Why I Am A Rotarian
Au August 5, 2007
I was inducted into the 'Thiensville-Mequon (T-M) Rotary Club near my birthday in November of 1993. The T-M Rotary Club put me to work right away as a member of their Board Of Directors. As the Director of Vocational Service, it was not long before I learned about the 'Four Avenues of Service'.
I was charged with membership recruitment and the Rotary Youth Exchange Program (I think it had a lot to do with my having been a former educator at the elementary and secondary levels). With the assistance of the Superintendent (who was one of my sponsors as I was fortunate to have had two), I helped establish a 'Vocational Scholarship' for a graduating student who anticipated going into a vocational area of study at a college or technical school but without adequate financial means.
In 2006, some thirteen years later, that 'Vocational Scholarship' is still being presented. Why do I tell this story many have asked? I tell it because I believe it was an accident of fate that brought me from Washington, D.C. to Wisconsin and to Rotary. Maybe it was some 'unseen presence' moving in mysterious ways. Whatever it was, that Superintendent (now retired and a PDG) 'schooled' me well when he said, "just get your 'ask' in gear and sign them up"!
He practiced what he preached and I am where I am today because of this man (and so many others like him) who introduced me to a world of giving that I had never before heard or seen.
So, why am I a Rotarian? I am a Rotarian because of the debt of gratitude that I owe the many friends whom I have met and tried to emulate over the years. I can only hope that I have grown into the kind of Rotarian that those “vows of induction” said I should be back in 1993.
Ramon H. MacFarlane, Sr., Ph.D.,
PHF, PP (1998), RGHF Board Member
Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club,
Rotary District 6270 (SE Wisconsin, USA)
Rotarians and Rotary organizations are welcome to use any material from the RGHF websites, provided that credit is given to the material as part of "Rotary Global History Fellowship" www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org
Leslie
VanBlaricom performed her Vocational Talk. Leslie
grew up in the Los Angeles area, and moved to Long Beach when
she was 7 years old. She was a very good student, but noted
that every report card indicated that she "talked too much", a
quality she wasn't the least bit concerned about. Her favorite
classes were "Beach, Surfing, Dating, and Skipping Class", all
admirable pursuits. While growing up in Southern California,
she marched twice in the Rose Festival Parade. She married, had
children, and eventually moved to Oregon. Originally intending
to pursue a nursing career, she eventually found herself working
at the Ben Franklin Bank, the Bank of America, and eventually
Wells Fargo. Recently, she became a manager at the OnPoint
Credit Union. Prior to getting involved with Rotary, she
attended one or two Kiwanis meetings, notably in Willamina, but
she balked at membership when she discovered that the activities
of the club was known to the entire town 30 minutes after the
gavel dropped. She was brought to Rotary as a guest of Ryan
Arzner, and has been with us ever since. 
President
Dan thanked Leslie for her presentation. He presented
her with a club pen and had her sign a book for McMinnville's
Early Reader Program. Before adjourning the meeting he
reminded us once again that there will be NO meeting at the
Community Center next week (August 10) but will be at Richard
Weed's home beginning at 6:00 pm. He also informed us that he
would be gone for the next two weeks and that President-elect
Chuck would be presiding over the meetings.