I was 28 when I joined the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club. This made me younger than many members, but uncontrollably compelled to become a part of this multi-age, multi-disciplined, multi-ethnic group of working and retired executives with whom I shared an instant bond. They were smart, sassy, witty, and committed to the community I love.The previous year I had started my own Farmers Insurance Agency, and I made both Rotary and insurance the centers of my professional experience for the same reason; to satisfy my passion for helping others get more from life.
Without realizing it, I had been preaching Rotary's philosophy of Service Above Self since I was a child. So the marriage of volunteer and organization was a natural one.
Still, it wasn’t until a few years after I had become part of this amazing group that I truly integrated Rotary into my day-to-day mindset. I joined a group of several dozen Rotarians and volunteers, some as young as high school, and together we traveled to Tijuana to help build a house for a family in need of more permanent shelter. From rising at 4am to a day of backbreaking work to help people I’d never see again, I found the entire experience to be one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.
I can’t wait to do it again!
Our weekly breakfast meetings are something all our members look forward to with great anticipation. There we learn new things about each other, hearing stories of why we all joined Rotary AND why we stay. We listen to fascinating speakers on every subject imaginable. Plus I enjoy getting to hear the great things that Rotary International is doing locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally to help those who need so much.
And I know that, whether it’s helping with odd jobs at the Ronald McDonald House, providing clean water to remote locations where disease runs rampant, or playing my part in helping to eradicate polio globally, Rotary is the place I need to be and the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club is the group I’m proud to call my second home.
Come be my guest and let me introduce you to some of my friends. Stop by the RB Country Club some Tuesday morning at 7am and see for yourself just what a great experience it is to be part of Rotary International. You’re sure to be amazed.