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.

Sunday Search: Being True To Father’s Day

This is a long overdue post that I have kept putting off when the thought of writing it has entered my mind over the years. As the most recent urge to record my thoughts coincided with Father’s Day it really was no longer an option to write about my father at greater length. While I have briefly mentioned my father in previous posts, I have consistently left out many of the details… pretty much all of the details in fact. While by no means comprehensive and certainly a work in progress, I dedicate this post to my father.

Growing up in a rather modest row home on Iona Avenue in Narberth, Pennsylvania my father was one who, despite his academic abilities, focused largely on sports during his formative years. In fact, I have been told stories on a few occasions that there were even scouts in the stands when my father was a catcher on the varsity baseball team for Lower Merion High School. And not all of those scouts were focusing on other players on the team or opposing hitters in the other dugout like Reggie Jackson. Because major league teams don’t keep all of their scouting records, this is a story that has no substantiation but, given the honest passion with which they were told and the talent that I saw on display decades later, there has to at least be a little truth in those tales.

What I do know for certain is that following his high school graduation my father knew with near absolute certainty that he was going to be drafted. Not surprisingly, he took his fate into his own hands and figured out a way to go into the military as an officer without the luxury of a college degree. This how my father ended up serving as a warrant officer and helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. While he flew in excess of, conservatively, 50 combat missions and nearly paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Tet offensive on 30 January 1968 at 1830 hours when he was struck by one of the seven 30 caliber rounds that punctured his aircraft, he has yet to receive the recognition for his service with the 155^th Assault Helicopter Company (Stagecoach) out of Ban Me Thuot. This is an oversight that I am trying to rectify… I actually found out that this is an issue common with the company in which he served.

Following his Army service, my father returned home and, with his newly found focus, truncated the time it took to receive his degree from St. Joseph’s University (then St. Joseph’s College). With funds remaining in his GI Bill, he immediately pursued and later received his MBA from the same institution. He considered law school but eventually decided to continue his career in finance. Mind you he was also maintaining full time employment and volunteering with the Narberth Ambulance  Corps. Also during this period in his life, he was introduced to my mother (thanks to her brother), a relationship that has lasted for over 40 years.

With his education complete and a young family at home, my father continued thrive in the business world. While there have been certain unpleasant monikers and unpleasant terms used to describe my father during this time, in the end, he was good at his job, didn’t accept failure, hated braggers and name droppers, and expected people to work just as hard as he did. Even years later, I can recall brief moments of conversations echoing from his office. I may not have completely understood them at the time and even now I can’t recall exactly what was said but, as I have gotten older, I have come to understand those moments to be glimpses into his aforementioned work ethic.

I have also come to realize that my older siblings may have had a different experience growing up but I remember my father trying to find the time to help me when he could, attend practices and games, and answer questions that broke through my stubbornness while completing homework assignments. I also recall the moments playing miniature golf on the board walk in Ocean City, my poor attempts to play real golf on various occasions, going to Phillies games at the Vet, and simply joining him during weekly short car rides into the city or along the main line with the oldies station or KYW News Radio (1060) playing in the background.

To this day I still look up to my father and there are new memories made every day. I have come to better appreciate everything that he has done for me and the lessons that he has taught me over the years… some I took to quickly while others it took years before I finally got it. While our conversations have changed over the years, I enjoy the times that he is able to share his experiences and knowledge about subjects with me as well as those rare moments when I am able to tell him about something new or a recent family discovery that I have made.

However, the greatest moment are when I am able to see him with his grandson with whom he shares his name. And the times when we can all experience something new as a family are the memories that will last not just my lifetime but my son’s lifetime as well. There is no greater feeling than when I remind my son that this is your granddad, this is daddy’s daddy. Happy Father’s Day Dad!

Back To Rotary: Upcoming Presentations

When I felt my phone vibrate I immediately thought it was one of the usual family or lodge suspects sending me an update or asking me a question. What I didn’t expect to read when I opened up my text messages was a request from the President of the Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd – Narberth to be a guest speaker at one of the upcoming meetings. While it has been some time since I was last a regular member, I am still proud to hold the title of Honorary Rotarian and it will certainly be a privilege and pleasure to reconnect with the people who have continued to support me despite my long absence. Following our brief conversation, I will not only have one opportunity to revisit this find group but two opportunities to join them for lunch in the coming months.

