Beyond Borders, United in Service
It feels like everywhere we turn today; people are being pulled apart by politics, opinions, or national differences.
But Rotary gives us a different example. Around every Rotary table, you’ll find people with different backgrounds, beliefs, and life experiences. And yet, we come together because we share something bigger: a commitment to Service Above Self.
When a child gets clean water, when a mother receives lifesaving care, when a student learns to read, or when a community gets a real chance to grow, those lives are not changed by politics or borders. They are changed because people choose compassion, connection, and action.
Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus—peacebuilding, disease prevention, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, education, community economic development, and protecting the environment—remind us that the world’s biggest challenges can’t be solved by division. They take cooperation. They take listening. And they take people who are willing to work side by side, even when they do not agree on everything.
That is one of the things I value most about Rotary. We do not have to be the same to serve together. We simply must care enough to show up, build friendships, and work for lasting impact. And when we do this, we help create not only stronger communities, but a more peaceful and hopeful world.
We are the Peace Arch District. This is why we are dedicating a Peace Pole here today. This is why we are celebrating our third annual Rotary Hands Across the Border celebration. I invite you to join us at noon on Saturday, August 8 for Rotary Hands Across the Border at the Peace Arch Park, U.S./Canada Border between Blaine and Surrey.
