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When Rotarians are part of a local service project, they do more than just put in a day of volunteer work. They perform an act of social responsibility and community empowerment that reflects their motto of “Service Above Self.”  A perfect example is Columbia-Patuxent Rotary Club’s yearly support of Rebuilding Together Howard County Day.

 This meaningful project involves teams of volunteers from across our area coming together to repair and revitalize the homes of neighbors in need as part of National Rebuilding Day. Current club president Karen Mosel has been involved since 1998, when the program was known as Christmas in April. She’s a six-year board member and fundraising committee co-chair as well.  

“This work matters. We are committed to improving the quality of life for elderly homeowners, individuals with disabilities, veterans and families with children—people who have worked hard but can no longer afford the critical repairs their homes need,” Karen says. “In today’s challenging economic climate, the need is even greater. Rebuilding Together fills a vital gap by serving an often-overlooked population in Howard County. It brings dignity, safety and stability to those who need it most.”

 Columbia-Patuxent’s house rehab project included such tasks as building and installing two fence gates, caulking and painting window trim, kitchen trim painting, replacing three posts in a split-rail fence, adding hangers to a pergola, putting corrugated extensions on four downspouts, strapping and connecting another downspout, cleaning and mulching a flower bed, and moving an orange azalea to the cleaned bed.

 These small jobs comprise more than hands-on service. They show caring hearts sharing values of compassion and unity, of taking care of our own and honoring the dignity of neighbors. They have a tangible impact, not only physical results but also intangibles like meeting new people, bridging divides and proving that we can take care of each other. In essence, that’s what Rotary is all about.  

The Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent helped create a Nourishing Garden by connecting three previous grant recipients and supplying some of the physical labor needed to help make the visionary project a reality. It began with James Place Inc, one of the club’s grantees that provides funding and advocacy to help people recovering from the disease of addition. For many years Barbara Allen, James Place executive director and wife of Rotarian Tom Allen, has worked with Turek House, an addiction treatment and recovery program that includes a men’s residential treatment facility. 

Barbara advocated for years that Howard County needed a similar program for women. She was thrilled when Turek purchased property and opened a women’s program, Highland House, in 2024, assisted  by a Columbia-Patuxent Rotary grant. Zelda, one of Highland House’s 14 residents, expressed interest in creating a garden on the property. Gardening has been shown to have many therapeutic benefits as well as providing fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers. Barbara thought this was a great idea and approached Turek management to say that if they agreed with the project, she would manage it.

With Turek’s approval, Barbara approached Geoff Carton, Rotary’s community service chair, about the club providing some volunteer labor. He agreed and also connected Barbara with the Community Ecology Institute (CEI).  Rotarians have completed a number of projects and provided grants to CEI over the years. The Institute also has a Nourishing Gardens program to transform lawns into beneficial growing spaces to nourish people, the community, and nature. CEI created a design for Highland House’s garden and sourced supplies and plants. A Howard County Health Dept. grant paid about half the project’s overall project cost.  

On garden installation day, Rotary helpers along with Turek staff, men from Howard House and the women of Highland House, worked to make Zelda’s vision come true. A 30 x 30-foot lawn area was transformed into a fenced garden with six raised beds for vegetables and herbs, surrounded by perennial flowers and berry bushes. When the weather’s warmer, more plants will be added and Highland House residents will learn how to care for and harvest the produce.

Rotarian Geoff Carton lauded the new garden as a great example of how connections between Rotary and various organizations can help spur community improvements. “It is so seldom that we get an opportunity to meet with and see the humanity of the people we are trying to help,” he said. “The Turek men and Highland House women were very real and open. I look forward to hearing about their success. I really appreciate that they were there doing the work themselves.”

TEXT by Tom Allen                                                                                                                                                                                                      PHOTOS by Geoff Carton

It’s the practice of Rotary clubs to have a guest speaker at their regular meetings. Our aim is to have a program of informational, educational, motivational or entertainment value that will be of general interest to all club members.

We look for speakers who are mindful of the fact that Rotary is a non-political and non-religious-affiliated organization, and who will refrain from controversial topics or volatile issues that could cause anger or division. Speakers representing religious or charitable organizations are welcome to speak about their work, however, so long as they don’t advocate a particular political or religious position.

It is acceptable to have current political office holders speak when the format is a report on issues that face the community or a report to constituents on congressional or legislative affairs. We plan to refrain from hearing from political candidates during an election campaign. 

We welcome company or business speakers to talk about issues that affect their industry and the community and how they cope with them. We’re interested in fresh topics on a company’s approach to sound business practices.  

We welcome speakers from non-profit organizations that impact our community, state, nation or the world. We especially like to hear from those we have financially supported through our annual Grants Day program or who have club members serving as their volunteers or board members.