The first presentation I will be making is on the transforming my everyday experiences into a daily blog and, recently, into a collection of books. I started my blog while still very active with the club and I have continued writing daily posts. Now numbering over a thousand, I have begun the process of transforming those posts into essay collections on individual topics.

The first book to result from this effort is The Good, The Bad, And The Adorable: My First Year As A Father which recounts all the moments from the time my wife and I found out we were having a baby all the way through my son’s first birthday. I guess you could call it a baby book on steroids. The second book, Out On the Limbs: Searching For Answers In The Family Tree, was released at the same time and includes many of the family stories that have been passed down to me as well as the recreations of some of the lives of my ancestors which I have pieced together through years of research. Of course, there are numerous more on the way this year but this gives you a sense of the subject of this presentation.   

While genealogy is a topic that I have discussed before during a meeting this presentation will be completely different than the last one. The second presentation, which was actually the original impetus for the outreach, will be on the research, application process, and joining the Sons of the American Revolution. This has been a goal for several years and now it is finally coming to fruition. During this presentation I will not only talk about the discovery of this family line which was unfamiliar to the family during my youth but the process of researching and ultimately proving this lineage to the point where it will stand up to the scrutiny of an independent third party such as the Sons of the American Revolution. Of course, this is just the beginning and I will also touch upon the repetition of this process that is before me as I begin pulling together the documentation for thirty supplemental applications.

All that is left is to coordinate a day that works in my schedule. Hopefully, this will be a regular commitment as I continue writing and researching… there are certainly enough topics that I can speak on, maybe not intelligently but enough for a presentation. But, for now, I will enjoy the opportunity to visit my club, share my passions, and spend a couple of days with some great friends.

Sunday Search: More Dead Ends

While I have been able to make some progress recently on tracing back along the branches of the family tree (more on that next week), I have also encountered a number of roadblocks. It hasn’t been a matter of being able to find the right person to call, it is largely a matter of records no longer existing. Of course, there are also a few instances where I simply don’t have the access to the records. Really it is the combination of these two situations that has forced me to find other avenues to find the information for which I am searching.

I previously wrote about my numerous interactions with the Philadelphia Police Department and the discovery that most personnel files have long since been destroyed. While I was able to piece together a few aspects of John Uttley’s service, there are still many holes and questions that remain. However, sometimes we have to be satisfied with what we have and take some measure of contentment knowing that we have been able to confirm that he did serve, how long, badge number, and rank. Some people don’t even have that much information.

I ran into a similar situation as this when I called the Narberth Fire Department the last couple of weeks to try and get more information about my grandfather who was a Captain with the volunteer company. As it turns out, after years of renovations, moving buildings, leaks, and other instances, all the records prior to 1970 have been lost. However, I was still able to find out that, late in life, he was on over two dozen calls. Thankfully, there are some photos in the family from this time.

As I waited for Narberth to return my call, I also reached out to the current incarnation of Autocar now located in Indiana to see if they had any of the personnel files from the early days on the Philadelphia Main Line… this is where my great grandfather spend nearly his entire working life. I can’t say I was surprised when the woman on the phone informed me that only the name has been transferred over the years and the whereabouts of the files are unknown. There still is a chance that these records exist but now it is a completely different task trying to figure out where they ended up… I guess it is time to reach out to a variety of historical societies.

Lastly, while conducting the aforementioned outreach, I also looked into trying to secure my grandfather and great grandfather’s service records from WWII and WWI respectively. While these records exist, at least most of them, only next of kin are allowed to order the files. The simple translation is that I have to have my father submit the request in order to get these copies. Sometimes these extra steps seem to add up but at least there is a simply solution.

What I have found throughout the process and the point that has been driven home again and again is the simple fact that we, as a family, must keep our own records. If you want to know the story of your family and you want future generations to know about the family we can’t rely solely on the depositories found in other places. At the same time, make it known that you have certain records and share them with anyone who is interested in learning about the generations that preceded them. In other words, don’t let someone else control your family story… don’t be afraid to be the family historian.

