February 14, 2025 • 31 mins
Discover the essence of service and leadership with our guest, Alan, as he navigates through 13 transformative years in the Rotary Club. Gain insights from Alan’s journey that began with the Midtown Rotary and his mentor, Hal Stevens, leading him to impactful roles like President and Sergeant-at-Arms. Alan shares how he eventually found his ideal fit with the Bricktown Rotary, highlighting the unique character and camaraderie of each club. His story is a testament to the power of teamwork and the importance of volunteerism, and he offers a glimpse into his future aspirations, including teaching at the President-Elect Training Seminar, showing that growth and learning are endless within Rotary.
Join us as we explore the spirit of collaboration that defines Rotary’s mission to make a global impact. Alan discusses the significance of partnerships between clubs, emphasizing that collective efforts can achieve remarkable change, from raising funds through events like "Days of Wine and Rotary" to supporting youth leadership programs. He passionately speaks about the profound effects Rotary initiatives have on communities worldwide, from vaccinations to clean drinking water, underscoring our collective ability to change lives we may never see. This episode captures the heart of Rotary’s service, inspiring Rotarians and non-Rotarians alike to contribute to a better world.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:29):
Welcome to the Rotary Spark podcast.
Alan, Tell us a little bitabout your Rotary journey.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Well, thank you, brian, and I appreciate the
opportunity to meet with you.
I'm 13 years into Rotary.
I started out in Midtown Rotary, which means that Charleston's
on Tuesday nights and awonderful club.
I was working for a guy yearsago, hal Stevens.
He was a district governor atone point and Hal believed it
(00:58):
would be good for me to getinvolved in a Rotary club so I
could do some networking andsome community service, and took
his advice, joined Midtown,ended up serving as president
for a year.
Sargent at Arms did somefoundation things we can talk
about later, but I really lovethe idea of that.
(01:23):
You and I we can do good things.
I can go out right now and dosomething nice for somebody, but
there's a limit to that becausemy time is limited, my finances
are limited.
If I partner with 1.3 millionfriends and all of us have kind
of the same desire to serve thecommunity, we can move mountains
(01:47):
, we can do massive thingsaround the world, and what I
like about Rotary is that's theorganization.
That's what Rotary is.
It's a community of people thatwant to serve, that combine all
of their energies and effortswith the purpose of serving, and
it's just been a blessing forme.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
It's been a wonderful 13, almost 14 years now.
Wow, that's quite a bit of time.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
So how long?
You might have alreadymentioned this, but how long
were you in?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Midtown prior to shifting over to Bricktown.
I was in Midtown and I want tosay I was in Midtown for nine
years and every club is unique.
And one of the blessings, oneof the cool things about Rotary
International is 1.3 millionmembers Golly, 30,000, 40,000
clubs worldwide.
(02:45):
I've forgotten the number now.
I used to have it memorized.
And every club is unique inthat we all operate a little bit
differently.
We all share a lot of the samecommon thread of service above
self four-way test.
But each club is unique in theway it operates, when it meets
(03:07):
how many people you got themission of the club, the purpose
of the club.
So I said all that to say thisMidtown was arts-focused evening
club meeting at an Irish pub,which is wonderful Kind of Irish
.
We go way back, we go back farenough and I enjoyed it very
much.
But the club at a certain pointbecame something that wasn't,
(03:31):
as I didn't enjoy it as much asI thought I should.
So I started looking around andI'd done some makeups at
Bricktown and I liked the waythe club runs.
It's Monday night Again,charleston's a restaurant where
there's adult beverages, if youlike, to partake in that type of
thing.
And the club had a similarfocus but it was just a better
(03:54):
fit for me.
So transitioned from Midtown toBricktown and been a member
there for three years three orfour years now and just real
happy.
I've been a member there forthree years three or four years
now, and just real happy.
I've been president ofBricktown for two consecutive
terms and went through someleadership building, trying to
(04:15):
build people up to want to jumpin, because it's nothing to take
lightly and it's a weekly event, as you're well aware.
Lightly and it's a weekly event, as you're well aware.
So it took a couple years tobuild the kind of leadership
that we have now.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
So for new members or people that are serving but
haven't been president yet, canyou tell us a little bit about
that experience, maybe before,during and after Pets and any of
the kind ofthe-scenes takesthat maybe someone who hasn't
served as president would knowabout?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Sure, sure, when I was Sergeant-at-Arms and for a
new member, volunteering isvitally important to
understanding how theorganization works and becoming
familiar with all your membersclub members.
So Sergeant-at-Arms is a greatplace to start for a new member,
because your job is to knowwho's coming to the meeting
(05:14):
every year.
You're taking a role, you'redoing a role call At least
that's been my experience solearn that.
So, moving into president, youserve one term as
president-elect, so you'repracticing and you get to see
what the president does.
You spend time with them intheir board meetings, seeing how
the organization operates.
(05:37):
The position itself can be achallenge in that if you don't
have a good organization, ifyour team isn't good, it could
be a lot of work and be probablya lot of frustration.
I've been fortunate that theteams I've had as president was
(05:58):
just amazing, and so it is kindof funny, brian.
I get a lot of credit for workother people did and it's a
little hard for me to acceptcredit for that.
You know there's some.
There's.
Leadership means helping peoplestay focused and doing the
right thing, but when it takesso little effort it's just an
(06:22):
amazing thing.
And you get to see people onyour team have great success.
You get to see your club havesuccess.
It's very rewarding to be there.
