By Kathy DeVries (Talk at Rotary Club of Holland introducing the new theme.)
What is “Hope?” When I researched this word on the internet, here’s what I found. Hope is an optimistic state of mind based on the expectation of success. Hope believes in a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of preparing for and envisioning that day of accomplishment.
Hope has goal-oriented thoughts because it is excited about the future.
Hope has attitude. It has clarity of purpose and compassion for those it serves. Hope is resilient; it keeps moving toward the goal regardless of setbacks. Hope is cheerful.
Hope is motivated and diligent. Hope works hard. To borrow a motto from our friends from Skillslink Uganda, “By diligence we shall lead.” That’s how hope does things.
Hope has vision. Hope is clarity of purpose, and thinks the future looks promising. Hope is a seventh grader who will forever see himself differently because he’s been chosen to attend Leaders of the 21st Century.
Hope has innovation and technology, tools, and resources. Hope finds new ways to help people. Hope looks like a tractor arriving in a small farming community in the back woods of Kenya, or a Veggie Wagon that brings fresh vegetables to impoverished communities of a Native American reservation.
Hope is a gamechanger.
Hope has action. It fills Little Book Houses and picks up trash along the highway. It works on fundraisers and sends out newsletters. Hope drives across town to give someone a ride because today’s going to be a great day, and we need to be getting on our way.
Lastly, Hope has people. So often in my life I was certain that what I needed was a thing. I would pray for things I thought I needed, even. It seems to me that every time, those prayers were answered not with some thing but instead with some one. Hope is a friend with words of encouragement. Hope is someone with a witty remark made amid a conundrum that relieves all of the tension. It’s an author who wrote a book on just the right topic. Hope has people with ideas and experience. Hope knows how to work as a team.
Hope cares deeply, generously. Hope says, “Let’s train so many people of our town that when anyone needs help, lots of us can rush over to save a life with CPR.” Hope is one person building a home that some call “heaven” to rescue dozens of differently-abled children from abuse and neglect.
Hope creates family out of friends and strangers. Hope is a new member welcomed to our club, our Rotary family.
The Rotary theme this year is “Create Hope in the World.” I’m excited to see where Hope takes The Rotary Club of Holland in the months ahead. Thank you for the opportunity to serve – it is a privilege.
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We honored past club president Ed Stielstra for his service to Rotary over the years. The club presented Ed with a Paul Harris award to continue the service work of Rotary. Paul Harris was the founder of Rotary and the award signifies a gift to the Rotary Foundation.
Incoming president Kathy was awarded a Paul Harris by Gary and Donna Bogle in recognition of her international work. Her husband Scott was with her.