Two Minutes with the District Governor
This Week’s Highlights
- Club Visits Continue: Thank you to the Rotary Clubs of Mount Joy and Uptown York for the warm welcomes and energizing meetings!
- Service Above Self: Reflections from volunteering at The Wall That Heals and the many ways service can simply mean showing up for others.
- Remembering September 11: Honoring the 25th anniversary of 9/11, those whose lives were lost, and the first responders and everyday people who stepped forward to serve.
- A Simple Question: How can I help? — a question that remains just as meaningful for Rotarians today.
Club visits continue, and this week I want to thank the Rotary Clubs of Mount Joy and Uptown York for the warm welcomes and energizing meetings. One of my favorite parts of visiting clubs is seeing the many different ways Rotarians put Service Above Self into action in their own communities.
That idea has been especially present for me this week. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to volunteer at The Wall That Heals, the traveling three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was an experience that reminded me that service can take many forms.
Sometimes service is a project that changes a community. Sometimes it’s collecting books, serving a meal, mentoring a young person, or responding when a neighbor needs help. And sometimes, service is simply showing up. Showing up to honor those who served. Showing up for families carrying the memory of someone they lost. Showing up to listen to a story that deserves to be heard. That feels especially meaningful this week as we mark the 25th anniversary of September 11th. We remember the tremendous loss of that day, and we also remember what followed: first responders running toward danger, strangers helping strangers, and communities coming together. In the midst of tragedy, people everywhere asked a simple question: How can I help?
Twenty-five years later, that question is still worth asking. As Rotarians, we don’t have to wait for extraordinary circumstances to answer it. Every day brings opportunities to notice where we are needed and choose to show up. This week, as we remember those whose lives were lost on September 11th and honor all those who serve, may we continue to make Service Above Self more than words we say, but a choice we make again and again.
Have a wonderful week. Thank you for all the ways you serve our communities. And to anyone who may not have heard these words years ago: Welcome Home.