We also try to invite speakers who might be considered as potential members of the Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent so that we can learn more about them while they experience the warm welcome that we’re known for. Here’s just a few of the organizations whose speakers we’ve heard in recent months:

• Maryland State Dental Association
• Howard County Economic Development Authority
• Neighbor Ride
• Make A Wish                
• Wings of Hope Global Cooperative
• Gilchrist Hospice
• Just Living Advocacy
• Better Business Bureau
• Just Living Advocacy
• Columbia Amateur Radio Association
• The Business Monthly
• Special Olympics
• Columbia Housing Center
• Silhouette Stages

(Excerpted from an article by Rotary International CEO John Hewko that originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune's Opinion Section  © 2025 Chicago Tribune)

In February 1905, a Chicago lawyer named Paul Harris resolved to fill a hole in his life. He had arrived in the city a few years earlier, and though he’d built a successful law practice, something was missing. The young man was lonely. The sense of camaraderie and community he had known growing up in a small Vermont town was glaringly absent in the hustle and bustle of urban life.

To overcome his feeling of alienation, Harris asked three acquaintances if they wanted to meet regularly to share friendship. Their first meeting took place February 23 in downtown Chicago. There, they decided to form a club, where people could come together—not just to do business, but to form lasting, genuine connections. Because they would rotate their meetings at each other’s offices, they chose “Rotary” as a fitting name for the group.

The first four Rotarians were Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram Shorey and Paul Harris. That one club soon became dozens and then hundreds, until finally there were thousands of clubs in small towns and big cities across America and the world. They meet for fellowship, networking and community services. 

More than a century later, Harris would likely not be surprised that the clubs he founded to combat isolation and loneliness have become a powerful global force for human connection. In recent years, however, the idea of belonging to traditional civic organizations is perceived to be obsolete. Many who flock to online communities see them as something for their grandparents’ generation.

Are they really?

While technology can be a tool to bridge gaps, it is no substitute for real-world engagement. Despite being more digitally connected than ever, many people are struggling to forge the kind of deep, meaningful relationships that give life purpose. We have thousands of online “friends” but fewer real confidants. The decline of religious and civic participation, coupled with the rise of remote work and social media, has left many of us feeling isolated—even in crowded cities.

Given the prevalence of loneliness, the vision of Harris—that people, no matter their profession or cultural background, could come together to form meaningful relationships and create lasting change—is more relevant today than ever. Reviving people’s interest in joining civic organizations is an effective solution for loneliness.

At their core, community membership organizations are about more than service projects. They are about creating spaces where people of all backgrounds come together to find support, and a sense of purpose. In recent years, many traditional membership organizations have modernized their rules and reinvented themselves, creating programs and causes that appeal to the young generation.

As we face this loneliness epidemic, the solution is within our grasp. It begins with each of us choosing to connect—to reach out to a neighbor and to join a local group. In doing so, we not only enrich our own lives but help build a society where no one has to feel alone.

Rotarians put their motto of “Service Above Self” into action every day and in every part of the world, generously contributing time and talents to help others. Columbia-Patuxent Rotary members, for instance, carry out community service projects that address local needs and have worked with distant clubs to cosponsor international humanitarian work.

Here are just a few examples: (1) we collect school supplies to stuff and distribute backpacks each year for local students; (2) we welcome veterans arriving on Honor Flights at BWI, recognizing their service to our country; and (3) we prepare and help serve meals for residents at the Grassroots shelter.

How valuable is this type of volunteerism?  A special report prepared for Rotary International by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies has estimated the value of Rotary member volunteer hours at $850 million a year.

That Rotary members log a lot of volunteer hours should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the organization. But the Johns Hopkins report provides a powerful look at the impact of all those volunteer hours. The report found that Rotary members had volunteered a total of 5.8 million hours within a four-week survey period.

Extrapolating those results over an entire year, the report gave an estimate of nearly 47 million hours of volunteer effort generated by Rotary members in a typical year. The Center analyzed the economic impact of all those hours and arrived at the $850 million estimate, if communities had to pay for the services that Rotary volunteers provide.

Rotary International, with the help of Johns Hopkins University, is the first global service organization to conduct an empirical analysis of its volunteers’ impact using an internationally sanctioned definition of volunteer work. The authors of the report noted in their conclusion that at each step, their analysis had chosen the most conservative estimates.

 Employees in small businesses are acutely aware when the boss becomes passionately involved with community service projects in their hometown. And why shouldn’t they? Many employees not only work in Howard County, but also live and raise their families here. This is especially true of younger employees. They care greatly about company values and corporate benefits other than just salary, like job flexibility, enjoying the work environment, maintaining a healthy work/life balance, and working for a business that obviously cares about more than just earning a profit for the owners. 