Betts was a big help because Imet with other presidents, other
club members from around thecountry, around the region, and
probably the greatest experienceI got to have was practicing
(06:47):
being a president aspresident-elect.
So the president had to takeoff for a week, wasn't available
to make a meeting.
I would run the meeting.
So I immediately see mychallenges and my strengths.
What can I do better?
You know, of course, learningfrom the people in power is the
(07:08):
best way to learn, so I've justbeen blessed by it.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
What are the experiences that you're having
now as being immediate pastpresident, and are there any
district projects that you'recurrently involved with that
you'd like to talk about?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Well, I will be at Pence this next time around
leading a class.
I haven't been told on what yet, but I hope it's something I
like.
I expect it will be.
The past president position isnice because you're still on the
board.
You still have some influencein the direction the club goes,
(07:49):
but it's not your responsibilityto make sure things are
accomplished.
So I like that part.
So you get to enjoy thecamaraderie.
You get to enjoy the samepeople you've been working with
for a year on your board.
But you're not the responsibleparty Now.
You're just supportingeverybody else as they do what
(08:12):
they do.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Well, I look forward to seeing you at Pets, and are
you going to Calgary this year?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
I am not going to Calgary.
We went to Houston.
Our club had five or sixmembers go to Houston a couple
years ago for the conference andBrian, that was amazing, it was
during COVID.
It was a much smaller crowd.
We only had 13,000 or 14,000people show up in Houston.
I guess the groups are usuallylarger than that.
(08:44):
It's interesting becausethere's people from all over the
world there and we're inHouston, texas, at the
convention center and they'retalking to a guy from India and
God kind of developed arelationship with him.
He came back to Oklahoma to meetsome friends of his who were
physicians.
They invited me out to a mealand I forgot the guy's name and
(09:08):
I feel bad about that.
I'll probably never see himagain unless I go to africa to
visit.
But in the presence of hisfriends.
I asked him.
I said of the things I think,say or do, and I at him and
guess what he said Is it thetruth?
(09:28):
Okay, men and women in everyportion of the world share the
same four rules for life, if youwill.
Of the things I think, say ordo, is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill andbetter friendships?
(09:50):
Will it be beneficial to allconcerned and I can go anywhere
in the world.
I was in Scotland.
I went to a club meeting inScotland.
I went to a club meeting inIreland.
I went to a club meeting inTahlequah, oklahoma.
I was in Branson, missouri, ata club meeting.
Everywhere I go, those four,the four-way test, is common
(10:11):
throughout the world.
So you're in good companywhenever you're in a group of
Rotarians because you all sharethe same basic and I'll use the
rules for life the four-way test.
So I've forgotten your question.
I apologize, that's okay.
(10:33):
So yeah, going to Calgary.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, the question was going to Calgary.
It's an event that I'veconsidered myself.
It's an event that I'veconsidered myself and I've heard
about really good experiencestied to some of the conferences,
but what I was thinking aboutwhen you were talking was the
power of unification of that 1.2plus million people really all
(11:02):
being on the same page.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Absolutely, and it is amazing because you know you
have something in common witheverybody there.
They look nothing like you,they speak different languages,
they dress differently, but youstill share a common thread.
And and listen in this, thistime, in our, in our nation and
in our world, unity is not acommon thread.
(11:24):
There's not much of it,certainly not enough of it.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
And so being in that type of environment is really
encouraging and refreshing, Iagree.
Looking at the news or being atwork or really any type of
recreational activity with adiverse group of mindsets.
I would say that conflict atleast during this time period
specifically is is very common.
(11:56):
So jumping back into a rotarymeeting not to say that
conflict's completely gone inrotary there's it's its own
flavor, but it it feels like adifferent type of hydration.
There's a this refreshedfeeling of individuals from
different camps being able toget together and have healthy
(12:19):
discourse you bet, you bet andyou know there's safety in that.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
That's a safe community and I'm really
appreciative of that because youagain you walk into a group,
especially if you're traveling,if you're going to visit Rotary
Clubs.
You have no idea what themindset is in the community
where you're going, and makingit a Rotary meeting gives you
(12:46):
some level of comfort going in.
You kind of know what to expect.
Now you mentioned projects.
We are right now working onpartnering with a club in Mexico
for a project.
It'll be our firstinternational project.
That'll be cool if it gets done.
(13:06):
The international projectsnormally take a while to get
done because you've got playersin the receiving country,
because you've got players inthe receiving country and you've
got the clubs here in the US orwherever they happen to be,
that sponsor the project, and soit doesn't happen overnight.
I kind of wish it would be alittle bit faster, but it's not.
(13:29):
But something else that's goingon that our club, bricktown,
has done is we have partneredwith local nonprofits to help
people that either are disabledor seniors aging in place, and I
know you may have heard of someof this, but it's something I
(13:50):
really want to focus on thiscoming year In the United States
of America, 10,000 people a dayturn 65, and 4,000 a day turn
85.
So I've heard it called thesilver tsunami and it's quite a
term.
But there's this massive shiftof baby boomers that are
(14:13):
experiencing a change of lifeagain we all go through.
Life is one big change.
If we're fortunate, we gothrough a 20 or 30 or 40 year
period where there's a lot ofstability.
You get to another place inyour 60s, 70s and 80s where what
you did when you were 40 is nolonger what you do.
(14:34):
What you could do in your 40 isno longer what you can do when
you're 65 or 70.
Okay, so how can Rotary Clubsfind a way to?
And it could be somethingsimple.
We did a wheelchair ramp forone guy not too long ago.
It could be something as simpleas hand grips in showers for
(14:55):
seniors.
