Opinions & Stuff
The Romance of Rotary IV
by Jim Godwin, Jr.
Is the romance with Rotary kaput?
I for one am not sure. It seems to me that Rotary of Bluefield has tossed aside its responsibility to Bluefield and its immediate environs. After all, we are Rotary of Bluefield, West Virginia. The Rotarians named in previous rants were folks who had a stake in Bluefield. They were interested in building their businesses as well as Bluefield. The two goals were tied together.
I don’t seem able to generate much personal enthusiasm for providing clean water in West Ubangie Land nor for PolioPlus. I believe these international projects to be most worthwhile, but when I look around and see the degradation and rot of a once prosperous and proud locale (Spend about an hour driving around in Bluefield … it’s shocking!) I wonder about priorities. I know the Ubangies need clean water, but what about our people? Shouldn’t we be just a little interested in building a new strong economy that will give our people and us a new base on which to grow? We need to work at giving our people “A hand up,” not “A hand out!”
Rotary is having a hard time in our area. The once strong and active Welch and Keystone clubs are history, while Kimball and Peterstown are staggering. The Princeton and Bluefield clubs don’t seem to be setting the world on fire, either.
Some lay the club losses to a declining population. That might be the problem, but why does our Bluefield club consistently show an attendance percentage of less than 50%? Could we be missing something?
Your guess is as good as mine in so far as the romance is concerned. I hope it’s not over. I hope it’s gathering steam for a strong and fresh new start. Only time will tell.
Read Part I of "The Romance of Rotary"
Read Part II of "The Romance of Rotary"
Read Part III of "The Romance of Rotary"