Why I Am A Rotarian
January 10, 2006
 Every
Rotary meeting, I remember my grandfather when I contribute
to Polio Plus. My grandfather was born in India over one
hundred years ago and contracted polio when he was seven
years old. He was crippled for life and was unable to run
and play the normal childhood games.
I, too,
was born in India, but was lucky enough to move to England
at age 6 and was given the newly discovered polio
vaccination. I do not know anyone who has contracted polio.
I always think how my grandfather would have been pleasantly
surprised to learn that now the scourge of polio has been
eliminated in most of the world and that the remaining small
pockets may soon be wiped out.
We who live in
developed countries have been blessed by having the
resources and necessary organization to adopt health
measures such as polio vaccinations. I believe in Rotary
because it gives us an opportunity to share with the
billions of people who are less fortunate.
I also believe in
Rotary’s commitment to Peace through Understanding. As a boy
I witnessed the intercommunal rioting that followed the
partition of India into the separate countries of India and
Pakistan. Up to one million people were killed only because
they were of different religions. Understanding was notably
lacking, and the lesson that I learned very early on in life
was that the more one gets to know other people with
different religions and cultures the more difficult it is to
see them as the enemy. With its Youth Exchange Program and
its Cultural, Ambassadorial and World Peace Scholarships,
Rotary has played an important part in bridging the divide
between different peoples. I am proud to be part of this
activity.
Peter Leslie,
Vail Eagle Valley Rotary Club,
District 5470,
COLORADO USA |