They're trying to age in place.
Living in a retirementcommunity is very expensive and
if you already own your home,it's paid for.
Well, how can you extend thattime there for another three or
four or five years where you'resafe in your own home?
Safe in your own home?
(15:16):
And I'd like to partner withother roadery clubs around the
country and and find a way tolook at that community and try
to determine that they've servedus their entire lives.
These, these baby boomers, havecommitted themselves, whether
intentionally or not.
We're benefiting, we're thebeneficiaries of a lot of what
they've done and it seems likeit's only fair that we try to
(15:42):
find a way to pay that back alittle bit as they start facing
some challenges.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
If that makes sense.
It definitely does.
They've, in a lot of ways,built everything that we have,
absolutely.
What's the next step ofexpanding this project?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Well, the biggest obstacle we have?
Well, there's two, I think.
Listen, I haven't sat down andwritten down a list of
challenges, but the two thatcome to mind.
Sat down and written down alist of challenges, but the two
that come to mind.
Number one is opportunity toserve this community, because
people in general are proudAmericans maybe more than other
(16:24):
countries, I don't know but alot of people don't like asking
for help when you visit withsomebody.
They're not going to share thedownsides of their life.
Now there are some people thatdo and they enjoy it, and you
know those people.
You can't afford them or youcan't avoid them, but for the
(16:44):
most part, people don't want toshare their hardship.
So, finding the opportunity tohelp an individual our club's
got the word out, we're tryingto get the word out.
And, secondly, getting enoughclubs on board that are willing
to share the burden of that,because any one club listen if
(17:04):
we've got a $20,000 annualbudget for everything that we do
and all that money goes backout somewhere, it can't all go
to one place and we could easilyspend $20,000 just on this.
So, partnering with other clubsaround the country, perhaps
(17:24):
around the world I don't knowthat there's any rules or
limitations, but findingpartners, and those partners are
going to also have people intheir communities that need help
.
So getting the word out,partnering with other clubs and
breaking through the pride of.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I don't need any help .
I like the idea a lot, at thevery least.
I think one thing that may helpis when additional Rotarians
come on to the podcast.
We can definitely bring up theproject as it develops.
So if there are additionalindividuals from the Bricktown
Rotary Club or partnering clubs,we can continue this discussion
(18:10):
so that, as it comes to be,it'll have more of a spotlight.
The other thing that I canoffer is that when it develops a
name, I can help create thewebsite at the very least, and
contribute some media, and we'llcontinue to work together.
Well, that's very generousThank you.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
I appreciate that, and it is it's in its infancy,
so we're still figuring out howto maneuver through this, but
service above self is whatRotary stands for, and I believe
this is a big need.
I think there's a problem thatneeds to be addressed here, and
(18:50):
I'd like to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I like that a lot, so tell me a little bit about the
events at Bricktown that Ishould already be aware of as a
new member.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Well, I'm glad you asked me that, brian.
We've got the Days of Wine andRotary coming up.
I'm sure you've heard of it.
Talk of it anyway.
It's a fundraiser that we'vehad since the club began, so
it's a 20-year-old drive.
We do it's a fundraising drive.
Days of Wine Rotary iswine-focused.
(19:23):
We'll have live music, we'llhave finger foods and lots of
wine and there will be an openbar for those that don't like
wine.
It's designed.
In fact, this year a portion ofthe funds we raise will go to
ryla, which is rotary youthleadership awards, and ryla is
(19:43):
an amazing summer camp for kids,high school kids I want to say
13 to 16 brian are the ages andI could be off a year on either
side.
I've been to rile to to observeand they're teaching these
young people leadershipcharacteristics that they're not
learning anywhere else.
And we've actually hadprofessionals come back to speak
(20:06):
to our club that were in rileas young people and they, uh,
they really were consciouslypointing to Riley as a major
life change for them in the waythey view life and the
responsibilities.
However, ryle is a lot of fun.
Kids have a great time with it.
There's a lot of a lot ofcamaraderie.
(20:27):
This camaraderie is built.
Ryle is actually run bygraduates of Ryle.
So this isn't something thatit's Rotary members volunteer
from their club to go run thedeal.
It's actually kids that havebeen through the process a
number of years and becomeleaders of Ryla and so it's
continuing to build leadership,generational leadership, amazing
(20:51):
program.
So part of the money we raisewill go to Ryla to support that,
to Ryla, to support that.
The other money we use will belike we have been lately giving
to Christmas nonprofits thathelp kids with Christmas gifts.
We've helped gosh a number ofnonprofits here in town
throughout the last year.
(21:11):
I think we've given away$11,000 or $12,000 in the last
six months just to thesedifferent organizations.
Yeah, it's amazing, it reallyis, and I feel good about that.
These fundraisers are a way forus to help everybody have a
good time.
The events are fun, we have agreat time with them and we know
(21:33):
that the money we raise willnot be staying in anybody's bank
account but it's immediatelygoing back out or quickly going
back out into the communitywhere we all live to help people
that are unseen by most.
So we're making a difference.
I tell Rotarians all the time ata meeting.
You and I are in a meeting,brian, and if I happen to be
(21:55):
leading the meeting and I'vedone this a number of times I
look at every Rotarian andwhoever's listening to this.
If you're a Rotarian, I'mlooking at you too.
You're making a difference inthe lives of people around the
world, whether you mean to ornot.
When you're a Rotarian, you'repaying dues into an organization
that's changing lives aroundthe world, into an organization
(22:15):
that's changing lives around theworld.
