Rotary: a warm fuzzy feeling

I get "warm fuzzy" feelings from various (non sexual) events in life. ie:  smelling burning firewood on the first day of fall, homemade icecream,the touch of sand on my toes on a hot summer day at the beach, holding a  baby, flying into Dublin, and seeing underdogs overcome obstables...to name a few. Another one to add to my list is anything involving Rotary. I feel completely indebted to Rotary for my lifechanging experiences in Ireland, so it was a no brainer to get involved when I got back to Birmingham. Because of my age, I was able to do that by joining Rotaract. During my first year membership, I was able to give back tremendously to my club by strengthening the bond between the club and our parent club, the Rotary Club of Birmingham. If you dont know, the RC of B, is the second largest club in the world, hosting several Rotary International Presidents. Lets just say even my club in Ireland had heard of them. They are kind of a big deal.

So, we started a mentorship program between our club and the RC of B. This has allowed me to meet so many fantastic members of both clubs, and even get the honor of sitting at the head table of the downtown club to talk about this program. WOW, it was cool.

This week I also got to help out as Rotary played host to the National Large Club Conference. Since the club is so large, they have much to teach other clubs about the functioning of a large organization. Sunday night 150 Rotarians from all over the country landed in Birmingham and were driven (by Rotaract members) to Ross Bridge. These Rotarians were overwhelmed with southern hospitality, and that was just the beginning. Sunday's dinner was an introduction to the "tastes of the south" with a family style meal complete with a bbq, fried green tomatoes, black eyed peas, grits, collards, fried okra, chow chow, ect... Chris Hastings even contributed his white bread pudding for dessert. Then they were shown some of the best music the south can provide; from a jazz band, to a world renouned pianist, a gospel choir, and then finally Rubben studdard. That's right, Mr. American Idol himself.

He wasnt extremely impressive, but it was neat to see him.

Last night they took the whole group to Highlands (Frank Stitt is a Rotarian) and wined and dined them to death. Tonight, I helped as we bused the 150 Rotarians to 5 (large & impressive) houses on Birmingham's Crest Road which overlooks the city. At each house Chris Hastings (hot n hot), had a kitchen and staff, and prepared an impressive feast. I got to meet so many new people, and I think it was one of the few social events where ive dragged Jordan and he's actually really enjoyed himself. Everyone was so friendly and appreciative for everything. Enter the warm fuzzies. The great part about it is that you dont have to be at a lavish mansion with these people, because they are just as welcoming if you call them on the phone, or see them at a meeting. The ideal of "service about self" is ingrained in them all, and their cup is overflowing.

So, i come back to my main point. This is why I love Rotary. check it out, it will make you happy.

(Huntsville trip below)