Rebecca MacPherson - District Governor December 2012 Message

Here it is December already and if you are anything like me you are not ready for the holiday season; with its many blessings and challenges. It seems very appropriate to me that December is Rotary Family Month.

The idea of the family of Rotary is a simple one, and one that we celebrate every December during Family Month. Every Rotarian is part of the Rotary family, but our family is much larger than just our 1.2 million members.

The family of Rotary includes every one of the men, women, and children who are involved in our work: the spouses and children of our members, past members and their spouses and children, our Rotary Foundation program participants and alumni, and all of those who are part of our programs, in the tens of thousands of Rotary communities around the world.

The youngest members of the Rotary family are the members of our Rotaract and Interact clubs, the participants in our RYLA program, our Ambassadorial and Peace Scholars, and our more than 8,000 Rotary Youth Exchange students every year. As in any family, our youth are our brightest promise for the future.

My husband Ted is not a Rotarian but he has been a part of the Rotary family from the day I first joined Rotary Club of Quesnel. For a man who does not really like being with large groups of people, he has attended many dinners, conferences and training sessions and, although he will not admit it, he has enjoyed himself. I know that without his support I would not have been able to dedicate the time needed to be District Governor. There is no doubt that my Rotary service has demanded a great deal of both of us, but there can be no question that we have both reaped more than we have sown. The Rotarians we have met in our travels around the District have shown us what welcoming and caring people Rotary members are.

I believe that being a Rotarian can and should enhance our personal lives and should involve our family and friends. Some of our grandchildren have grown up attending club meetings and fellowship events. Those of our family that live out of town know that if they are here on Thursday when they come to visit I will expect them to come to Rotary with me. The members of our club welcome them, babies and all.

As we work to attract more and younger qualified members, we would do well to remember that today's young professionals are often balancing work and family responsibilities. Adding in a commitment to Rotary service should complement, never compete with, those responsibilities.

By scheduling meetings outside of the workday, planning activities that involve family members, and welcoming family members whenever possible, we help to ensure that every Rotarian’s family will feel a part of the Rotary family.

Every club should strive to achieve a balanced interaction between Rotarians and their families and the family of Rotary. Only by working together, as a family, can we ensure that the Rotary of today grows into an even stronger Rotary of tomorrow.

Rotary is an organization of people who care – about their homes, their friends, their communities, each other and others less fortunate than themselves and caring is what family is all about.

Every year the holiday season is a busy time at our home and I may sometimes go a little overboard in my preparations. Ted would tell you that it is more than a little but I have always enjoyed the decorating, the cooking and the celebrations with family and friends. This year will be different.

I have been enjoying travelling around our District visiting all the clubs and meeting with so many wonderful and caring Rotarians that I have not had the time to spend decorating and shopping. Because I have been away from home for the past 3 months, this year I have had to decide what is really important to me this holiday season and what I am willing to give up. When I look at the holidays this year I realize that it does not matter if our house is decorated or if the food is a little less elaborate, it only matters that family and friends come and share time with us.

We have a large family and not everyone can make it home this time of year but no matter where they are Ted and I will be thinking about them and wishing them a season of happiness. And this year we feel like we have an even bigger family.

As we have travelled around our District we have met so many Rotarians who have inspired us and welcomed us into their lives and so at this time, when the year is coming to a close and celebrations and holidays are a part of our activity, we want to thank you all for being part of our family and including us in yours.

We wish each and every one of you a Joyous Holiday Season and a New Year filled with Happiness.