Genealogy Wish List

This time of year, regardless of a person’s faith, everyone puts together a wish list of what they would like to receive or see happen during the holiday season. Sometimes it is as simple as Ralphie repeatedly pleading for a Red Rider BB Gun while others are more complex or impossible to fulfill. This list, my genealogy wish list, leans more toward the latter while I hope that some will turn out to be as simple as Ralphie’s request. So here it is:

1. Redcross/Beverly Marriage License: This is the last remaining piece that we need to definitively prove our genealogy back to the Monacan records. While we know where it should be and have seen the document listed in the indexes of the local courthouse, the actual marriage license has disappeared and no one knows where it is. There are some theories however but it is going to take a lot of time and significant effort to either prove or disprove them.
2. Monacan Nation Membership: We don’t know if this is going to be possible without the aforementioned document but we need to at least give it a try. Maybe the index will be enough as it is still a state document but we just don’t know. Everything else is in place we just need to pull all the documentation together, pay the application fee, and see how things pan out.
3. John Uttley’s Service Record: While I have been able to track down when he was sworn into the Philadelphia Police Department and I have found his badge number and highest rank achieved (that was a long couple weeks of calls), there is little else that I can find regarding his service. During this research process, I found out that all the old police records were destroyed and that nothing is left but a basic database of names, badge numbers, and ranks. Maybe there is a copy somewhere… let’s hope that is the case.
4. McKannan Arrival Date: The original surname was McKenna. First name was William. Arrival was during the potato famine. This shouldn’t be challenging at all. This is going to take more luck (maybe luck of the Irish) than anything else as all existing leads have proven very little and, if anything, have created more possible links than verifying any. It’s a long shot but I am going to keep pushing and sorting through records.
5. Percy Teaford’s Service Record: While I have been able to find a good amount of information regarding my grandfather’s service in the Navy during World War II, I haven’t been able to get any additional information on his service in the Narberth Fire Department. This is one of those things that is just going to take time and me driving over there to see if they have any information. It would be interesting to read about this.
6. Autocar: Both my great grandfather and my grandfather worked at Autocar in Ardmore. While the factory is long gone I am curious to know if the records are still floating around (if they survived the fires just before the plants closed). I have reached out to the current incarnation of the company but have yet to hear anything. It would be nice to have an answer as to whether or not the employment records even exist.
7. Jacob Teaford’s Story: The second first generation to be born on this continent (before the founding of the United States). We know very little about him. We have more details about his father, the immigrant, and the generations since but he has remained a mystery for years. Heck, we can’t even figure out who was the mother of his son Jacob from which I am a descendant. He is the reason why we are green dot bastards and it would be nice to fix that.
8. Nicolas Love’s Parents: We have the names from his recently discovered death certificate but we no little else about them. We can’t find a record of their marriage and we can’t find any census records. While there are theories, like many other areas of the tree, we have yet to prove any of them no matter how probable one seems.
9. Maiden Names: This is always an issue in anyone’s tree as even death certificates of siblings can differ from one to another about their mother’s maiden name. This is just going to take more digging, marriage record research, and looking at census records for possible clues.
10. Revolutionary War Ancestry: There seem to be more and more connections found whenever I spend some time working on the tree. Many of them are confirmed but some connections remain tenuous at best. Even today I made the interesting discovery that my 6x great uncle was the inspiration for the movie “The Patriot”. It would be nice to confirm them all and have those findings verified by the Sons of the American Revolution. Shocker, more paperwork!
11. The Yeagle Connection: I reached out to that side of the family before but the connection didn’t last beyond the scope of our brief conversation over the phone. While I don’t know what thoughts may have been going through her mind, it would be nice to reconnect and find out a little bit more about this line that has been largely forgotten about by my family.
12. Organization (Not Just Lists): All of these things need to be organized both physically and digitally. Right now there is a mix of physical and digital records spread across a couple of computers, ancestry.com, shelves of binders, and books tabbed for the relevant passages. Eventually, they will all be pulled together, organized in binders, and uploaded to the tree so that everyone can benefit from the work that has been put into this continuous search for answers.

