to answering questions nearly 45 minutes had passed.

Having been away from the podium for so long it was a great feeling when the presentation when so smoothly and I was able to keep the attention of those in attendance. And the questions that were posed afterward were both thoughtful and showed a deep interest of those in attendance of the work that it takes to prove ones lineage through the centuries. It is good to know that I still have some, albeit limited, ability to offer a compelling presentation.

Another pleasant surprise during this gathering was the fact that the incoming club president purchased 15 copies of my book about my experiences with Rotary. It seems as though both my presentation and my book struck a chord with him and the club. Now, I have to make a more concerted effort to return to the club in the near future and not allow my absence to grow so long. And, of course, I will have to figure out what my topic will be the next time around as well but I am sure that I will have some help with that from those I met yesterday.

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.

A Lion In The Classroom

Experience is one of the most powerful teaching tools that we have to offer to others and yesterday we all learned many lessons at our weekly Rotary meeting. There are people that you meet during your life that you will always remember the stories they told about the life they have lived. Jack Binstead is someone whose life has impacted countless people and continues influence more and more people every day.

Jack spent 27 years as an English teacher at Overbrook High School trying to bridge the educational gap that still exists in many of our urban schools today. In his decades in the classroom he experienced the highs and lows few experience in their chosen profession. He recalled the countless students who have gone on to become authors, artists, singers, professional athletes, politicians, CEOs, and even a movie star which was tempered by the fact that, during his career, he experienced the loss of 45 students who didn’t live to see graduation.

Unfortunately, all too often the tragedy of 45 commonly outweighs the success of hundreds and is used to generalize the students that attend this and similar schools. It is important to remember that greatness is not limited by race or the economy; it is determined by desire, passion, and education. What we need are teachers that can kindle desire, inspire passion, and motivate students to value education. Jack was one of those teachers in the classroom and is still one of those teachers outside of the confines of academia.   

Jack’s passion for education is evident when he talks about the many students and experiences he had at Overbrook and his passion for service shines through when he speaks of his long tenure with the Bala Cynwyd – Narberth Lions. Whereas his served a community of students for many years, his focus on service now extends to the entire community. Similar to Rotary in many ways Lions are a service centric organization that follows a simple principle, “Whenever a Lions club gets together, problems get smaller. And communities get better.”   

Locally and internationally there have been many instances where both organizations have worked together to improve communities and help solve common problems. Just as when you enter many towns throughout this country with a Rotary and a Lions sign along the road, we work together in each community. Sometimes it takes a Lion. Sometimes it takes a Rotarian. Sometimes it takes a Kiwanis. Sometimes it takes a Mason. The most important thing is that we get people involved, we work together, and we all do what we can to solve some of the problems facing our local communities and the international community.

In this drive to do good we have to be open and we must communicate. This is not a batter of “I’m better than you” or “this is better than that”. We are all different organizations but we can still have a common voice and in order to accomplish this we have to remember that communication is key, the effectiveness of which all comes down to what you say and how you say it. This is one of the tenants that Jack taught to his students and it is something that we should all keep in mind as it is something that can easily be forgotten.

Simply put, don’t use your words to segregate service, use them to unite a community. Rotarians, invite a Lion to speak at your club. Lions, invite a Rotarian to speak at your club. Learn from all your experiences and find ways to help each other as well as the community and objectives you have in common. Remember, it’s all about “service above self”!