Rotarians from across District 7780 attended a highly inspirational speech by Past Rotary International President Rick King in commemoration of Rotary's 108th anniversary.

 

 

Scarborough Rotarians President Candy Macomber, Past President Rick Murphy, Vice President Debbie Pease, President-elect Phil Giordano and Vice President-elect Ember Earle attended.

Rick King stopped mid-sentence several times, his voice cracking, as he tried to retell his Personal Rotary Moments. He related a story about delivering a wheel chair to a young Indian boy. The boy had waited in line, eventually crawling through the dirt to take what he thought was a one hour ride in the shiny new chair. At the end of the hour, the boy hoisted himself back to the ground, and crawled away. Rick didn’t understand. He asked someone to go find out what was wrong, so they tracked him down and learned that the boy did not know the chair was his to keep. He said, the look on that boy’s face made me realize what being a Rotarian is.

 

Rick then told of a Rotarian from then Czechoslovakia. The man had once been a Rotarian, but first the Nazi’s and later communists banned Rotary. His members continued to meet secretly, but if found out they would have been killed. For 42 years they could not meet publicly, but finally the iron curtain fell, and the ban was lifted. Rick attended the re-chartering of their new club.

 

The meeting was well attended. District Governor Lawrence Furbush presided. District Governor Desginee Marge Barker convened the meeting. Attending were Rotary Foundation Director Mike McGovern, Past Rotary International Director Dan Mooers, District Governor-elect Sheila Rollins.

 

Past President RI Rick King then recognized new members for their contributions. Scarborough Rotary President-elect Phil Giordano received an award.Image