Debbie Hodge has been a member of Rotary since 2002, when she joined Ware Rotary Club in Hertfordshire.
Since then Rotary has given her a wealth of memorable experiences having led a Group Study Exchange to Australia, taken part in a polio immunisation trip to India and coordinated a major fundraising programme in the London 2012 Olympic village.
Following the change of year, we’re previewing an extensive feature, written by Debbie, which will appear in the August-September edition of Rotary magazine, as she looks to the year ahead.
To all those Rotary members reading this I want to say ‘thank you’. Thank you for making the choice to be a Rotarian – because Rotary is more than a lunch time meeting in the diary or the once a month quiz night. Rotary is a way of being that changes lives, including our own.
A Rotary member when asked where he went every Tuesday lunch time said: “I go to meet with friends and we change the world.” That’s what Rotarians, ‘people of action’ do; we change the world, sometimes one person at a time, sometimes a whole community, and sometimes a whole country.
Just how does this happen? It happens because we do good in the world – that’s our calling card.
Rotary connects all the peoples of the world, just as the sea connects all countries. The ebb and flow of the tides remind us that while the sea is a constant presence, it is also a change agent – the shore line is never the same two days running.
Rotary is forever changing, yet it is an organisation which has been built on enduring principles which enable Rotarians around the globe to connect for the good of the whole world.
The first principle is vocation – we bring our vocation, our business and professional skills, knowledge and personal talents into Rotary for the service of others.
The second is our Rotary values – honesty, fairness, truth, trust, integrity, fellowship and service. These we take out from Rotary into the communities where we work, live and make connections.
These principles make us unique in the world of membership and service organisations as exemplified in our vision statement: ‘Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.’
Rotary magazine will be released in print and online in early August. You can subscribe to Rotary magazine here and receive the publication direct to your door!
