Steve - Shawn, can I ask you again the same question? How long you've been with the Rotary and what your work or background is? Shawn - I've been a member of Rotary for about 19 years and I'm a lawyer who joined because the senior lawyer in my firm was a member of the club and invited me to come along and I came enough times that they finally said "well why don't you join? ", so I did. It was a bit unusual because as you heard earlier we try to get different professions in Rotary so we try to be representatives. We don't get too many of one category in but you know, if someone fits well and is willing to contribute and make the time we'll find a way to make them fit. It's a very inclusive club. Steve - What, to you, have been the biggest, sort of rewards or what have you enjoyed the most about your 19 years with the Rotary?
Shawn - the friendship. By far that's the one thing that gets me. I have certainly enjoyed the service. I have certainly enjoyed both doing things locally as well as internationally but bottom line is once a week I get to meet with all my friends and we chat and we laugh and we have interesting speakers it's just a lot of fun, especially our club. There's lots of humor and there's lots of great respect for each other and, we just really enjoy it. Steve - Now Frank, tell me perhaps a little bit, some of our listeners may not know what exactly happens at the Rotary like we hear once a week, we hear make up meetings, could you give us a little bit of, first of all, your own background, your professional background and then perhaps a little bit of what actually goes on?
Frank - Sure. First of all my background is in financial services. I was a financial planner. As to what goes on at Rotary? It's operated as a bunch of independent clubs. Clubs generally meet once a week. Some clubs are breakfast clubs, others are Noon hour clubs, some after 5 clubs and that's decided on the local level. Generally we meet for about an hour and a half. There will be some fellowship, a meal and usually we invite somebody of interest to come and speak to us. It may be somebody who wants to tell us about a need in the community or it might be somebody who just wants to describe something of interest to the members of the club.
Steve - And what has, have you had a particular area of interest? We've heard some people were interested in youth, we've heard mention of the international activities. Do you have a particular interest that brought you into the Rotary?
Frank - I think what brought me in to Rotary was the opportunity to serve. I think that was what got me there in the first place. I think what's kept me there over the years is not only that, but the fellowship. It's a great bunch of people. I think doing good things and it's nice to be associated with the Rotary. Steve - Ok now let's go back again to the subject that I think a lot of people tend to, people who aren't members of service clubs, they have this image of it's kind of like a country club thing and people go there and do deals and stuff and of course, that is not what we're hearing this evening and I know from, what I have learned that it's not the case but it's often perceived that way. How much sort of, deal making or business connections or that kind of thing takes place through the Rotary in your opinion, and also gain, you're professional background? John - My name is John and my background is a family physician. My practice or my style of practice is one that didn't allow me the opportunity to really even consider joining a service club or any other kind of organization that, time commitments were just not there. But I was fortunate in sort of dragged along to Chamber of Commerce initially. It was an organization entirely different from Rotary. Didn't enjoy it, backed out of that literally after three quarters of a year, it was just not what I was looking for. And then as my practice was winding down, my style of practice and changing and allowing me more opportunity and free time, I got dragged along to a Rotary meeting. And, here was this laid back group of people and this was, it was the camaraderie was just instantaneous and I was very fortunate because not all Rotary groups are like this as well. Each Rotary group has its own individual dynamics and I was just fortunate to hit the right one at the right time.
Steve - Thank you John.
