Every now and then you come away, after watching a movie, feeling emotionally inspired by the story it told. This was the case for the family and me after seeing The Boys in the Boat, which takes place during the height of the Great Depression and tells the story of the members of the rowing team at the University of Washington getting thrust into the spotlight as they compete for gold at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The book by Daniel James Brown was itself a masterpiece in its telling of the underdog sports saga, where a disparate group were forged into a winning rowing team by learning to trust each other despite their individual stories of hardship.
However, as I thought more about this incredible story, the more I realized how the story of Rotary takes us on a similar roller-coaster of feelings, when it comes to our impact in serving our communities. At the start of any Rotary effort is the simple belief that it can be done once someone has the idea. This idea is then embraced by others within the club, where it is translated into action and delivers its intended impact. The simplicity of Rotary’s model is how we define value for our engaged membership – an idea, supported by a community, transforming into a force for good.
When we explore the story of The Boys in the Boat, we see several traits of character coming through in terms of resilience, commitment, understanding the why, discipline, and teamwork. The community support came by raising the $5,000 required to secure the row team’s lot at the Olympics. And yet, it still took a partner to ensure the full amount was achieved with the support of the Seattle Times campaign. It recalls how our Rotary Foundation represents that magical partner for our own community coming together to deliver impact. It allows Rotarians to dream bigger as they look to secure success through their projects with clubs and partners, so they can increase their impact powered by the financing the Rotary foundation delivers back to our district – with your support!
It can be argued these are the same traits exhibited by Rotarians as they find purpose in their service. In both our stories, there is a desire to find meaning in our lives, especially where we can make a difference. It is the shared sense of purpose that unities us, and drives us to scale to greater levels of impact, while helping us find fulfillment through service – whether this is to those in our community, or our crew in the boat, we will still be seen as one because of shared purpose.
We are ultimately an organization of over 1.4 million members with a reach that extends globally to take on initiatives like eradicating polio, but this does not discount the fact that we are diverse in our actions where we also support local projects. Essentially, we build, we collaborate, and we make a difference through our club’s actions.
It is these local actions that truly bring our vocational legacy to life as we engage in our communities, forge connections with other professionals and share our experiences, particularly with the younger generation, that brings heart to our actions. Always remember that our skills are not just for our professional advancement; they are tools for helping others.
The beauty of The Boys in the Boat story is how it brings shape to the idea that it takes diversity to thrive in a life driven by purpose. Rotary also thrives on diversity of experiences, skills, and perspectives to ensure our club’s success by securing an engaged membership looking for meaning in their lives.
As we look to the question of Rotary membership, always remember that we have a great story to tell. No less a story to tell than the one of the young rowing crew from Washington, who went on to secure gold for their country against all the odds. Our story is one of imaginative individuals coming together for good, where they can transform their ideas into action by collaborating with others looking for a better world.
If you have friends driven by a desire to give back, looking for meaning in their lives, and want to be on a journey of service with fellowship, then it is time you asked them to join us. It will allow them to see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Much like The Boys in the Boat discovered once they believed in themselves to dream bigger about the possibilities beyond their individual imaginations!
