District 5300 The Best Part of Being District Governor...

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PDG, Barbara Risher Welch has asked each PDG to write a paragraph or two regarding the best part of being District Governor.

Roy York,
Centennial Governor, 2004-2005

The Best Part of Being District Governor…
is very easy for me to articulate. Meeting as many of the wonderful Rotarians in this District that was made possible only through the Governorship, plus meeting all the wonderful Rotarians from around the world. It put me in touch with Rotarians from every facet of Rotary, from International Presidents, to new Rotarians attending their first meeting. This is the heart of Rotary and being District Governor enabled me the luxury of meeting a majority of them. Our District is among the top Districts in the world in many areas, especially the areas of innovation and Foundation Giving. It gave me a great sense of pride to shake the hand of Rotarians who have given so much of themselves in ways from donations of money, to donations of time, but more importantly, donations from the heart. Most of you know the story of the man from India who wanted to shake my hand because I was a Rotarian. It’s a true story, and it was that day I understood he wasn’t shaking hands with me, but with every Rotarian in the world who had made a donation “from the heart” and helped change our world for the better. It was easily the best part about being a District Governor.

Garbis Der Yeghian
1999-2000 

When Past Rotary International President Clem Renouf made his acceptance speech at the 1977 International Convention, he said, "I am here because Rotary takes ordinary people and gives them extraordinary opportunities to do more with their lives than they ever dreamed possible. I am here because Rotary cares about people." My tenure as our district's chief servant in 1999-2000 accorded me an extraordinary opportunity to work with dedicated Past District Governors, visionary club presidents and dynamic Rotarians to collectively inspire our clubs to achieve what they never dreamed possible.

I wholeheartedly believe that there is no greater honor, no higher calling than the extraordinary opportunity to serve humankind under the bright centennial banners of  Rotary International and through the activities and programs of the most energetic distrct in the world - - District 5300. It's a humbling experience and distinct honor to make a difference, to establish solid friendships and permanent partnerships, to lend a hand to our children and youth, to our respective communities, to our world, and to promote global peace, goodwill and understanding.

Our district is blessed with many talented, resourceful and visionary Rotarians who can be counted on and entrusted with the stewardship of our great district. I wholeheartedly believe that their "service above self" will enrich their lives, will honor Rotary's mission and will leave enduring footprints. What we give to others comes back into our own life.

Chris Lyman
1991-1992

The best part about being DG was the chance to visit every club in the district and get to know most, if not all, of the club members. To see the great diversity in professions, personalities and characters all coming together for a common cause of LOOK BEYOND YOURSELF! This coupled with the chance to meet and share with and learn from great leaders from other districts and many of the RI leaders both past and present, was an experience I could never have had unless I was DG. Even though I was running my full time business during my year as DG, I found that carefully prioritizing provided ample and sufficient time to fill my DG duties and then some.

John Fee
1986-1987

There is no such thing as "the best part of being DG".  There are so many wonderful new experiences, you cannot choose one as "the best".  As soon as you isolate one thought, others keep popping up.

Certainly, an outstanding one is all the friends you meet outside your own club.

You visit each club in the district and get to know a whole host of Rotarian leaders that you would not meet any other way.  It's fun to talk to them about the innovative things they are doing, and absorb their enthusiasm. 

You also meet and chat with other DGs from your year.  That's some 550 DGs from throughout the world.  What a perspective one gets from these new relationships.  You find out that each one has the same mission as you--it really grabs your heart--it's an emotional "high".