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It is often promoted when introducing people to Rotary how you can travel just about anywhere in the world, find a Rotary club, attend a meeting, and immediately have a group of new friends. That was certainly true on my recent trip to the United Kingdom. In planning my trip to visit my son, Lukas, at Oxford University, where he was studying for the summer semester, I found out that there existed 2 clubs in Oxford, and one club had a meeting night that would line up neatly with our itinerary. So I reached out to the club secretary, and he let me know there would be a meeting and he hoped I would be able to join.Inquiring on procedure, I was instructed to be there at 7:00 p.m. for happy half-hour before dinner and be prepared to make a short presentation. 
And dress “snappy”! Arriving at the appointed time, after a long day of touring Oxford, I was greeted by the sergeant at arms, and quickly introduced to Club President Sam.
And dress “snappy”! Arriving at the appointed time, after a long day of touring Oxford, I was greeted by the sergeant at arms, and quickly introduced to Club President Sam.Before long, I was chatting with just about all the members of the club as if we had known each other for many years. Most club members were curious about my accent (what accent?), and where my district was located. There was much interest in the fact that our district is bi-national, and whether we were more Canadian or American. There were questions about the projects we were working on and how we go about fund raising, and the issues facing Rotary. It sounded all too familiar.
Sitting next to the club president, we shared ideas about membership, and chatted about DEI. It seems like this Rotary club has similar issues as those facing our clubs. And then we heard of the upcoming fund raiser, an auto show, the big event of the year! Finally, we got to the evening’s speaker.But before that, they gave me the opportunity to say a few words. It was humbling to be a visitor from so far away, and be treated with so much warmth and friendship. This was the true nature of Rotary Fellowship at work. I was so impressed with the work of the club and their enthusiasm for the Rotary ideals. The night was truly a blessing.
After a few photos and many handshakes and well wishes, one of the club members graciously drove me home, and hoped that I would come back again some day and again join them for a meeting! It was truly a great Rotary day.
On a side note, the night before, my son insisted on introducing me to a young man named CJ, who he had befriended that summer. And upon greeting him and seeing his Rotary tie, now I knew why. CJ was a grad student, attending a class at Oxford that summer, all the way from York, Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the Rotary Club of York, PA. It didn’t take long to strike up a friendship (normal for Rotarians), and learn that he was a corporate consultant to issues surrounding DEI. Wow! Guess we may have an upcoming guest speaker. And, I only had to go across the ocean to meet him! That is Rotary in a nutshell!