Far away, off the east coast of Australia, on the island of Fiji, in the community of Lautoka, Pat Killoran had a ‘Rotary moment’, realizing how much can be done to help people in that community.
“That was the point in time when Rotary moved from my mind to my heart,” the Rotary District 5360 Governor told members of Sylvan Lake’s Rotary Club during a visit Oct. 18.
He’d been a member of clubs in Barrie, Ontario, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Brandon, Manitoba before moving to Lethbridge during a 33 year career with Scotiabank.
It was as his career progressed in Lethbridge that he made the trip to Fiji with fellow Rotarians and discovered his passion for international projects.
He complimented the Sylvan club for being active and engaged, doing many wonderful things in this community. “Your membership is growing, there’s lots to be proud of as a club.”
Referring to the Rotary year’s motto, “Engage Rotary, Change Lives”, Killoran said there are so many opportunities to change lives. “To be long term Rotarians, you need to find your passion”.
Talking about experiences in some of the other clubs he encouraged members to pay attention to fellow members to make sure they’re not drifting away, that they’re happy with their Rotary experiences.
“Your passion can be anywhere in the world as long as it’s embedded in your heart. You must seek and find your passion in Rotary,” Killoran advocated. “As clubs and leaders we must foster that passion in our members.”
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” he encouraged. “Successful members need to take responsibility for their own growth and development,” he added.
“When you get involved there can be big changes. That applies to so many aspects of what we do as Rotarians, engaging people … there are so many opportunities to change lives.”
District 5360 represents 53 clubs with 2,100 members in Alberta from Ponoka south and in a portion of southwest Saskatchewan.
Several club members thanked Killoran for his inspiring comments and remarked on how Rotary has enriched their lives.
Rotarians channel their commitment to service at home and abroad through five Avenues of Service which are the foundation for club activity. Club Service focuses on making clubs strong; Vocational Service calls on every Rotarian to work with integrity and contribute their expertise to the problems and needs of society; Community Service encourages every Rotarian to find ways to improve the quality of life for people in their communities and to serve the public interest; International Service exemplifies Rotary’s global reach in promoting peace and understanding; and Youth Service recognizes the importance of empowering youth and young professionals through leadership development programs.