Most of you don’t know but I joined Rotary. Yeah, I know, sounds so big and adulty. We have a great group called the “happiest hour” because we meet for drinks on the second Wednesday of the month usually at Duke’s in Bellevue (optional to Zoom in too).
Because of Zoom, we don’t have people stand for the Pledge of Allegiance which is customary to kick off all Rotary Meetings (as it should be) because so many people now seem to get on Zoom without their pants on and well, that would be awkward to stand, in front of your computer camera, and see your boxer shorts.
So we made a “pivot.”
To keep people sitting down and keep the “pants optional” thing going, someone shares a piece on either our great Flag, or something about our country, usually a story, anecdote, piece of history or in my case, an exerpt from a speech.
I chose one of my favorite Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt. Although not perfect, and looking back some things he did didn’t age well, a lot of what he did was great for our country and he certainly loved the USA.
So when it was my turn to share at Rotary, I decided to find something he said and I stumbled upon this piece from a speech he gave in 1910. I think it was great then and certainly is excellent today.
Because of Zoom, we don’t have people stand for the Pledge of Allegiance which is customary to kick off all Rotary Meetings (as it should be) because so many people now seem to get on Zoom without their pants on and well, that would be awkward to stand, in front of your computer camera, and see your boxer shorts.
So we made a “pivot.”
To keep people sitting down and keep the “pants optional” thing going, someone shares a piece on either our great Flag, or something about our country, usually a story, anecdote, piece of history or in my case, an exerpt from a speech.
I chose one of my favorite Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt. Although not perfect, and looking back some things he did didn’t age well, a lot of what he did was great for our country and he certainly loved the USA.
So when it was my turn to share at Rotary, I decided to find something he said and I stumbled upon this piece from a speech he gave in 1910. I think it was great then and certainly is excellent today.
The material progress and prosperity of a nation are desirable chiefly so far as they lead to the moral and material welfare of all citizens. Just in proportion as the average man and woman are honest, capable of sounds judgement and high ideals, active in public affairs-but, first of all, sound in their home life, and the father and mother of healthy children whose they bring up well – just so far, and no further, we may count our civilization a success.
We must have – I believe we have already – a genuine and permanent moral awakening, without which no wisdom of legislation or administration really means anything.
– President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
