In 2005, I had the honor of serving as president of Westlake Rotary club, following Carol Morgan’s leadership. That year, we organized some fantastic events, including the spaghetti supper, which became a local favorite. Not only did the event bring our community together, but it raised significant funds for student and teacher awards, the library renovation, Habitat for Humanity – Restore”, and the children of Popham Elementary. In 2004 and 2005 Westlake Rotary installed at the library three benches and a large stone with the Rotary wheel and the 4-Way Test affixed. It was incredible to see what we could accomplish as a club, even with a relatively small group of members.

 The same year, I attended the Rotary International Convention in Chicago with over 15,000 Rotarians from 160+ countries. Meeting Bill Gates was a highlight, and getting a firsthand look at Rotary’s global impact, especially with polio eradication efforts.  This left an impression on me. I even had the chance for Westlake Rotary to contribute a letter and the Westlake flag to a time capsule, which will be opened at another Rotary Convention in one hundred years. Our ancestors will get to reflect on the strides made by Rotary.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my Rotary journey was getting involved with RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards). I was part of the group that helped bring RYLA to district 5870. We went to Palestine, TX to participate with the Dallas District for training to take back to District 5870. It was amazing to watch high school juniors and seniors go from confident leaders on day one and transits to a more humble, team-oriented individuals by the end of the week. The experience taught me the importance of helping young people develop leadership skills, but also the value of teaching them humility and the power of collaboration.

Another of the most rewarding experiences was that the Westlake Club provided food and gifts to children at Christmas time to Popham Elementary School in southeast Austin.  The son-in-law of Arlan Hanle, Dentist, and member gave a grant of $20,000 to the Westlake Club.  With the help a member and General Manager of the Randalls Grocery we provided a Christmas turkey dinner, gifts, and coats for the children.  The next year we sponsored the “Panda’s in the Rough” were for 2 days children from Popham arrived at McKenny Roughs Nature Park, ropes course and learned to cooperate and work together to accomplish team building activities. The years following that activity brought harmony to the Popham Elementary and Westlake Rotary won the Red Apple Award from the Del Valley School District. 

But not all of my favorite Rotary moments were strictly about work or formal events. One of the experiences that stands out the most was when my wife and I were traveling to Santa Fe, New Mexico on vacation. We stayed at the Hilton Hotel and we saw a sign for a Rotary meeting and decided to make up at the club. Now, we did not know anyone at this club, but we figured, “Why not check it out?” It was one of those spontaneous moments that ended up being more fun than we ever expected. We walked in and introduced ourselves, and the Rotarians were incredibly welcoming, even though we were total strangers. They were just wrapping up their meeting when we arrived, but they invited us to attend their Christmas party that evening. We had a blast, and by the end of the night, we felt like we had known everyone there for years. The best part? We did not have any plans, no connections, no agenda—we were just two Rotary members enjoying the fellowship. It was a great reminder that the beauty of Rotary is the community and friendships we build, no matter where you go.

Over the years, I have also had the privilege of seeing the impact we can make locally. One of the most rewarding projects I worked on was our club’s involvement with Habitat for Humanity. We helped fund the first truck for the Restore program, a project that was close to my heart. To raise the funds, we organized a golf tournament, which—though I am not much of a golfer—ended up being a lot of fun. And here is the kicker: we had the Houston Oiler cheerleaders show up to the event! One of our members had a connection, and suddenly, our golf tournament had a lot more sparkle to it. I ended up doing security for the cheerleaders—an amusing gig for sure, but it was all part of bringing people together for a worthy cause.

Another key memory was being involved in organizing our district's involvement with RYLA. We worked with high school juniors and seniors, helping them develop leadership skills in a camp setting. It was incredible to watch students—who were initially the confident “big shots”—go through the process of becoming humbler, learning to work together, and understanding the value of collaboration. RYLA was one of the programs I am most proud of because it is about shaping the future by investing in young people. For over ten years I have provided District  5870 for RYLA with the background checks required by the State of Texas.

Through it all, what I have come to realize is that Rotary is not just about the big projects—it is also about making connections, sharing ideas, and building relationships. Even though our club was relatively small, with only about 20-30 active members, we accomplished so much through collaboration and a shared sense of purpose. It was a true example of the 80/20 rule—100% of the work is done is by 20% of the group of dedicated people, but the impact is far-reaching. For 10 years we cooked and prepared spaghetti sauce and meals for the 1st home game of Westlake High School football. The entire club appeared to put on the meal for the public. The funds raised went to the Student Scholarships and Teacher Appreciation.  The last supper we put on helped feed the New Orleans evacuees from Hurricane Catrina who stayed in the 9th Grade gym.  

The thing that has stuck with me most is that Rotary is about much more than just giving back to the community—it is about connecting with others, making up at other clubs, sharing experiences, and having fun while doing it. And here is my advice to the club: Stay active and engaged. It is easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day life, but the more you participate, the more you will get out of it. Do not just show up for the meetings—get involved in projects, make connections, and keep an open mind. The friendships and experiences you will gain from that will stay with you long after the projects are done. Rotary is about building a network that stretches far beyond your own community—one meeting, one service project, and one laugh at a time.  The old Motto of Rotary -–“He profits most who serves best!” was replaced by the motto of “Service above Self” and it will always prevail.