Family Fellowships

This weekend I am experiencing first-hand the benefits that come from being in the "family of Rotary". Like most gatherings, there are those people who simply pass you by without so much as a greeting or a smile, but on the whole, there is a real friendly family atmosphere here that is buzzing in the air. And the challenge that comes to me is this: do I foster a family fellowship atmosphere of belonging in the groups I belong to?

Here's a challenge that is applicable not only in the Rotary context of which it speaks, but also for those "other groups or organizational settings" in which we find ourselves.
[Why not try substituting the words Rotary and clubs with ones that reflect your situation?]

"Like most families, the Rotary family provides a haven where we can gather the strength and encouragement to face the challenges of the world. It offers comforting traditions, asking that we honor those who came before us and celebrate our newest arrivals.
Our clubs are where we find the core of our Rotary family...to find more ways to create and nurture that atmosphere of warmth and caring.
One way we can do this is to extend our caring reach beyond each Rotarian to include that Rotarian's spouse and children.
A greater sense of a family atmosphere within our clubs will support the work we do outside of our clubs - all of the work we do to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, comfort the sick, care for the aged - in short, to reach out to our fellow human beings to help and to comfort.
This impulse to reach out to others abides in the hearts of all people, and as Rotarians, we simply do what is most natural: we act upon what we feel."

Former RI President Jonathan Majiyagbe, 2003-4