I’ve been a member of the Rotary Club of Pflugerville for six years. I became a Rotarian about a year ago. You may ask what the difference is, and you’d be right to do so. You see, prior to my “aha” moment, I participated in events, committees, and community involvement that the club had a hand in. I paid my dues, became a Paul Harris donor and more, but still wasn’t a Rotarian. A year ago, something clicked. A realization that we, Rotarians, are special because we do some pretty darn amazing things. We have organized major international projects to help eradicate diseases, employed and gathered resources to help people in crisis situations after natural disasters, helped provide wells to people in multiple countries (including our own) who didn’t have water, and so much more. WE do great things together. I sat back and imagined the things we have already done in our community; park rejuvenation projects, hundreds of thousands in college scholarships, community participation, tons of volunteering at the food bank over the past few years, and help feed kids through partner organizations and hands-on efforts. We also helped organize water distribution for our entire town during the 2021 freeze. And then I imagined, for a moment, a world without all of that. That sadness, coupled with the instant gratitude for an organization that mobilizes people to do things, BIG things, that one person wouldn’t normally be able to accomplish on his/her own without the help of others… that's when I realized I was a Rotarian, one of those people who helps.
In the 2022-23 Rotary year, that’s really my goal; I should really say OUR goal, because there’s not a single thing a Rotary President does without the support of the amazing people she serves besides, to help people. It’s that simple. To serve, in person and with funds raised; to inspire others to do the same; and for everyone to one day know what Rotary is. What we do to serve and help, and maybe engage just one person to want to be a part of something bigger. Imagine a local, national, and international world where we all aim to serve one another. What a wonderful place that would be. I imagine that this year we can get closer to a world like that, right here in our town. That’s how I Imagine Rotary.
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