Service above self

“The Morningside College experience cultivates a passion for lifelong learning and a dedication to ethical leadership and civic responsibility.” So says the mission statement of my undergraduate institution (now Morningside University). A small, liberal arts, formerly Methodist school in Sioux City, Iowa, seems to have prepared me well.

In the last few years living in Newberry I have found myself becoming a quite involved in service causes. Aside from the nature of the job as publisher of The Newberry Observer and The Sentinel-Progress (of Pickens County), which has a civic duty to keep the public informed, I have ended up involved in the Rotary Club of Newberry, Mid-Carolina Lions, Newberry County Young Professionals, the Building Thriving Communities Foundation and The Living Hope Foundation. I also took a year hiatus from the newspaper and worked as the civic engagement coordinator at Newberry College.

Apparently, the dedication to civic responsibility part of the mission has become a defining part of my existence.

Even before moving to South Carolina, I spent time volunteering with Meals on Wheels in State College, Pa., and at Capital Humane Society in Lincoln, Neb. And while still at Morningside (though required for classes) I was a poll worker and worked voter registration drives and helped the South Sioux City, Neb., library relocate.

This has led to possibly the biggest challenge I have faced in my volunteerism career. With a year-plus to prepare, I will assume the role of president of the Rotary Club of Newberry starting July of 2023. Of course, Rotary’s best known tagline: “Service Above Self,” something I seem to be acting out lately.

In preparation for my presidency, the club sent me to the Carolina PETS (Presidents Elect Training Seminar) conference in Greensboro, N.C. This two-day conference provide a crash-course in what to expect when planning for, and becoming, a president to a Rotary club.

I got to meet with other nominated presidents and presidents-elect to see how their clubs operate, and what their plans have been and are going to be heading into the future of Rotary.

Many clubs focused on literacy programs, some on child welfare, others on community betterment in general, but all are very focused on how to make our hometowns a better place through our service projects.

Personally, I like to focus on food security projects, and plan to build on work with Newberry’s food pantries including Living Hope, GAP, and the Pomaria Food Bank, to help get nourishment where it is needed in our community.

The Rotary Club of Newberry’s current project is placing benches, a peace pole and other improvements in the new Recreation Complex on Glenn Street. Next year’s project is yet to be formally announced, then my year is intended to have an environmental focus. I will update when these projects come to light.

Another focus of the PETS conference was to explore ways to grow club membership. The Newberry club has strong membership fluctuating between 70-90 members over the past few years, but we can always welcome more who have interest in bettering the Newberry community.

The Rotary Club of Newberry meets at 1 p.m. every other Friday at Community Hall, 1209 Caldwell Street. For more information you can check them out on Facebook or at www.newberryrotary.org or contact me for more information.