I’m proud to be a Rotarian - Editorial West Liberty Index
by RotaryClub WestLiberty on Friday, August 7, 2009 at 5:45pm
by Sara Sedlacek • January 14, 2009
Over the holidays I missed a few Rotary meetings. I don’t normally miss meetings but I got fairly busy this holiday season. So, tonight was my first meeting in three weeks. I’ve always enjoyed being a member of Rotary but I didn’t realize how much I valued my time with the club until my return tonight.
First of all, I’d just like to say what a great group of people the West Liberty Rotary Club has as members. I’d be hard-pressed to find a more genuine, hard-working and caring group anywhere. Even though there is quite an age difference between me and most the other members, I still feel quite welcome and at home with my fellow Rotarians. I have gained great friends and mentors through the club and I’m so happy to know each and everyone of the men and women who I eat dinner with nearly every Tuesday night.
Second, I’m so proud of the things the West Liberty Rotary Club does for the West Liberty community and beyond. I’m happy to say I’m part of such an incredibly devoted group.
I’m sure most of you know about the Rotary Chicken Barbeque held each year and I know I see many of you with a turkey leg or tenderloin at the fair. I’m also sure there are probably a number of things the club does that you don’t know about.
Our most recent event was the Cub Scout Father/Son Cake Bake Auction. Each year Rotary sponsors the auction to raise money for the Cub Scouts. This year we raised over $1,600! This event helps keep the Cub Scout Troop funded all year.
We also host a Senior Citizen Christmas Party at Simpson Memorial Home. Usually we bring in a local musician or group to entertain the Simpson Home residents but this year the club entertained. Though I was unable to make it due to a city council meeting, I heard the Rotary Singers went over beautifully at Simpson Home and have been invited back next year.
The West Liberty Rotary Club, along with many other West Liberty organizations, gives two college scholarships to high school seniors each year.
We host Cocoa & Carols, which brought in a record number of West Liberty residents this year. I brought my two-year old nephew and he loved watching the middle school choir sing.
Each year we serve dinner to the families of the volunteer firefighters at the West Liberty Fire Department. We host international exchange students, sponsor the National Honor Society Recognition Night with the Lions Club at the school, we are a sponsor of the Latino College Night, we give daffodils to the widows of Rotarians and that’s just to name a few of our yearly events.
Something else we do that many of you may not know about is our international service. We sponsor an orphanage in Manzanillo, Mexico. Each year Conrad Gregg and Tom and Mary Pat Brooke head to Manzanillo to help out with maintenance and anything else with which the orphanage needs help. I can’t wait until I can go there. I also hope to someday be part of a group to go to Africa to administer polio vaccines.
We also give books to the library and dictionaries to school kids.
Groups around Iowa and the nation recognize the efforts of the West Liberty Rotary Club. Unfortunately, I don’t have room to talk about all the things Rotary does, but I’m proud to be a Rotarian and I hope West Liberty realizes what a great group of people are representing the community in this international organization.