Some of the records are nearly impossible to find as they are either confirmed as missing or destroyed. Some of the things on my wish list are just a matter of me finding the time to commit to the various projects. In all reality, I would be happy just to fill in a couple of these pieces of information and have everything available so that the entire family can learn and appreciate where we come from. So, let’s see if I can be good this year and at least get a few of these things checked off!

Reminded Of Grandpop

This is the ship my grandpop served on during WWII.

I never got to know my grandpop. He passed away only a few years after I was born so everything that I know about him is second hand. Over the past few years I have been uncovering pieces here and there about his life. From what I have been told he was, putting it nicely, a bit of a complex man but, in the end, knowing my father and my uncle he must have done something right.

The complexities began the day he was born. As I have been told by both my great aunt and others in the family, his name was the first unique thing about him. The day that my grandpop was born my great grandfather decided that the best place for him to be was at the bar. I guess in Appalachia you have to earn the nickname “White Lightening”. This did not sit well with my great grandmother so she took revenge by naming her son after a former boyfriend and the doctor who delivered the baby. That is how the name Percy Davis (first and middle names) got its start in my family.

Later in life, with no work to be found in Western Virginia, my grandpop was the one who moved the entire family to Pennsylvania. Not long after that he enlisted in the Navy during World War II and served on the USS Cole crossing the equator several times during his service. I was reminded of both of these aspects of his life as I was recording the brief life history written by my great aunt.

After the war, with his family already started, he worked with my great grandfather at the Autocar factory in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. A facility that was less than a block away from my lodge. It is that connection which prompted this post. As I was calling the long standing members of the lodge, I dialed a particular number and spoke to a brother in his early 80’s. While I only knew him as a brother he recognized my last name.

At first I thought he was talking about my uncle but after he offered a few more details it was clear that he was talking about my grandpop. He remembered him from his days (decades actually) as a member of the Narberth Volunteer Fire Company. As a Captain, I guess people remember you even decades later. Heck, I have met a brother or two that remember my dad and my uncle as volunteers with the ambulance corps.

It isn’t much but at least I am able to learn a little about him. And as is often the case, it only takes a few details to begin a story and that is exactly what I plan on doing. Maybe if I can add some more details and connect, in a more concise manner, all of the events in his life I might be able to get to know my grandpop a little better.

Inevitable Appointments

For the first time since I can’t remember when, I think it has been about a year, I made time to see the doctor. Actually, I have been to two doctor’s appointments in the past week. I think that is enough at least for a little while. Don’t worry, it is nothing that is to be concerned about, they were just a couple of checkups. The first was with the regular doctor and the second was basically a double check.

Fortunately, I have the flexibility at work to set appointments that are otherwise not possible… this was an issue when I was working hourly and either didn’t have the time or I was just too darn tired during the normal waking hours to get myself to the office. But now, I have the time, and I am able to make sure I get to the checkups. Maybe I should make this a regular thing just to make sure that nothing does come up.

While I am not a fan of how the health insurance industry if forced to operate these days, it still works, and I really don’t know if such appointments would be possible without it. There have certainly been issues lately with coverage, specifically with getting my wife covered, but that has all been taken care of now. Things seem to be back to usual at the moment.

One thing that I have really come to appreciate in the last couple or few years is the importance of having a doctor that works for me. The office I go to is a very small husband and wife team that harkens back to the neighborhood doctor. Actually, my father grew up with him and he, after medical school, took over his father’s practice and bought the house in which he grew up. He can have a bit of an abrupt demeanor at times but it is always with a sense of looking out for what is best for me. On top of that, these days, with referrals a requirement, this office makes the process easy. It truly is the epitome of a family practice.

While these kinds of offices are slowly disappearing, the recent healthcare legislation seems to be speeding up their disappearance at a staggering rate. The family practice and the attention one receives from such offices, will soon be nothing more than a memory. But until that day comes, even with his shortcomings, I will continue to see my family doctor and do my best to listen to what he says. I’ll at least try.

