VOL. 9 2024-25 ISSUE
• APRIL 2025
THE BRIDGE Official Newsletter for Rotarians of District 6330 bridge@rotary6330.org
Katherine’s Korner
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying these early days of spring! As I sit here with my morning coffee amidst these challenging and uncertain times we're all navigating, I'm reminded of why I fell in love with Rotary in the first place. You know, one of Rotary's greatest strengths has always been our a-political and non-denominational approach. This isn't something we hide behind or use as a convenient shield – it's a deliberate choice with profound purpose. It allows us to go places in the world that might otherwise be closed to us, to serve communities regardless of their political or faith traditions, and to unite people across divides that often separate us. It opens doors, builds bridges, and helps us make friends everywhere. And honestly, I don't think there's ever been a more important time to be a Rotarian than right now. Last week, I was listening to "The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge," which is one of my favorite podcasts. In a recent episode, Peter asked his listeners what qualities they look for in a leader. Though it was asked in a political context, the answers could have been straight out of "Rotary 101"! One person wrote: "I would like a leader whose primary goal is to serve and represent all the people... someone who puts others before themselves and does their best to follow through with their plans and promises, despite challenges that may arise." Sound familiar? It's Service Above Self in a nutshell! Another listener said they valued "honesty, integrity, and consistency, but importantly, the ability to listen and reconsider positions when the data shows they are wrong." I couldn't help but think of our Four-Way Test when I heard that. My favourite response was beautifully simple: "A person whose love for their community or country surpasses their own selfimportance." If that isn't a perfect description of our Rotary family, I don't know what is! Friends, we've known each other for years – some of us for decades. We're Rotarians first, but we're also longtime friends who've celebrated together, grieved together, and served together. Through all of life's ups and downs, we've had this beautiful Rotary community to come home to. I truly believe that the good guys are going to win. When we bring people together in harmony – across different backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives – we create something powerful and lasting. This is how positive change happens, one relationship at a time.
As another podcast listener wisely put it: we need to create "a society that values community over individualism, one that values health over wealth, and education over entertainment, one that values the environment over exploitation for profits and conveniences, one that recognizes that other people are people too." That's exactly what we're doing in Rotary, isn't it? Keep shining your light, my friends. I feel so blessed to be on this journey with you.
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