So I could say, brian, whileyou're sleeping tonight,
someone's life has changedbecause of you, because of your
commitment to Rotary and thefunds that you place into Rotary
that are used around the worldto make a difference, whether
you're saving lives fromvaccinations or you're providing
(22:38):
fresh drinking water to avillage where people have had to
go down to the river and bringwater up by the bucket.
It's amazing, brian, that wewe're so and listen, I spoiled
implies that we we've donesomething wrong.
(22:59):
I don't see it that way at all,but we're unconsciously
benefiting in ways that otherpeople around the world have no
idea about.
And when I say that, when youget up this morning, you
probably went into your bathroom.
You turned on, you turned theknob, fresh, clean water came
out of the little hole andyou're able to brush your teeth
(23:22):
or get a drink of water, andthen you turn it off and the
water goes away.
If there's another knob on theother side, you turn that one
and hot water comes out.
And there are places in theworld where they don't know what
that looks like and it soundscrazy.
It's hard to imagine, but we'reliving in such a blessed time,
in such a blessed place, that ifwe can take some of what we do
(23:48):
and sow little seeds around theworld and that's what Rotary
does we all put together into apot and that money is
distributed.
And then listen, we've gotvolunteers that go out and give
immun.
And then, listen, we gotvolunteers to go out give
immunizations.
We got volunteers that go outand help with this drilling the
wells.
So it's not just the money, butbut rotary does a lot of good
things around the world and weare we're contributing to that.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Okay, it gives a an additional meaning to the
symbolism tied to the Wheel ofExcellence.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And, like I said earlier, I cando something all by myself with
my resources, but there's alimit.
Rotary International has somany members contributing so
much in their time and theirfinances that we're able to
(24:41):
literally change the world.
Polio used to be a disease herein the United States and I know
Jack Warner probably talkedabout it some.
Polio is no longer a diseasethat most countries in the world
even know about or see becauseof what Rotary has done giving
immunizations, sendingimmunizations around the world.
Know about or see because ofwhat Rotary has done giving
immunizations, sendingimmunizations around the world,
going to villages that are offthe beaten path to immunize, if
(25:07):
immunized, to give kids littleimmunizations to keep from
getting polio.
So it's way bigger than whatyou think.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
For new Rotarians or anyone outside of Rotary that
wants to contribute more andlive a better life.
What tips would you have forthem?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Wow, Well, that's a big question.
I'll tell you what I anybody,rotarian or not.
My observations over theseyears have been, and my
experience has been, that whenI'm serving other people, my
problems seem to be smaller, andwhen I join with other people
(26:01):
whose desire is to serve as well, the good relationships come
out of it, Happiness comes outof it.
If I had to find one thing todo today to feel good, I'd find
someplace to go serve.
The second thing I would do iswatch an old, funny movie.
But you know, life isn't aboutspinning.
(26:24):
It's not about what you and Ido individually by ourselves.
It's about what we do for otherpeople.
And Rotary is that way yourbusiness can be, that way your
neighborhood can be that, uh,friend of mine and I walk
together.
It's a relation.
James is 80 years old and andI'm not, and, uh, james and I
(26:46):
were walking for a while therein my neighborhood every morning
, just just to be together, justto spend time together.
Man, I can learn a lot from an80 year old guy.
It was, it's amazing.
And he's still a close friendof mine.
So so this lone wolfing, isthis this lone ranger kind of
lifestyle that maybe we grew upthinking that's who we're called
(27:09):
to be.
I've re-evaluated that and I seethat the strength that I
believe is available to all ofus is found in community, and
whether that's a nonprofit or achurch community or a softball
(27:30):
team or bowling league, whateverit is, brian, we're not meant
to spend time alone, and sosuccess.
And here's a cool thing soyou're hanging out with your
team, you've got your community,and I'm a real estate investor.
I buy and sell houses, I renthouses.
Well, if my team knows what Ido and Aunt Susie inherits a
(27:54):
house or somebody's got to move,or when things happen that are
tied to my business, I'm usuallythe first guy to hear about it.
Okay, and if you're a plumber,for example, and a buddy of mine
has a leaky sink, well, guesswho I'm going to tell him about.
So community is good for yourinner being, because you feel
(28:19):
better just being around otherpeople, and it's also good for
your business, for your socialnetwork.
So, if that answers yourquestion, that does answer my
question.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Do you have any additional plugs that you want
to put in before we wrap up?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Well, I mentioned the Days of Wine and Rotary which
is coming up I think it's in Mayand Bricktown Rotary is where
you'll find that out.
I should know, but I can helpyou find it.
The other fundraiser we do iscalled the Hit-A-Thon Bricktown
Rotary Hit-A-Thon this will beour third annual, if I'm not
mistaken, and that involves abunch of us getting together and
(28:58):
hitting a softball.
There's a pitching machine, afriend shows up, one of the club
members shows up with thepitching machine and we all get
sponsors to sponsor us by thefoot.
So I think I hit 205 feet lastyear.
So if you sponsor me a dollar afoot, that's $205.
So the goal is to get as manysponsors as you can to sponsor
(29:22):
you for whatever number by thefoot, and we all get together,
have a great time.
There's some hot dogs andhamburgers and beer and soda and
water.
I think we had a couple of gameswe played on the side of the
field last year and we just hada good time and raised money and
we can.
(29:44):
If you want to come hit theball with us, you're welcome to
do that.
We kind of open it up tovisitors and folks to come over
and swing a bat, and it's one ofthose things, brian, where
nobody is, there's no judgment.
