Belonging is a human need. You may hear individuals who are part of a group say things like "these are my people" or "this is my family" and it’s about feeling connected and belonging. The group may be a relational family group, or it may be a group of friends, a group at work, or in the community.
I was reading a newsletter that was shared with me last week because one of the columns mentioned Rotary. Anyone who spends 10 minutes with me knows I love Rotary! As this column came across my desk, I was also doing some research on the role of a community catalyst in bringing people together to support peace building locally. The author, John Clayton, writes about his experience visiting a Rotary club. Clayton writes “If we still think of today’s Rotarians as old-fashioned, maybe it’s because they attract members of all stripes who embrace idealistic values about helping people help themselves. I learned, for example, that they work to end the scourge of polio internationally while providing scholarships to high school kids. And they don’t have a political test for pitching in. They just pick their causes, and then they fight for them.”
Thank you for bringing people together, for supporting the sense of connectedness that is so important to individuals and communities. And for picking the causes and fighting for them locally and globally, to make a difference in the world. By doing so, you are part of the peace force.
Peace,
Janice
2023-2024 President’s are Ready to Serve
Marie Bogetti Baker
Rotary D5400 President Elect’s joined us at the District Celebration early on Friday morning to discuss and review the final report by PDG Russell Johnson, review and pass the budget for 2023-2024 presented by DGE Marie Baker, and vote on participation in PNW PETS. There was healthy discussion and good dialogue regarding how we continue the incredible momentum in
District 5400! Thank you current Club Presidents and leadership for setting the stage for the incoming team.
We closed the meeting to plan, set goals, and discuss the 2023-2024 calendar. Look forward to hearing more about the 2023-2024 theme and message in July! We are all looking forward to serving you, our members!
It all began with open-seating. Choose a table and have a seat. Take delight in the large paper table runners, colored markers and colored pencils available on each table. A joyful, subtle invitation that encourages one to draw pictures, take notes, write poems, and express one’s self in verbal and non-verbal, creative ways. There are ‘talking stones’ with word engravings of Peace, Imagine, Love and Hope, scattered about the table.
At District 5400 Celebration Rotarians from 27 clubs (⅔ of the district!) pledged to take action for Peace and the Planet. We completed 362 pledges to do things like walk each day, plant pollinators, reduce food waste, and learn about Rotary’s earth stewardship work.
Past District Governor and Emmett Dairyman Terry Jones even took the Planet Rich Diet Pledge by promising to eat one fruit or vegetable at every meal! GO TERRY!
Perhaps you’ve seen or heard the phrase, “Not all who wander are lost.” This proved to be especially true at the Rotary District 5400, 2023 Celebration. During the Wonder & Wander program event Rotarians were invited to ‘wander’ around the room and visit the ten high-table Rotary Information Stations that were of interest to them.
Come enjoy a Cajun style feast along with New Orleans style procession and music from Boise High and a prelude by junior high bands while helping our Boise Southwest Rotary Foundation raise funds to support local causes! All proceeds from the event will go directly to the foundation to fund community efforts.
CHALLENGES OF THE COMING FIVE YEARS TO ERADICATION OF POLIO
The coming five years may provide the last opportunity to eradicate polio. The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the international environment within which humankind operates, which is now less – not more – conducive to success. In 2022 Malawi declared a national health emergency after discovering polio circulating in the country. Afghanistan faces a generational upheaval, leading to the collapse of its economy and the unspooling of its already fragile health system.