That’s why the Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent’s Corporate Membership program is such a fitting benefit for small businesses to offer. When the next generation of company leaders is given an opportunity to join Rotary, that’s valued in a different way than other benefits. Why? Because this next generation gets to see and feel the value of community service in their hometown, as well as to enjoy those new personal and professional relationships they’ll make in the club. 

Business owners know that next generation executives and staff are critical to a company’s current and future success, and the chance to get future leaders involved in community service can further connect them to one of their company’s core values: service to others.

Offering Rotary membership to employees has perks that should interest a business owner, but two are of particular interest. The first is that Rotary Corporate Members get the opportunity to meet and network with others who are successful business owners, executives and retirees, and to learn from them in a positive and fun environment. 

The second benefit is that Rotary offers a chance to hone their leadership skills. Whether it’s participating on a club committee (maybe eventually leading one), or working together on a service project, being in an environment where young members are encouraged to step up and lead is important, invaluable training. Especially true for business owners looking to develop strong, mature future executives.

Corporate Membership is comparatively simple compared to other company benefits. Perhaps one of its most important features is our recognition that businesspeople require a great deal of flexibility in scheduling. Up to four representative members of a business can attend our weekly Friday morning meetings.

If the owner (primary member) is too busy to attend, that’s fine. All or none of the other corporate members can fly their business’ flag on any given week. Regardless of weekly attendance, all four members retain full membership in our club and in Rotary International.

Why not explore the benefits of our Corporate Membership program?  You may be surprised at how inexpensive it is to provide a meaningful benefit for your staff, and to have your business be an important member in an organization that serves others and has fun doing it.

For more information about our club and the Corporate Membership program, contact Membership Chair, Sandy Harriman at sharrima1@verizon.net, or go to columbiarotary.com.  

The Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent meets on Friday mornings at 7:30 a.m. at the Periodic Table restaurant in Columbia, MD. Our 50+ men and women members serve Howard County by raising funds to support local non-profit organizations, and by doing a variety of “hands on” projects that help improve life for others. We’re part of Rotary International and its more than 1.5 million members worldwide. Rotary has been the preeminent service organization for business leaders since 1905.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       By Ken Solow

If you look a little closer, you’ll find that the heart of each Rotary Club beats with a simple desire: to serve others. Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent members join for all kinds of reasons. Some come to connect with new friends, looking for a warm and welcoming social circle. Others want to network with leaders in Howard County, where friendships in Rotary can naturally blossom into rewarding business relationships. Yet, what truly unites us all is the shared joy and purpose in serving others.

Remarkably, the most effective way to forge friendships and build meaningful connections is to work alongside fellow Rotarians to make a difference. This experience, this blend of camaraderie and service, is the “secret sauce” that makes our club so special. Whether your primary motivation is community service, friendship, or professional connections, you’ll find that by giving back, you fulfill all those goals—and you’ll have a lot of fun along the way.

 With over 35,000 Rotary clubs worldwide, each approaches community service in unique ways. The Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent raises funds for various local nonprofits supporting Howard County and takes part in hands-on projects that bring us face-to-face with our people. Here are just a few examples of the work we’ve done together:

• Preparing weekly bag lunches for the Grassroots Crisis Center throughout the summer.
• Partnering with the Community Ecology Institute to run power lines, rehabilitate wells and install water systems to nurture plants and provide classroom spaces.
• Packing care boxes for cancer patients through Respite Retreats.
• Joining other Rotary clubs in Howard County to rehabilitate homes in our annual Rebuilding Together program.

“Community service” can mean different things to different people. Some members roll up their sleeves for hands-on work, while others focus on supporting charitable efforts financially. New members often find projects that resonate with their passions, working alongside others with similar interests. Even in an affluent area like Howard County, countless families struggle with basic needs. Whether you’re driven to help address poverty, environmental concerns, healthcare, housing, or any other need, you’ll find members ready to support your cause and magnify your efforts in a way that goes beyond what you could accomplish alone.

Our commitment to service doesn’t end at Howard County. Through Rotary International, we connect with clubs worldwide to address challenges far beyond local borders. From health and maternal care to environmental and educational projects, we do “hands on” projects with Rotarians around the globe to make a positive impact. If you’ve ever dreamed of being part of an international cause, joining Rotary opens up a network of over 2 million members in more than 200 countries who share your values and passion for making a difference.

If you’re ready to find a place where you can make a meaningful impact while meeting warm, inspiring people, we’d love for you to join us. Our meetings take place every Friday at 7:30 am over breakfast at the Periodic Table restaurant in Columbia. To learn more about our local service projects, please reach out to Service Chair Geoff Carton at glcarton@gmail.com. If you’re interested in club membership, Sandy Harriman can answer all your questions at sharrima1@verizon.net. To explore Rotary International’s work, visit Rotary.org.

