If you have more than you need, you are wealthy - July 23, 2007

If you have more than you need, you are wealthy

The last day of the recent 2007 Rotary International Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, showcased the variety of service opportunities Rotarians enjoy, from working on grassroots projects to serving at the highest levels of Rotary International’s leadership.

Two are mentioned here, taken from the Rotary International website.

A young woman from Turkey, Emine Yüzay, gave a moving speech highlighting how the results of Rotarians’ service can expand and multiply. Five years ago, Yüzay, who was born without arms, was an illiterate 17-year-old. Then she took part in a Rotary-sponsored Concentrated Language Encounter (CLE) program in her working-class neighborhood of Istanbul.

After learning to write with her feet, Yüzay now teaches other women to read and write, demonstrating the ripple effect that so many Rotary programs have. “I tried to do my best to pass what I had learned in CLE courses to other women,” she said. “I have never felt so proud and confident in my entire life.”

This spring, the Rotary Club of Istanbul arranged for Yüzay to receive prosthetic arms, which she is still learning to use. She said that she was astonished recently when she heard of a recent RI theme: Lend a Hand. “Now,” she told the assembled Rotarians, “your hands are mine, and my hands are yours.”

Hyrum Smith, a member of the Rotary Club of Salt Lake City, inspired Rotarians with his talk about what he called the abundance mentality. “When you can look in the mirror and say, I have sufficient for my needs, at that moment, you are wealthy,” he said. Smith encouraged Rotarians to decide whether they have more than they need, and if so, to use the difference to do good in the world.

You too can become a Rotarian. You too can make a difference in the world while enjoying the opportunities for fellowship and service. Please take time to learn about Rotary. It will be well worth your time! Then you will no longer have to ask "What is Rotary?"

For more information about Rotary, check the website http://www.rotaryanguilla.org or speak to any local Rotarian. The Rotary Club of Anguilla meets every Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. upstairs at the English Rose.