WHY I AM A ROTARIAN
SEPTEMBER 26, 2006
 The
principles of Rotary get to you the longer you are associated.
Service Above Self became a motto for living, not just something
you mouth and repeat at a weekly meeting. The projects of Rotary
were the outward garments for underlying principles of Rotary
therefore what started as a business necessity turned into a
public and private way of life.
Every living organization must grow or wither. You gain some
wisdom over the 35 years that one is involved in Rotary. Sadly,
with the pressures and stress of business, you find that you are
going to meetings, not meeting and growing with your principles.
In my academic and art consulting life, I was thinking globally
and working with other individuals around the world. A part of
each year was spent in another country. What had started in
Rotary for me as a local brotherhood and fellowship was now
broadened. Also it became apparent that I could still do
projects to help the local community but my
commitment-citizenship had expanded beyond my national borders.
Therefore this year, I was honored to be accepted into a Rotary
eClub where Service Above Self is still practiced but now
embraces Service Without Borders. I am a Rotarian today to see
if my years in Rotary, my special talents for seeing outside the
box of our thinking, and my combination of an academic, creative
and business careers can be challenged to help grow something
new in the Rotary experience.
I am a Rotarian today to be a part of something larger than
myself, to see if virtual reality can be transformed into
practical on-the-ground results. In the contemporary world, as
in the world of tomorrow, it will be leaders teaming together to
shape the future. Rotarians have the history, structure and
principles to lead this challenging adventure.
Joe Kagle
Rotary eClub of The Southwest, USA
Our Base is Worldwide
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