If it takes me 10 swings to hitthe ball, then that's what it
takes me Not a big deal so, butit's a fundraiser that we look
(30:06):
forward to.
We have a good time with it andI'd encourage you to try to
join us.
Well, you will join us nexttime, but tell your friends.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
I'm excited, and for more information.
Your friends, I'm excited, andfor more information.
Bricktownrotaryorg andRotary5750.org are the two
websites that you're going to goto to find out more information
about these events.
I'd like to take thisopportunity to thank Panera
Bread Rotary, District 5750,Bricktown Rotary and ITSpark for
(30:38):
all of your support.
Have a great night, everyone.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Rotary Spark podcast.
Alan, Tell us a little bitabout your Rotary journey.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Well, thank you, brian, and I appreciate the
opportunity to meet with you.
I'm 13 years into Rotary.
I started out in Midtown Rotary, which means that Charleston's
on Tuesday nights and awonderful club.
I was working for a guy yearsago, hal Stevens.
He was a district governor atone point and Hal believed it
(00:58):
would be good for me to getinvolved in a Rotary club so I
could do some networking andsome community service, and took
his advice, joined Midtown,ended up serving as president
for a year.
Sargent at Arms did somefoundation things we can talk
about later, but I really lovethe idea of that.
(01:23):
You and I we can do good things.
I can go out right now and dosomething nice for somebody, but
there's a limit to that becausemy time is limited, my finances
are limited.
If I partner with 1.3 millionfriends and all of us have kind
of the same desire to serve thecommunity, we can move mountains
(01:47):
, we can do massive thingsaround the world, and what I
like about Rotary is that's theorganization.
That's what Rotary is.
It's a community of people thatwant to serve, that combine all
of their energies and effortswith the purpose of serving, and
it's just been a blessing forme.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
It's been a wonderful 13, almost 14 years now.
Wow, that's quite a bit of time.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
So how long?
You might have alreadymentioned this, but how long
were you in?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Midtown prior to shifting over to Bricktown.
I was in Midtown and I want tosay I was in Midtown for nine
years and every club is unique.
And one of the blessings, oneof the cool things about Rotary
International is 1.3 millionmembers Golly, 30,000, 40,000
clubs worldwide.
(02:45):
I've forgotten the number now.
I used to have it memorized.
And every club is unique inthat we all operate a little bit
differently.
We all share a lot of the samecommon thread of service above
self four-way test.
But each club is unique in theway it operates, when it meets
(03:07):
how many people you got themission of the club, the purpose
of the club.
So I said all that to say thisMidtown was arts-focused evening
club meeting at an Irish pub,which is wonderful Kind of Irish
.
We go way back, we go back farenough and I enjoyed it very
much.
But the club at a certain pointbecame something that wasn't,
(03:31):
as I didn't enjoy it as much asI thought I should.
So I started looking around andI'd done some makeups at
Bricktown and I liked the waythe club runs.
It's Monday night Again,charleston's a restaurant where
there's adult beverages, if youlike, to partake in that type of
thing.
And the club had a similarfocus but it was just a better
(03:54):
fit for me.
So transitioned from Midtown toBricktown and been a member
there for three years three orfour years now and just real
happy.
I've been a member there forthree years three or four years
now, and just real happy.
I've been president ofBricktown for two consecutive
terms and went through someleadership building, trying to
(04:15):
build people up to want to jumpin, because it's nothing to take
lightly and it's a weekly event, as you're well aware.
Lightly and it's a weekly event, as you're well aware.
So it took a couple years tobuild the kind of leadership
that we have now.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
So for new members or people that are serving but
haven't been president yet, canyou tell us a little bit about
that experience, maybe before,during and after Pets and any of
the kind ofthe-scenes takesthat maybe someone who hasn't
served as president would knowabout?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Sure, sure, when I was Sergeant-at-Arms and for a
new member, volunteering isvitally important to
understanding how theorganization works and becoming
familiar with all your membersclub members.
So Sergeant-at-Arms is a greatplace to start for a new member,
because your job is to knowwho's coming to the meeting
(05:14):
every year.
You're taking a role, you'redoing a role call At least
that's been my experience solearn that.
So, moving into president, youserve one term as
president-elect, so you'repracticing and you get to see
what the president does.
You spend time with them intheir board meetings, seeing how
the organization operates.
(05:37):
The position itself can be achallenge in that if you don't
have a good organization, ifyour team isn't good, it could
be a lot of work and be probablya lot of frustration.
I've been fortunate that theteams I've had as president was
(05:58):
just amazing, and so it is kindof funny, brian.
I get a lot of credit for workother people did and it's a
little hard for me to acceptcredit for that.
You know there's some.
There's.
Leadership means helping peoplestay focused and doing the
right thing, but when it takesso little effort it's just an
(06:22):
amazing thing.
And you get to see people onyour team have great success.
You get to see your club havesuccess.
It's very rewarding to be there.
Betts was a big help because Imet with other presidents, other
club members from around thecountry, around the region, and
probably the greatest experienceI got to have was practicing
(06:47):
being a president aspresident-elect.
So the president had to takeoff for a week, wasn't available
to make a meeting.
I would run the meeting.
So I immediately see mychallenges and my strengths.
What can I do better?
You know, of course, learningfrom the people in power is the
(07:08):
best way to learn, so I've justbeen blessed by it.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
What are the experiences that you're having
now as being immediate pastpresident, and are there any
district projects that you'recurrently involved with that
you'd like to talk about?
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Well, I will be at Pence this next time around
leading a class.
I haven't been told on what yet, but I hope it's something I
like.
