(My Rotary journey in Colorado)
By: PP Megs S. Lunn
When every day brings something new, you feel you couldn’t ask for more. My trip to Colorado is what I called recently, a varied bliss.
I met wonderful people on my way to my destination, people who travels for business, pleasure and or migration. I experience diverse cultures of lifestyle and foods, customer service are awesome, interactions are challenging and rewarding. My different family hosts were able to show me the same Filipino hospitality we never could have imagined.
Here, Rotary meetings are usually done in the morning. AG Dan Hershberger of Area 10, patiently brought me around to these clubs, so we can share the rewarding life of Rotary volunteerism and by joining our cause with Uplift Internationale Taghoy Philippines. This is my mission of coming to Colorado.
Coming to the meeting, I was never nervous as I would have like before, because this is my first time to speak outside of my coun
try where English is their native tongue.
AG Dan assured me that Rotarians in Colorado don’t bite, so he advised me to just relax and take a deep breath. Indeed, he was right. I enjoyed their questions and our interaction. Like many other Rotary clubs in my district (3850 Phils), meetings are of varied in style and approaches. But the core of it all is – Fellowship.
RC Wheatridge with young and vibrant Pres. Matthew Cloutier, surely knows how to lead the group of enthusiastic Rotarians who are doubled his age. They look younger at their age as you can see them so full of wisdom and fun; Arvada Sunrise Rotary surely is sunshine in the morning with Pres. Susan Handford as she leads the club actively at the earliest time. Their members have so much events going on and almost everyone has its own projects to share and get involved with. They are truly inspiring; RC Westminster with Pres. Angela Habben is another lady Rotarian who leads a club with so much excitements. This time, I was give
n the opportunity to join the excitements to hold the “Are you happy chamber pot” where you are asked if you are happy and to drop a $1 bill into it. What an innovative idea to raise funds for the club. I had so much fun and I felt, I am no stranger anymore; Arvada Rotary led by Pres. Rich Nicholes has almost the same excitements. When they learned about me going around with that $1 dollar pot, they gave me the same job, of which to my delight, went around with it and this time asked each one, “Are you happy?” After my short impromptu presentation, we had a very pleasant interaction and we were all fulfilled for the day; RC Lakewood was the last available club for the week we have to visit. Here’s the club of almost all active seniors led by Pres. Joe Woodson, where I was more inspired and ecstatic of how they truly enjo
yed ship Rotary through service above self, beyond strength and age. This is where I realized that no matter what, Rotary is a way of life.
In all the clubs we have visited, the members are so humble and down-to-earth. I did not feel any “air” and superiority. It was all genuine. Am glad to know and met all these Rotarians who are working to benefit the people that we served, not because of emotional decision, but because of their commitments to Service-Above-Self.
In my journey with different Rotary clubs, I met interesting and special people that made my visit meaningful and rewarding. I gained true friends in such a short while and enjoyed talking about what we do in our different advocacies in Rotary. It is I inspired them, or they inspired me, but overall – it was an overwhelming and a blessed journey.
The Gala Night Fundraising at De
nver Marriott West was my final tour of duty to speak. We did the very exciting live auction of which it was my first time to feel ecstatic on such rare occasion. It was fun to meet up the whole board member of Uplift Internationale who does Operation Taghoy medical mission for the children with cleft lip and palate in the Philippines. The Humanitarian Award they accorded me was unexpected, of all places, we were recognized in a strange country. It was no strange feeling after, as I have felt the warmth of all the people who came and the love of my fellow volunteers that I have even offered to call them sister, brother, dad and mom. Suddenly, I found my home with heart-warming individuals in Colorado.
For my 15-day trip in the US, I did walking in the parks and lakes, little mountain trekking, driving to vast plains and mountain ranges, sightseeing, even flying 5,000 ft on a 4-seater plane (above Colorado states), and had a wonderful vacation after a vacation.
From the bottom of my heart, there are no words to comprehend what I have experienced. However, the only simple but meaningful word could be THANK YOU, to my fellow Rotarians, fellow UI/Taghoy volunteers, and my family hosts. On my way to LAX airport, “GOD BLESS AMERICA” song was incidentally playing in the car. What bliss! Indeed, God bless you all, God bless America!
