PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
Corning Rotarians, the World’s Greatest Rotarians!
Every Corning Rotarian desires to help another human, to guide
a young member of the community, to improve another’s life,
to serve those that live and work in our neighborhood…and
there are more than 1,200,000 others just like us, located in
210 countries around the world with the same desire TO SERVE or
provide SERVICE for others. Rotary in Jerusalem is the place where
Jews and Arabs meet each week in peace to serve their community;
in Syria where Muslims, Christians, Palestinians and Jews work
side-by-side on club projects; in Somali where warring tribes
strategize together to bring peace between their families.
Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much!
Rotarians join this avenue of service for many and varying reasons.
Whatever the reason, you will agree that combining strengths and
focusing on what each does best, more can be accomplished. We
simply leverage our relationships for the betterment of our community,
country and world.
When Hurricane Katrina hit, what you as an individual could and
did give, what this Club could and did give – it combined
with what the 1,200,000 members worldwide were able to and did
give—together as Rotarians. It was this combination of thought,
time, effort and money that Rotarians worldwide, our group of
1,200,000, made an immediate impact by supplying more housing
in a month than FEMA did in a year. The Tent Project was born,
mobilized, and executed resulting in thousands of homeless families
finding shelter in your name, the name of Rotary. Membership in
the Corning Rotary comes with relationships around the world that
accomplish great things. Dwight Eisenhower said, “if you
want to get something done, done well and done quick, start it
with a group of Rotarians.” You can go to “anytown”
USA and visit a Rotary Club and you will be visiting the pillars
of that community.
The long-standing joke is that the incoming president of a service
club was nominated because he/she was the only one that wasn’t
at the meeting to decline the nomination…that he/she was
there by default. This is not how I feel, I am so looking forward
to this. I was flattered that I was asked to serve as the President
of this Club. I am proud to be associated with Rotary and with
the fine individuals that comprise the Rotary Club of Corning.
I am honored to serve as your President for the 2007-2008 year.