I expect it will be.
The past president position isnice because you're still on the
board.
You still have some influencein the direction the club goes,
(07:49):
but it's not your responsibilityto make sure things are
accomplished.
So I like that part.
So you get to enjoy thecamaraderie.
You get to enjoy the samepeople you've been working with
for a year on your board.
But you're not the responsibleparty Now.
You're just supportingeverybody else as they do what
(08:12):
they do.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Well, I look forward to seeing you at Pets, and are
you going to Calgary this year?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
I am not going to Calgary.
We went to Houston.
Our club had five or sixmembers go to Houston a couple
years ago for the conference andBrian, that was amazing, it was
during COVID.
It was a much smaller crowd.
We only had 13,000 or 14,000people show up in Houston.
I guess the groups are usuallylarger than that.
(08:44):
It's interesting becausethere's people from all over the
world there and we're inHouston, texas, at the
convention center and they'retalking to a guy from India and
God kind of developed arelationship with him.
He came back to Oklahoma to meetsome friends of his who were
physicians.
They invited me out to a mealand I forgot the guy's name and
(09:08):
I feel bad about that.
I'll probably never see himagain unless I go to africa to
visit.
But in the presence of hisfriends.
I asked him.
I said of the things I think,say or do, and I at him and
guess what he said Is it thetruth?
(09:28):
Okay, men and women in everyportion of the world share the
same four rules for life, if youwill.
Of the things I think, say ordo, is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill andbetter friendships?
(09:50):
Will it be beneficial to allconcerned and I can go anywhere
in the world.
I was in Scotland.
I went to a club meeting inScotland.
I went to a club meeting inIreland.
I went to a club meeting inTahlequah, oklahoma.
I was in Branson, missouri, ata club meeting.
Everywhere I go, those four,the four-way test, is common
(10:11):
throughout the world.
So you're in good companywhenever you're in a group of
Rotarians because you all sharethe same basic and I'll use the
rules for life the four-way test.
So I've forgotten your question.
I apologize, that's okay.
(10:33):
So yeah, going to Calgary.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Yeah, the question was going to Calgary.
It's an event that I'veconsidered myself.
It's an event that I'veconsidered myself and I've heard
about really good experiencestied to some of the conferences,
but what I was thinking aboutwhen you were talking was the
power of unification of that 1.2plus million people really all
(11:02):
being on the same page.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Absolutely, and it is amazing because you know you
have something in common witheverybody there.
They look nothing like you,they speak different languages,
they dress differently, but youstill share a common thread.
And and listen in this, thistime, in our, in our nation and
in our world, unity is not acommon thread.
(11:24):
There's not much of it,certainly not enough of it.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
And so being in that type of environment is really
encouraging and refreshing, Iagree.
Looking at the news or being atwork or really any type of
recreational activity with adiverse group of mindsets.
I would say that conflict atleast during this time period
specifically is is very common.
(11:56):
So jumping back into a rotarymeeting not to say that
conflict's completely gone inrotary there's it's its own
flavor, but it it feels like adifferent type of hydration.
There's a this refreshedfeeling of individuals from
different camps being able toget together and have healthy
(12:19):
discourse you bet, you bet andyou know there's safety in that.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
That's a safe community and I'm really
appreciative of that because youagain you walk into a group,
especially if you're traveling,if you're going to visit Rotary
Clubs.
You have no idea what themindset is in the community
where you're going, and makingit a Rotary meeting gives you
(12:46):
some level of comfort going in.
You kind of know what to expect.
Now you mentioned projects.
We are right now working onpartnering with a club in Mexico
for a project.
It'll be our firstinternational project.
That'll be cool if it gets done.
(13:06):
The international projectsnormally take a while to get
done because you've got playersin the receiving country,
because you've got players inthe receiving country and you've
got the clubs here in the US orwherever they happen to be,
that sponsor the project, and soit doesn't happen overnight.
I kind of wish it would be alittle bit faster, but it's not.
(13:29):
But something else that's goingon that our club, bricktown,
has done is we have partneredwith local nonprofits to help
people that either are disabledor seniors aging in place, and I
know you may have heard of someof this, but it's something I
(13:50):
really want to focus on thiscoming year In the United States
of America, 10,000 people a dayturn 65, and 4,000 a day turn
85.
So I've heard it called thesilver tsunami and it's quite a
term.
But there's this massive shiftof baby boomers that are
(14:13):
experiencing a change of lifeagain we all go through.
Life is one big change.
If we're fortunate, we gothrough a 20 or 30 or 40 year
period where there's a lot ofstability.
You get to another place inyour 60s, 70s and 80s where what
you did when you were 40 is nolonger what you do.
(14:34):
What you could do in your 40 isno longer what you can do when
you're 65 or 70.
Okay, so how can Rotary Clubsfind a way to?
And it could be somethingsimple.
We did a wheelchair ramp forone guy not too long ago.
It could be something as simpleas hand grips in showers for
(14:55):
seniors.
They're trying to age in place.
Living in a retirementcommunity is very expensive and
if you already own your home,it's paid for.
Well, how can you extend thattime there for another three or
four or five years where you'resafe in your own home?
Safe in your own home?
(15:16):
And I'd like to partner withother roadery clubs around the
country and and find a way tolook at that community and try
to determine that they've servedus their entire lives.
These, these baby boomers, havecommitted themselves, whether
intentionally or not.
We're benefiting, we're thebeneficiaries of a lot of what
they've done and it seems likeit's only fair that we try to
(15:42):
find a way to pay that back alittle bit as they start facing
some challenges.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
If that makes sense.
