Paul Harris perceptively observed that "the motive power of Rotary is Friendship", and profoundly proclaimed that there could not be a better foundation. Friendship leads to engaged, caring, Members who in turn contribute steadfastly to Club Culture and Operations with the result that the parts become greater than the whole, and many good things come from all that. Visits to two dynamic clubs this week, Carlisle and Southern York County, bore out Paul’s assertion, each club displaying great energy, engagement, and member fulfillment, clearly based on friendship and fellowship.
That result of membership development manifested itself late last week when I had the unique honor to dine with the person who will soon carry the Paul Harris banner for Rotary, International President-Elect Mario Cesar Martins de Carmargo, from Sao Paulo, Brazil. His passion for everything Rotary, especially membership growth and development will be the central theme during his presidency. There may have been something lost in translation, but the gist of his message was that the Members are the Club and the Club the Members, and always the two shall meet. He will carry that banner proudly because he firmly believes that Paul Harris figured out the phenomenon that sovereign, independent, humans truly need friendship and fellowship in a welcoming, civil society, that can otherwise be intimidating, even alienating.
Exactly fifty years ago, RI President Elect Mario was a Rotary inbound exchange student from Brazil, coming to spend the school year in St. Paul, Minnesota. (hope you note that geographic symmetry!) Now, with fluency in 6 languages and a pragmatic Rotary world view, he has already jumpstarted his Presidential year correctly deciding that it all starts with member development.
To complete that cycle, an inbound exchange student to our District, Celestine, just arrived from Belgium, ready to start her year in Hershey. Seeing her engaging demeanor, excitement, and determination to explore America, it occurred to me that, with proper nurturing from her host and sponsoring Clubs, she could very well be President of Rotary International 50 years from now, not just a random thought.