Returning To Rotary... For A Night

Ever since I began working ‘normal’ hours I haven’t been able to make it to a Rotary meeting especially at my home club which meets for lunch in the middle of the week. Logistically it just hasn’t worked out. Of course, there have been other activities that have kept me occupied but I have only been able to schedule so much before my wife gets that look in her eye. And, honestly, I can’t say I blame her. There is only so much I can do without burning out and I have to have time at home or else I will just start shutting down.

However, last night, for the first time in months, I was able to once again join my fellow Rotarians in Bala Cynwyd for a wonderful dinner and, as always, excellent discussion. On what would have been my induction night as President of the club, I sat at one of the four crowded tables in the back room of Aldar Bistro and watched as another Rotarian took office. It was interesting to think about what could have been but that moment was fleeting because, while I may not be involved in Rotary like I once was, there are a lot of other things that I enjoy in what I consider to be a great life.

Unexpectedly, the new president gave a bit of a hat tip to me as in the short time I was active in Rotary and at the club, I make what turned out to be a positive impact. As I have said before, sometimes work and life in general can get in the way of things like Rotary but what is really important is that we remain active in our desire to give back and do good work. After all, we each have the responsibility to bring light to the world because while one candle may only be able to make a pin point in the dark, if we each hold a candle we can turn night into day. Rotary is just one of the many places where you can old your candle high.

By the end of the evening there were many people I hadn’t caught up with, many to whom I was introduced, and most that I had a chance to talk with about the long time that had passed. While I doubt that there will be time in the near future when I will be able to attend another meeting, I look forward to the next gathering I will be able to attend and I am determined to do a better job in keeping the like of communication open with my old club. Regardless of what happens, I will never forget what my club and Rotary did for me during a difficult period, the welcoming receptions that I continue to receive whenever I am able to make it to a meeting, gathering, or event, and what it continues to do as it influences my daily life.

 

Thinking Back There Seems To Be Something Missing

Every week I am amazed at how fast time seems to be drifting by. Every once in a while I stop for a moment, look back, and think about all that I have been able to do, see, and accomplish. However, this time around, I noticed something missing from my memories.

Truth be told, I haven’t been able to attend a Rotary meeting since September or October and while I have done my best to keep up to date with everything going on (thanks in large part to the weekly phone messages from my club) there is still a gap in my memory. Obviously, there is a huge difference between experiencing something and simply hearing about it. And because I really only write about my thoughts and experiences, there has been a lack of Rotary related posts since the last time I was surrounded by my fellow Rotarians.

That is something else that I struggle with. While I am still an Honorary Rotarian, I am pretty far removed at this point from the goings on in my club and in my district. Personally, I don’t know if I should really be called a Rotarian. Don’t get me wrong, I take great pride in my affiliation, but I really can’t say that I am earning that honor at this point. That is how I honestly feel at this point. With that said, I still carry the Four Way Test with me as a reminder and I still have a plethora of pins that are used in a Rotary rotation but that has been about the limit of my connection over the past half year.

I’m not sure if my current situation is fair to my club and to all the great people that I have had the pleasure of getting to know since I originally became a member in August 2012. I consider them all great friends who have supported me during a difficult transition period in my career but, since getting things back on track, I have not been able to enjoy their company. However, that only accounts for the meetings. I have not kept in touch with the club as I should have been doing all along. For that, I really don’t have a reason or an excuse.

It just goes to show that for many of us if we are not present and active in a club, organization, or fraternity we gradually become a bit disconnected both from the entity and from the people. I saw everyone once a week for over a year and now I haven’t seen them for over 6 months. A group of people and organization that was once a large part of my recollection and reflection is not oddly absent. I think it is time to change that. At the very least, I should pick up the phone.

Rotary Letter

The last few months have been hectic but that is nothing new to those who have been following this blog. What I haven’t really written about at length is my ongoing dilemma with regard to Rotary. While I have touched upon the scheduling difficulties from time to time I haven’t spoken of the back and forth in my own mind regarding my continued participation with my club. Although sometimes there is a lot on information to be found in the unsaid as Rotary posts have been lacking for some time now.