It definitely does.
They've, in a lot of ways,built everything that we have,
absolutely.
What's the next step ofexpanding this project?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Well, the biggest obstacle we have?
Well, there's two, I think.
Listen, I haven't sat down andwritten down a list of
challenges, but the two thatcome to mind.
Sat down and written down alist of challenges, but the two
that come to mind.
Number one is opportunity toserve this community, because
people in general are proudAmericans maybe more than other
(16:24):
countries, I don't know but alot of people don't like asking
for help when you visit withsomebody.
They're not going to share thedownsides of their life.
Now there are some people thatdo and they enjoy it, and you
know those people.
You can't afford them or youcan't avoid them, but for the
(16:44):
most part, people don't want toshare their hardship.
So, finding the opportunity tohelp an individual our club's
got the word out, we're tryingto get the word out.
And, secondly, getting enoughclubs on board that are willing
to share the burden of that,because any one club listen if
(17:04):
we've got a $20,000 annualbudget for everything that we do
and all that money goes backout somewhere, it can't all go
to one place and we could easilyspend $20,000 just on this.
So, partnering with other clubsaround the country, perhaps
(17:24):
around the world I don't knowthat there's any rules or
limitations, but findingpartners, and those partners are
going to also have people intheir communities that need help
.
So getting the word out,partnering with other clubs and
breaking through the pride of.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I don't need any help .
I like the idea a lot, at thevery least.
I think one thing that may helpis when additional Rotarians
come on to the podcast.
We can definitely bring up theproject as it develops.
So if there are additionalindividuals from the Bricktown
Rotary Club or partnering clubs,we can continue this discussion
(18:10):
so that, as it comes to be,it'll have more of a spotlight.
The other thing that I canoffer is that when it develops a
name, I can help create thewebsite at the very least, and
contribute some media, and we'llcontinue to work together.
Well, that's very generousThank you.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
I appreciate that, and it is it's in its infancy,
so we're still figuring out howto maneuver through this, but
service above self is whatRotary stands for, and I believe
this is a big need.
I think there's a problem thatneeds to be addressed here, and
(18:50):
I'd like to be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I like that a lot, so tell me a little bit about the
events at Bricktown that Ishould already be aware of as a
new member.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Well, I'm glad you asked me that, brian.
We've got the Days of Wine andRotary coming up.
I'm sure you've heard of it.
Talk of it anyway.
It's a fundraiser that we'vehad since the club began, so
it's a 20-year-old drive.
We do it's a fundraising drive.
Days of Wine Rotary iswine-focused.
(19:23):
We'll have live music, we'llhave finger foods and lots of
wine and there will be an openbar for those that don't like
wine.
It's designed.
In fact, this year a portion ofthe funds we raise will go to
ryla, which is rotary youthleadership awards, and ryla is
(19:43):
an amazing summer camp for kids,high school kids I want to say
13 to 16 brian are the ages andI could be off a year on either
side.
I've been to rile to to observeand they're teaching these
young people leadershipcharacteristics that they're not
learning anywhere else.
And we've actually hadprofessionals come back to speak
(20:06):
to our club that were in rileas young people and they, uh,
they really were consciouslypointing to Riley as a major
life change for them in the waythey view life and the
responsibilities.
However, ryle is a lot of fun.
Kids have a great time with it.
There's a lot of a lot ofcamaraderie.
(20:27):
This camaraderie is built.
Ryle is actually run bygraduates of Ryle.
So this isn't something thatit's Rotary members volunteer
from their club to go run thedeal.
It's actually kids that havebeen through the process a
number of years and becomeleaders of Ryla and so it's
continuing to build leadership,generational leadership, amazing
(20:51):
program.
So part of the money we raisewill go to Ryla to support that,
to Ryla, to support that.
The other money we use will belike we have been lately giving
to Christmas nonprofits thathelp kids with Christmas gifts.
We've helped gosh a number ofnonprofits here in town
throughout the last year.
(21:11):
I think we've given away$11,000 or $12,000 in the last
six months just to thesedifferent organizations.
Yeah, it's amazing, it reallyis, and I feel good about that.
These fundraisers are a way forus to help everybody have a
good time.
The events are fun, we have agreat time with them and we know
(21:33):
that the money we raise willnot be staying in anybody's bank
account but it's immediatelygoing back out or quickly going
back out into the communitywhere we all live to help people
that are unseen by most.
So we're making a difference.
I tell Rotarians all the time ata meeting.
You and I are in a meeting,brian, and if I happen to be
(21:55):
leading the meeting and I'vedone this a number of times I
look at every Rotarian andwhoever's listening to this.
If you're a Rotarian, I'mlooking at you too.
You're making a difference inthe lives of people around the
world, whether you mean to ornot.
When you're a Rotarian, you'repaying dues into an organization
that's changing lives aroundthe world, into an organization
(22:15):
that's changing lives around theworld.
So I could say, brian, whileyou're sleeping tonight,
someone's life has changedbecause of you, because of your
commitment to Rotary and thefunds that you place into Rotary
that are used around the worldto make a difference, whether
you're saving lives fromvaccinations or you're providing
(22:38):
fresh drinking water to avillage where people have had to
go down to the river and bringwater up by the bucket.
It's amazing, brian, that wewe're so and listen, I spoiled
implies that we we've donesomething wrong.
(22:59):
I don't see it that way at all,but we're unconsciously
benefiting in ways that otherpeople around the world have no
idea about.
And when I say that, when youget up this morning, you
probably went into your bathroom.
