Belonging to Something Big: Rotary
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