Not long ago I received a message on my cell phone from a fellow Rotarian from my club and the immediate past President. It caught me a little off guard as I had not let my thoughts go that far… his message was asking whether or not I was going to resign from the club and if I was going to do so I would have to submit a letter of notification by the middle of the month. It was a wrenching thought to consider but it was a reality that I knew I had to face. After many days, this is the letter I have written with my final, albeit temporary, decision:

Dear BCN Club President,

It is with great sadness that I write this letter. At this time, I must resign both as an officer and as a member of the Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd – Narberth.

Due to my increasing number of commitments on my schedule combined with my extended work day, I am unable to attend the prerequisite number of meetings in order to sustain my membership in the club or in Rotary. This is the sole reason for my resignation. It is simply a matter of timing.

Moving forward, if the club would be willing to accept, I would like to continue my affiliation with the club as a “Friend of Rotary”. If there are other options available, please let me now but, to the best of my knowledge, this is the only option available with regard to retaining a connection with the club.

As you know, Rotary is an amazing organization to be a part of and I cherish every moment and memory that I have of the club, the district, and Rotary International as a whole. I look forward to continuing my Rotary service in the future when I will be able to set aside the time and effort that I feel is necessary.

Moving forward, I hope to continue our friendship and I hope to make the occasional appearance at Aldar Bistro as well as other Rotary events.

Please call or email me with any questions or concerns.

Thank you and please thank everyone at the BCN Club for all the help, support, and encouragement during my time in Rotary.

Yours In Rotary Service,

Sean

Time is something that will always be a limited quantity and I will never have enough to do all the things that I want to do. That being the reality, sometimes things just don’t make sense when you have to keep a schedule. I try to fit as many activities, groups, and events in my calendar and Rotary just doesn’t seem to fit at this specific point in my life. Will I return to Rotary? That is the plan and I hope that it will be sooner rather than later. Keep in mind that I will continue to participate whenever and where ever I am able but the weekly meetings are an unrealistic option. For now I say good bye quickly followed with see you soon.

The Foundation Of Our Work

I arrived at the Holiday Inn in Kulpsville, Pennsylvania just as the sun was coming up. Coffee was not an option. (Photo by Rick Trivane)

Yesterday was training day. Not the Denzel Washington type rather a day comprised of proper procedures, deadlines, and requirements in order to apply for Rotary Foundation grants. Nine hours later and I am finally able to apply for and utilize funds to help the community. Needless to say, this is a useful and necessary ability for every club and one that I hope to apply in the near future.

However, there was much more to the day than simply information. Much of the time was spent inspiring those in attendance with the accounts of fellow Rotarians who have seen their work come to fruition. From securing medical equipment for a community in desperate need and ensuring that fresh water is available to people who live without running water to founding a new industry in West Africa that allows the people to support themselves with skills taught by committed Rotarians. All of these projects took hard work, dedication, and funds provided, in part, by the Rotary Foundation.

A room full of Rotarians.

It really is awe inspiring to see the work that has been done and to meet the people that have brought those projects to fruition. It is what keeps me motivated to continue to raise the funds needed for our own educational projects in West Philadelphia. Yesterday in particular it pushed me to sell more tickets for our fundraiser and brainstorm with other clubs about what we might be able to achieve in the near future by working together.

Hearing about the projects, listening to the long time Rotarians in attendance, and learning from the district and international leadership is a means to give us all a common experience. Regardless of the communities we each live in and the focus that each of our clubs may have, we are all Rotarians and we are all taking the steps in our own ways to better the world. We all may have different backgrounds and varying years of Rotary service, from Rotary International Past President Wilf Wilkinson with nearly 50 years to someone like myself with just over a year, we are all equal. We are all contributors to peace in this world.

(L-R) Rotarians Frank Hollick, Rotary District 7450 Paul Harris Society Chair, Wilf Wilkinson, Past President Rotary International and Sean Teaford, President-Elect Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd-Narberth. (Photo by Rick Trivane)

These kinds of events are an opportunity not just to ensure that we have the proper training but that we are able to discuss with other clubs about the work that we are doing. We are able to find a common ground and in many instances find partners in our endeavors. This is a time to do the behind the scenes work that makes our projects so effective and ensures the longevity and sustainability of our efforts.

