November 7, 2007

The evening of October 24, I had the pleasure of attending the Rotary District 7170 Annual Rotary Foundation and New Member Banquet held at the McKinley in Endicott. More than forty local community clubs from our district were represented and our Deposit delegation was especially strong, consisting of our President Harry Dilello and his wife Becky, Joe Esteves and his wife Peg, Stan and Sue Elinsky, Brenda Lee, and myself. We were also pleased to be joined by Paula Mazepa, our exchange student from Poland . This banquet was particularly special because the president of Rotary International himself, Wilfrid J. Wilkinson, and his wife Joan were in attendance.

That evening is truly one I will never forget as I was first struck by the beauty and elegance of the McKinley's massive ballroom, illuminated by chandeliers and candlelight, and further adorned with an astonishing display of colorful flags, reminding us of Rotary International's diverse programs and tremendous influence throughout the planet. Hundreds of impressively dressed Rotarians from around the Southern Tier were enjoying hors d¢oeuvres and dancing to the live music. Adding to the energy and excitement of the atmosphere was the vast number of young people: Interact and Rotaract participants, Ambassadorial Scholars, and all the inbound youth exchange students, who themselves helped to decorate the room with their diverse ethnic clothing and vests covered in dozens of pins and buttons, displaying their individuality and pride in their accomplishments. Many of them already friends, it was seeing the delight with which they hugged each other and crowded into informal photos together hoping to remember the event, that I think we were all reminded why we were here as Rotarians and how important our mission has become in a very global community.

I was very proud to be able to speak with the international president, to whom I was introduced by our own Harry Dilello. I found him to be wonderfully personable and deeply committed to his work. After the new members were pinned by our District Governor, Dave Reynolds, we listened to President Wilkinson¢s speech as he urged our local clubs to invite new members and generously contribute to the Rotary Foundation. So, I encourage anyone who has been following my column or watching Rotary¢s work here and abroad who might be interested in joining or learning more about our local club to check us out at www.rotary.org or even better, to come join us for lunch Wednesdays at noon at the Methodist Church. You will discover for yourself what a warm, fun, and rewarding organization Rotary truly is.