Service above self, a commentary 
                                     Highlights of the meeting of Tuesday, September 18
                                                                                Art Haines "reporting"

Some days the big picture seems more important than the details.

As I reflected on Tuesday’s meeting from the fog of a head cold and a busy travel schedule, the theme of Service Above Self was in my face – I had to write about it.

Service Above Self.  We Rotarians speak this value often, sometimes lightly like a slogan, other times with deep conviction. 

On Tuesday you could feel Service Above Self in every conversation.

The meeting opened on a sad note as we learned about Karen Forys’ passing.  What a privilege we had at our September 4 meeting to be the place where Karen could make her last public demonstration of her deep commitment to learning and literacy.   I will never forget how she marshaled here fading energy to communicate the importance of our work to support education and literacy.

There can be no finer example of Service Above Self.

Our speaker for the morning was Pati An from the Sammamish River Keepers.  Pati shared her deep commitment to rehabilitate a part of the Sammamish River that forms Woodinville’s gateway to the Sammamish River Valley.  She shared how the River Keepers return month after month, year after year to put in the dirty, backbreaking work removing the invasive plants and give the native plants a chance to come back.  Why?  To help a river and make our community a better place to live.

Service Above Self.

When we arrived at the meeting Tuesday the room had a different feel.  Rick made note of this but we all felt it.  Rotarians were filling out donation forms, checking reservations, reserving tables - all to support the Wine and Shine Charity Event on October 6.  Each in our way we Rotarians are pulling together for an event that is the focal point of our work in the community and world.

Service Above Self.

I could go on and on about Service Above Self in our meeting and that is exactly the point.  Sure we have great fellowship and a lot of fund.  But in the end it is our commitment to Service Above Self that makes Woodinville Rotary Club great.  

Now that’s worth a standing ovation!

                                          Respectfully submitted by Rotary Reporter Art Haines