Who Do You Know?
By Frank Deaver
Rotary Club of Tuscaloosa, Alabama USA
 

     A young journalist applied for a job at a newspaper, and was being interviewed by the editor.  Among the questions asked of the applicant was, "Who do you know?"  Anxious to impress the editor, the young man mentioned being acquainted with the mayor, a banker, a school board member, and he added, "I once shook hands with the governor in a receiving line."

     The editor was not satisfied with that boastful answer and he probed further:  "But do you know a homeless family?  A crippled child?  Someone who is unemployed?  A working single mother?"

     Similarly, as Rotarians, we might ask ourselves, "Who do we know?"  We gather in our weekly meetings with others who, like ourselves, were invited to Rotary membership because of our demonstrated leadership in business and professional circles.  Unlike the young journalist, we have greater opportunity to know such people as mayors, bankers, school board members, and yes, perhaps the governor.  We take that for granted, but do we know those less fortunate who were mentioned by the editor?  Do we find opportunity to extend our personal contacts beyond the circle of Rotary colleagues?

     Paul Harris, along with three friends, founded Rotary in what his biographer called a "friendly spirit among businessmen."  He recalled being entertained socially by a professional friend, and he was impressed by the informality, especially that he was introduced to various businessmen by their first names.  From the first Rotary meetings, he defined that Rotary would be based in informality, and that Rotarians would call each other by their first names.

     A college president, recognizing that a young instructor had expressed interest in Rotary, took him to meetings as a guest, then introduced him into membership.  Driving back to campus together after the induction, the president said, "Now you need to know that Rotarians are first-name friends.  I'm John."  The young teacher swallowed hard, wondering if he could adjust to calling his president by first name.  He said, "On campus, I still called him President… or Doctor… but at Rotary, I learned to be comfortable calling him John."

     Such is the informality within Rotary.  But the question remains, "Who do we (really) know?"  Upon leaving the comfort zone of a Rotary meeting, are we equally comfortable exploring opportunities of service among the less fortunate?  We know each other, our business and professional associates, but have we looked beyond that circle of colleagues?  Do we know the homeless, the unemployed, the desperate and destitute?

     Rotary is known for its dual purpose of fellowship and service.  Fellowship is who we know in our weekly meetings.  Service includes those we know – or need to know – beyond that fellowship circle.   Like the young journalist, we might more sincerely ask ourselves, "Who do we know?"