WHY I AM A ROTARIAN: STUART WILLIAMS
NOVEMBER 25, 2007
WWW.WHYIAM.ORG
I belonged to a marvelous service club that was founded in
Australia in the thirties, APEX, that was based on almost the
exact foundations of Rotary. I became a national leader in that
organisation and that enabled me to regularly have contact with
the leaders and members of other service organisations. Apex
threw you out at 40 and promoted the idea that you could move on
and make your mark in the community in other ways.
I was so impressed with the caliber and friendship of the
service club people I had met that I was determined to continue
in the broader movement. Lions insisted I join them and a PDG
promised to take me along. Guess what, in eight months he never
did! My dentist, an outstanding Rotarian, Richard Kleine,
knowing of my passion and record of community service one day
asked my wife whether I was still in Apex. She told him -"No".
Richard invited me to Rotary the next Monday night.
Rotary has now been an integral part of me for over 20 years. It
has allowed this very ordinary man to be involved in extra
ordinary experiences and achieve amazing things.
I have chaired the District 9810 Youth Exchange committee and in
eight fun filled years seen that marvelous program change the
lives of families and especially the young people involved. I
have seen the smile on a blind lady's face after we totally
repainted her house and she was so grateful. I have taken a team
of amazing young women to Colorado as part of a GSE team and
seen the results of that life changing experience. I have
developed life -long friendships from that GSE experience and
have been back to Colorado twice as a result. Coloradans have
also visited my home in Melbourne, Australia. I have wept at
four international conventions as speakers have outlined
Rotary's achievements in attempting to make a better world and I
shed tears at Columbine High School exactly one year after the
shooting.
I have a passion to make a difference and Rotary is so diverse
and can throw up so many varied challenges that the organisation
continues to excite me. The Foundation that has as its aim to do
good in the world fits so comfortably with my beliefs.
In truth I am a Rotarian because of the quality of friendship
that has been shown to me. Yes I am a Rotarian because it makes
my life more complete and it provides wonderful challenges that
are often missing in our daily existence.
PP Stuart Williams
Rotary Club of Forest Hill, Dist 9810
Melbourne, Australia
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