Dear Lucie,
As you begin your year as President, you are about to discover the honor and privilege of captaining the good ship Rotary St. Marys.
You will find that, on shore, your District leadership is strong; that the women and men who devote their time to the programs and projects in 6330 are talented, dedicated and able to fully support you in plotting your course.
You will also find that the membership of our club will make your year as President seem to be effortless, for our club is a ship that runs on sails with the wind in our favor. Your crew, like that which I was privileged to work with, will make certain that the ship stays on course. You may stand at the helm but no captain ever truly ran her vessel; the stalwarts in charge of things below decks are the ones who keep the thing afloat. Chief engineers like Charlie, Bursars like Heather and Doug, cruise directors like Pierre, communications officers like Gary and recruiters like Bruce will keep you charted in the right direction.
Of course, the crew of your ship is much larger and includes all those who keep the boilers functioning and well-oiled; old hands like Linda, Len, Stan and Ron know just what it takes, and how to get it done. The same holds true for those who stoke the fires, whether it’s Homer at the Mess or Janice in the Galley.
The rest of the hands deserve accolades as well and there isn’t room to mention every sailor who contributes advice, time and talent in making our ship the class of the fleet. There’s not a single person on board who doesn’t make a contribution; And you know already that there’s a large cast of new recruits at the ready and some old salts just waiting for re-assignment.
Enjoy your year! And I know you won’t rest on the laurels left by all of those who have preceded you as Captain. Times change and our club, like Rotary itself, must change with them. Weigh anchor and cast off. Let the crew guide you but stay steady at the wheel and you will be sure to enjoy the ports of call along the way.
President Claire (ret.)
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