Posted by Rich Kirkham
I’ve eaten and enjoyed a lot of delicious hamburgers in my life.  And now I will never think about hamburgers again without smiling about some very fond memories of my recent trip to the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany. 

What an inspiring event!  I learned so much.  And did I mention HAMBURGERS? Oh Yes! They really do have the best hamburgers in the world in Hamburg Germany! 

I will always remember with great culinary fondness the ‘Farmer Burger’ I ate with my fellow District 5400 attendees, at Dulf’s Burgers in Hamburg. Made from red-white heifer, fresh Lollo Bionada lettuce, fried egg, cheddar marinated bacon, and homemade coleslaw, the Farmer Burger is worth every euro.  YUM! 

 

And best of all I shared the memory with all my fellow D5400 Rotarians as we came together to ‘eat a memory’ at Dulf’s.  Many of us from D5400 had never met each other before, but when you put a delicious hamburger in front of Idaho Rotarians it's funny how everyone becomes instant friends! 

 

THE POWER OF ONE.  In all the fun, I never stopped to think that one of America’s favorite foods originated in Hamburg, Germany.  The delicious hot ground beef sandwich, known universally as the ‘hamburger’ has been shared around the world, has brought smiles to faces everywhere, but it has nothing to do with ham.  Did you ever stop to think that somebody came up with the original idea for the hamburger?  One person thought of it!  People liked it. The idea spread. 

And that is how it is with a good Rotary project.  Someone comes up with an idea … a well is dug, a neighborhood gets a playground, a polio vaccine is administered to a child … and lives are changed forever. 

Yet few remember that one person who came up with the idea.  And that's OK! That's how good Rotary projects are too!  Someone comes up with an idea, a club rallies around it, the idea spreads and people's lives are changed for the good.

 

LET YOUR IDEA SHINE!  This year, get your idea out there.  Share it with your club.  Don’t give up if at first everyone doesn’t see what you see.  Keep pounding away!  You will find the help and support right in your club if you just try. 

 

And who knows?  Maybe your idea will be remembered as fondly as … hamburgers in Hamburg!