You turned on, you turned theknob, fresh, clean water came
out of the little hole andyou're able to brush your teeth
(23:22):
or get a drink of water, andthen you turn it off and the
water goes away.
If there's another knob on theother side, you turn that one
and hot water comes out.
And there are places in theworld where they don't know what
that looks like and it soundscrazy.
It's hard to imagine, but we'reliving in such a blessed time,
in such a blessed place, that ifwe can take some of what we do
(23:48):
and sow little seeds around theworld and that's what Rotary
does we all put together into apot and that money is
distributed.
And then listen, we've gotvolunteers that go out and give
immun.
And then, listen, we gotvolunteers to go out give
immunizations.
We got volunteers that go outand help with this drilling the
wells.
So it's not just the money, butbut rotary does a lot of good
things around the world and weare we're contributing to that.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Okay, it gives a an additional meaning to the
symbolism tied to the Wheel ofExcellence.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And, like I said earlier, I cando something all by myself with
my resources, but there's alimit.
Rotary International has somany members contributing so
much in their time and theirfinances that we're able to
(24:41):
literally change the world.
Polio used to be a disease herein the United States and I know
Jack Warner probably talkedabout it some.
Polio is no longer a diseasethat most countries in the world
even know about or see becauseof what Rotary has done giving
immunizations, sendingimmunizations around the world.
Know about or see because ofwhat Rotary has done giving
immunizations, sendingimmunizations around the world,
going to villages that are offthe beaten path to immunize, if
(25:07):
immunized, to give kids littleimmunizations to keep from
getting polio.
So it's way bigger than whatyou think.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
For new Rotarians or anyone outside of Rotary that
wants to contribute more andlive a better life.
What tips would you have forthem?
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Wow, Well, that's a big question.
I'll tell you what I anybody,rotarian or not.
My observations over theseyears have been, and my
experience has been, that whenI'm serving other people, my
problems seem to be smaller, andwhen I join with other people
(26:01):
whose desire is to serve as well, the good relationships come
out of it, Happiness comes outof it.
If I had to find one thing todo today to feel good, I'd find
someplace to go serve.
The second thing I would do iswatch an old, funny movie.
But you know, life isn't aboutspinning.
(26:24):
It's not about what you and Ido individually by ourselves.
It's about what we do for otherpeople.
And Rotary is that way yourbusiness can be, that way your
neighborhood can be that, uh,friend of mine and I walk
together.
It's a relation.
James is 80 years old and andI'm not, and, uh, james and I
(26:46):
were walking for a while therein my neighborhood every morning
, just just to be together, justto spend time together.
Man, I can learn a lot from an80 year old guy.
It was, it's amazing.
And he's still a close friendof mine.
So so this lone wolfing, isthis this lone ranger kind of
lifestyle that maybe we grew upthinking that's who we're called
(27:09):
to be.
I've re-evaluated that and I seethat the strength that I
believe is available to all ofus is found in community, and
whether that's a nonprofit or achurch community or a softball
(27:30):
team or bowling league, whateverit is, brian, we're not meant
to spend time alone, and sosuccess.
And here's a cool thing soyou're hanging out with your
team, you've got your community,and I'm a real estate investor.
I buy and sell houses, I renthouses.
Well, if my team knows what Ido and Aunt Susie inherits a
(27:54):
house or somebody's got to move,or when things happen that are
tied to my business, I'm usuallythe first guy to hear about it.
Okay, and if you're a plumber,for example, and a buddy of mine
has a leaky sink, well, guesswho I'm going to tell him about.
So community is good for yourinner being, because you feel
(28:19):
better just being around otherpeople, and it's also good for
your business, for your socialnetwork.
So, if that answers yourquestion, that does answer my
question.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Do you have any additional plugs that you want
to put in before we wrap up?
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Well, I mentioned the Days of Wine and Rotary which
is coming up I think it's in Mayand Bricktown Rotary is where
you'll find that out.
I should know, but I can helpyou find it.
The other fundraiser we do iscalled the Hit-A-Thon Bricktown
Rotary Hit-A-Thon this will beour third annual, if I'm not
mistaken, and that involves abunch of us getting together and
(28:58):
hitting a softball.
There's a pitching machine, afriend shows up, one of the club
members shows up with thepitching machine and we all get
sponsors to sponsor us by thefoot.
So I think I hit 205 feet lastyear.
So if you sponsor me a dollar afoot, that's $205.
So the goal is to get as manysponsors as you can to sponsor
(29:22):
you for whatever number by thefoot, and we all get together,
have a great time.
There's some hot dogs andhamburgers and beer and soda and
water.
I think we had a couple of gameswe played on the side of the
field last year and we just hada good time and raised money and
we can.
(29:44):
If you want to come hit theball with us, you're welcome to
do that.
We kind of open it up tovisitors and folks to come over
and swing a bat, and it's one ofthose things, brian, where
nobody is, there's no judgment.
If it takes me 10 swings to hitthe ball, then that's what it
takes me Not a big deal so, butit's a fundraiser that we look
(30:06):
forward to.
We have a good time with it andI'd encourage you to try to
join us.
Well, you will join us nexttime, but tell your friends.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
I'm excited, and for more information.
Your friends, I'm excited, andfor more information.
Bricktownrotaryorg andRotary5750.org are the two
websites that you're going to goto to find out more information
about these events.
I'd like to take thisopportunity to thank Panera
Bread Rotary, District 5750,Bricktown Rotary and ITSpark for
(30:38):
all of your support.
Have a great night, everyone.
Thank you.
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