The Lake Ray Roberts Rotary Club had its annual visit by the district governor, but the visit was a little different.
Jon Bullock, who became district governor on July 1, started his portion of the meeting with a song about Rotary.
'Providing polio vaccines to all the boys and girls,' Bullock sang. 'Giving folks clean water all around the world. Dictionaries, scholarships, blood drives, wheelchairs, too. Whatever good thing you can think of, well, it's probably something we do.'
Then, instead of launching into a planned speech, Bullock had club President Penni Moening ask him questions to drive the discussion.
One of the most meaningful projects he spoke about helping with is providing wheelchairs to those who need them but cannot afford them.
'When I visit Costa Rica, most people go to the beach and maybe zipline,' he said. 'We go to villages and schools, and we get to look children in the eye and know that we are making a difference.'
He added that giving a child the gift of mobility with that device is unforgettable.
'I'd say within five minutes, here he goes down the hallway, you know, spinning around, doing about three 360s and spinning back with just the biggest smile on his face, and that's what Rotary is,' he said. '... It's about the lives that we change.'
Bullock shared what he said he's been told is a lofty goal: Grow the clubs in the district by 15%.
'That's ... about 380 new Rotarians across North Texas,' he said.
When the question of how to grow was turned back to the club, which has experienced steady membership growth, Moening credited the work the club has done to be present at public events with drawing in new members.
She also drew attention to the club's promotion in the newspaper and on social media.
One of the refrains of Bullock's message was to be willing to try something new. 'A lot of times we do things the same old way every time,' he said. 'So, if you have an idea that would be fun and different, I encourage everybody just to give it a shot. The worst that can happen is it doesn't work.'
The Lake Ray Roberts Rotary Club meets at noon on Tuesdays at the PointBank Community Center, 739 E. Liberty St. in Pilot Point.