When every day brings something new, you feel you couldn’t ask for more. My trip to Colorado is what I called recently, a varied bliss.
I met wonderful people on my way to my destination, people who travels for business, pleasure and or migration. I experience diverse cultures of lifestyle and foods, customer service are awesome, interactions are challenging and rewarding. My different family hosts were able to show me the same Filipino hospitality we never could have imagined.
Here, Rotary meetings are usually done in the morning. AG Dan Hershberger of Area 10, patiently brought me around to these clubs, so we can share the rewarding life of Rotary volunteerism and by joining our cause with Uplift Internationale Taghoy Philippines. This is my mission of coming to Colorado.
Coming to the meeting, I was never nervous as I would have like before, because this is my first time to speak outside of my coun
try where English is their native tongue.AG Dan assured me that Rotarians in Colorado don’t bite, so he advised me to just relax and take a deep breath. Indeed, he was right. I enjoyed their questions and our interaction. Like many other Rotary clubs in my district (3850 Phils), meetings are of varied in style and approaches. But the core of it all is – Fellowship.
RC Wheatridge with young and vibrant Pres. Matthew Cloutier, surely knows how to lead the group of enthusiastic Rotarians who are doubled his age. They look younger at their age as you can see them so full of wisdom and fun; Arvada Sunrise Rotary surely is sunshine in the morning with Pres. Susan Handford as she leads the club actively at the earliest time. Their members have so much events going on and almost everyone has its own projects to share and get involved with. They are truly inspiring; RC Westminster with Pres. Angela Habben is another lady Rotarian who leads a club with so much excitements. This time, I was give
n the opportunity to join the excitements to hold the “Are you happy chamber pot” where you are asked if you are happy and to drop a $1 bill into it. What an innovative idea to raise funds for the club. I had so much fun and I felt, I am no stranger anymore; Arvada Rotary led by Pres. Rich Nicholes has almost the same excitements. When they learned about me going around with that $1 dollar pot, they gave me the same job, of which to my delight, went around with it and this time asked each one, “Are you happy?” After my short impromptu presentation, we had a very pleasant interaction and we were all fulfilled for the day; RC Lakewood was the last available club for the week we have to visit. Here’s the club of almost all active seniors led by Pres. Joe Woodson, where I was more inspired and ecstatic of how they truly enjo
yed ship Rotary through service above self, beyond strength and age. This is where I realized that no matter what, Rotary is a way of life.In all the clubs we have visited, the members are so humble and down-to-earth. I did not feel any “air” and superiority. It was all genuine. Am glad to know and met all these Rotarians who are working to benefit the people that we served, not because of emotional decision, but because of their commitments to Service-Above-Self.
In my journey with different Rotary clubs, I met interesting and special people that made my visit meaningful and rewarding. I gained true friends in such a short while and enjoyed talking about what we do in our different advocacies in Rotary. It is I inspired them, or they inspired me, but overall – it was an overwhelming and a blessed journey.
The Gala Night Fundraising at De
nver Marriott West was my final tour of duty to speak. We did the very exciting live auction of which it was my first time to feel ecstatic on such rare occasion. It was fun to meet up the whole board member of Uplift Internationale who does Operation Taghoy medical mission for the children with cleft lip and palate in the Philippines. The Humanitarian Award they accorded me was unexpected, of all places, we were recognized in a strange country. It was no strange feeling after, as I have felt the warmth of all the people who came and the love of my fellow volunteers that I have even offered to call them sister, brother, dad and mom. Suddenly, I found my home with heart-warming individuals in Colorado.For my 15-day trip in the US, I did walking in the parks and lakes, little mountain trekking, driving to vast plains and mountain ranges, sightseeing, even flying 5,000 ft on a 4-seater plane (above Colorado states), and had a wonderful vacation after a vacation.
From the bottom of my heart, there are no words to comprehend what I have experienced. However, the only simple but meaningful word could be THANK YOU, to my fellow Rotarians, fellow UI/Taghoy volunteers, and my family hosts. On my way to LAX airport, “GOD BLESS AMERICA” song was incidentally playing in the car. What bliss! Indeed, God bless you all, God bless America!
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