On my way into the office this morning, I was practicing my ritual of listening to NPR in the car. In with the other news of the day, there was a report that former President Jimmy Carter, would be undergoing some brain surgery after a recent series of falls. At his age, this obviously is risky and it certainly made me think about his mortality, but even more it made me think of his legacy. This is a man who embodies Service Above Self.
Whatever your thoughts about his politics, his post presidential years have been full of service to the community. When others may be resting on their laurels, he is building houses and attending events espousing peace, democracy and support for a better world. I would dare say that Jimmy Carter will be able to look back on his life with a sense of accomplishment in service to others.
How many of us will be able to say the same? Rotary provides us with an opportunity to follow President Carter’s example. The amazing work that Rotary does through local clubs, District initiatives and International projects, is something we can all be proud of. We can all participate in a number of ways. We have committees and projects in our own club that members can participate in. Your annual donation to Rotary Foundation also contributes to the great work that Rotary does, worldwide and locally.
Finally, you can support the work we do locally through our grants by getting your tickets to the Service Above Self Luncheon.
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Tickets, sponsorship opportunities and program book ads are now available for the 2019 Service Above Self Luncheon.
The event takes place at Center Court of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at noon on Friday, November 22, 2019.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
This year we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Springfield MA's Service Above Self Lunch, Friday, November 22, at 12:00 pm at the Basketball Hall of Fame. We are looking for volunteers to cover the check-in table, to greet at the door, and to distribute literature to the tables. Please arrive at the Basketball Hall of Fame by 11:00 am. Please wear any branded Rotary attire that you may own at the event. Also, please wear your name tags.
Jack, Rick, and Dene have come forward to volunteer, but we need 6 more members. If you could help, please notify me at 413-654-2526 or just reply to this email. I am looking forward to seeing all our members at this event.
Has been working for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department since March of 1994. Ed began his career as a Residential Supervisor at the Minimum / Pre-Release Center and was promoted to Shift Supervisor in March of 1996. Ed is currently a Unit Director at the Sheriff’s Department.
In 2006, Ed began running a High Risk Re-Entry program at the Sheriff’s Department. In addition to running that program, he also oversees eleven staff in Springfield and six in Holyoke as part of community safety initiatives.
In 2011, Ed and the Sheriff’s Department partnered with law enforcement, service providers and faith agencies and began a pilot called the South Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative (SHSNI), which is now called the Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative (HSNI).
Outside of Ed’s professional career, he and his wife (Jennifer) have a great passion for people and volunteer approximately twenty hours per week in the Holyoke community. Ed has been a born again believer since January of 1999 and has been active in the Champions of Honor ministry at Bethany Assembly of God for the past eight years. Ed has also been a guest speaker at many men’s conferences and community events.
I arrived in the village of Phum Thom on Tuesday, October 22nd spending time with the Girl Guides, 130 of them and with the parents of the 20 University girls in Phnom Penh from the village etc. The Guest House has electricity through a generous solar panel on the roof. There are lights at night but dim. There is an amazing bed that is as hard as a board and am sure that is what is under the sheet & bedding. But, it is off the floor. The room has loving guests – a frog on the floor and geckos on the walls that chirp at night – totally harmless. Bedtime is 7:00 p.m. – at dark. The roosters begin to crow at the first hint of dawn and I am definitely up at that time to plug in my little pot for coffee to drink with my peanut butter sandwich and apple purchased in Phnom Penh, the capital city 45 miles away.
Thursday morning, the families, 280 of them, began to gather at 6:00 a.m. behind the guest house for the 7:00 a.m. water filter distribution. They gathered quietly sitting on the ground just waiting for their names to be called to receive the wonderful gift of the water filters and the bags of soap, toothbrushes, and paste from our Springfield Rotary Club. As the distribution is for more than one small village, the village directors were also present.
The filters were delivered on Wednesday, the day before. Girl Guides helped to put together the bags of soap etc. that are given with the filters. The people were so grateful for the gifts. Each recipient bowed and gave thanks, Cambodian style as they received their gifts. The filters were carefully tied onto their motos or placed in a wagon to pull to their homes. By 9:30 a.m. the sun was already high and extremely warm and the water filters were gone to be used to give the families clean water.
From all of them to you, I bring their sincere thanks for the generous gifts of life – clean water to drink and the soap etc. helping to keep their bodies clean.
There are many details not given but… for another time.
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