These are the types of moments that reinforce my decision to spend a rare day off in a conference room at a Holiday Inn. This is what gets me out of bed at five in the morning and out the door by six. This is why we give so much of our time and energy. Knowing that we are able to accomplish such great things not as individuals but as a part of something greater than ourselves is the reason why we are Rotarians.

One Man Can Change The World

District Governor (7450) Charles E. Streitwieser hands off the microphone to Rotary International Past President Wilfrid Wilkinson during a special meeting of the Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd - Narberth held at the Merion Cricket Club (Ardmore, Pennsylvania) on September 25, 2013. Photo courtesy of Jay Childress

Since our club’s founding in 1926 we had never had such a distinguished guest speaker as we had yesterday when Rotary International Past President Wilfred Wilkinson honored us with his presence. In attendance were fellow Rotarians from throughout the region comprising of hundreds, if not over a thousand years of service. It was not only an inspiring but a humbling experience. Seeing so many great men and women united in Rotary is an amazing experience to be a part of.

The afternoon flew by so quickly that it is hard to recall all of the details but there are a few clear moments and emotions that will forever resonate in my own life. Past President Wilkinson’s remarks were full of not only a passion for Rotary and service but a love for people and the impact that our work has had on this world. Having traveled around the world, he has seen the many faces that have benefited from the efforts of Rotarians and he has seen the diversity that is represented in Rotary clubs around the globe. No matter how different we all may seem, we are all connected to one another through Rotary and through a desire for peace.

In reading about Past President Wilkinson’s achievements and his tenure at the helm of Rotary International there was one quote that I came across that summed up my impression of this great man as the embodiment of the Rotary motto “service above self”.  During his address at the Rotary Convention in Los Angeles, California on June 15^th, 2008 he said the following:

“One of the first questions I had from the staff when I was nominated was what I wanted as my RI theme. I was all ready with my answer. I said my theme would be Rotary Shares. Because to me, these words captured all that was good about Rotary and Rotarians. Because to me, Rotary is about sharing. It’s about sharing our time, every week in our meetings with our fellow members and with our communities and with people throughout the world. It’s about sharing our expertise, our talents, and our resources in countless ways. It’s about sharing what we have, with our fellow Rotarians and with those in need. That’s what I told my district governors, when we began this Rotary year. But now I know better. Yes, Rotary Shares means all that, but it means so much more. It means every one of you and every single Rotarian in every Rotary country working together. Working with dedication and working with love, working for a better, safer, healthier, and more peaceful world.”

This is what it means to be a Rotarian. This is what we all strive to do each and every day of our lives. This is how we continue to improve our communities, this is how we touch the lives of people we have never met in places we have never been, this is how we change the world. One person, one club, one community, one seemingly insignificant action, one small project, one life impacted can make all the difference in this world.

Let our work be enhanced through Rotary. Let us work together to serve our communities. Let our actions, through Rotary, be magnified 100 fold. It is in this spirit, with all of us together as one community, that we launched our raffle to benefit The Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd – Narberth’s Community Educational Initiative which supports children from West Philadelphia schools through various programs and projects.

The Paul Harris Fellow Award Raffle is an idea that, to the knowledge of everyone I have spoken with, has never been done in the history of our great organization. By selling tickets for a prize that is unique to Rotary, every Rotarian and every club is sharing in the support of those school children in need in our community. Each ten dollars collected has a Rotarian’s name and carries with it their passion for service and their desire to improve the community. The success of this program will be shared with the holders of the two hundred tickets while the credit goes to every Rotarian for supporting us in this endeavor and making it possible to accomplish such great work.  

It all starts with an idea just like Rotary started as an idea by one man, Paul Harris. Ideas come and go but those which are met with passion and supported by the community quickly take hold and begin to bring about change. One idea can certainly impact a community while some ideas can change the world. This world needs great ideas and this world needs great men. We need, especially during this time in history, passionate people dedicated to making this world a better, more peaceful place. We need people like Past President Wilfred Wilkinson.

Rotary International President Wilfrid Wilkinson answers questions during his visit to the Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd - Narberth. Photo courtesy of Jay Childress.