The heartbreak of school shootings numbs us. Killing on the streets reaches into Rotary clubs as Governor Erik reported in his August newsletter. It angers, frustrates, us and makes us powerless. And we search for what we can do as “solutions” seem out of our grasp. But, action doesn’t have to be out of our grasp.
A small group of Rotarians will gather in October to design a district-wide Gun Safety Program with the goal of decreasing childrens’ and adults quick or easy access to guns. The charge to this group of people will be to design a district-wide program that can be implemented by any size club, in any location within the district, with partners who advocate for gun safety, using multiple methods to distribute information and gun safety equipment/locks. If you are interested in serving our children and increasing gun safety by designing this project, please contact Cassy Venters at cdventers@me.com by October 16.
This focus on Gun Safety joins another District Peace and Conflict Resolution project, Step Up/Stand Up, an anti-bullying project implemented across the district by Melynn Sight. Step Up/Stand Up is another way to facilitate a better world for our children. Check out https://stepuptobullying.
I’m closing with two thoughts through which I’ve often found encouragement and inspiration for Rotary projects. I repeat these to myself when I don’t know where I'll find money and resources and I repeat them when I think there may be a hill to climb. Both statements come from Past Rotary International Director, Larry Lunsford, whom I’ve accompanied on many car miles along the Shoes Campaign trail.
- “In Rotary, money is never the problem” for a project.
- “The answer is always, ‘YES’.
If we believe that Rotarians’ actions can make a difference: we will find resources and our actions will help children and others be safers