Come join us, and let’s make a difference together.                                                                                     

                                                                                          -- KEN SOLOW

Step into the dining room at the Periodic Table restaurant in Columbia, MD on just about any Friday morning at the godawful time of 7:30 and the room is filled with enthusiastic people getting caught up on the week’s news. They are loud and boisterous, engaging in energetic conversations that have raised the volume to high levels.

You might be surprised to learn that this is a Rotary meeting. The men and women here certainly don’t fit the stereotype of members of a stodgy old fraternal organization. After all, everyone knows that Rotary is for old, retired guys with nothing else to do. Our fathers went to Rotary meetings where business cronies met for lunch and cocktails in ancient times when women weren’t allowed, and they still hadn’t invented color TV. 

 Fast forward to today to find out that Rotary is one of the world’s largest service organizations, with over 1.5 million members in more than 200 countries around the globe. It’s hard to imagine, but there are more than 50,000 Rotary clubs, each serving its local community in its own way. If you’re a Rotarian, you’re welcome to visit them all. One-and-a-half million people on a mission to help others, and who adhere to the same code of high ethical standards in all they do – amazing to consider, isn’t it?

Sadly, the very idea of community service and community service clubs seems out of date. In fact, meeting people in person anymore to discuss … anything … may be going out of fashion.  Tweets are fine. TicTok has its place. Goodness knows that ancient means of communication, Facebook, allows for a sense of community. But it’s not the same as being together with friends and business associates. 

We live in a mobile world where our long-time friends move away to chase the sun, be with the grandkids or pay less taxes. Suddenly, we find our personal social network is disappearing. We could all use the energy, creativity, positivity, and sense of accomplishment that comes from meeting once a week with a group of old or new friends with similar goals and values: to help others, do a little networking, and enjoy each other’s company. Not to mention, the breakfast is pretty good.

The Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent, those nutty people meeting Fridays at 7:30 a.m. at the Periodic Table, is an eclectic group serving the community by raising money for worthy charitable organizations, and by getting their hands dirty (in some cases, literally) while working in a variety of local projects to help others have better lives. The club is also 50 or more people who treat one another like family and care deeply about each other. Our membership rules have an enormous amount of flexibility for folks who want to join in the fun and the service but have busy lives with lots of other commitments. 

You may not have heard of Rotary. Or, if you did, maybe you didn’t realize it isn’t the organization you thought it was. It really isn’t your dad’s Rotary anymore. In fact, Columbia-Patuxent Rotary can be anything you want it to be so long as it serves others, engages our members, and stirs our collective imagination in terms of “service above self,” which happens to be our motto. 

Why not visit us at 7:30 on a Friday morning? Come for breakfast, listen to a speaker talk about an interesting community topic, get to know some fascinating people who are anxious to meet you. It's possible that you, too, could be a Rotarian and help add to the calamitous noise, join in the discussion and the laughter. The Periodic Table restaurant is located at 8808 Centre Park Drive, Columbia, MD 21045. For club membership information, contact Linda Ostovitz at lostovitz@offitkurman.com.                                                                                                                                                                                              -- By KEN SOLOW

1. Friendship

Rotary meets one of the most basic human needs: that of friendship and fellowship. It’s one of the reasons why Rotary began in 1905.

2. Business and Personal Development

Rotary is an organization of leaders and successful people. Membership aids   business success, leadership, and growth in personality, social skills, and people skills. Rotary is for people who like people.

3. Citizenship in Your Community

Rotary membership makes better community citizens. The average club consists of the most active local citizens. Timely topics discussed at each meeting keep us informed about what‘s happening in the community, nation, and world.

4. Worldwide Citizenship

Around the world, almost every religion, country, culture, race, creed, political persuasion, language, color, and ethnic identity may be found in Rotary. It’s a global cross-section of the most prominent citizens from every background. Our pin proudly says “Rotary International.”

5. Fun

Rotary is fun, a lot of fun. Each meeting is fun. Club projects are fun. Social activities are fun. Service is fun. Rotarians above all are nice people -- the nicest people on the face of this earth.

6. Development of Ethics

Rotarians practice a Four-Way Test of ethical standards in the things that we think, say, and do. Rotarians are pledged to do the right thing in their business and personal relations.

7. Vocational Skills

Rotarians are expected to take part in the growth and development of their own profession/vocation. Everyone needs to network. Rotary is a cross-section of every business community, with members ready to help each other and collectively help others. 

8. Prestige

Rotary members are prominent people: leaders of business, various professions, art, government, sports, military, religion, and education. Rotary is the oldest and most prestigious service club in the world, composed of people who make decisions and influence policy.

       9. Absence of an “Official Creed”

Rotary has no secret handshake, no secret policy, no official creed, no secret meeting or rituals. It is an open society of men and women who simply believe in helping others.

10. Opportunity to Serve

Rotary is a service club. Its business is mankind. Its product is service. Rotarians provide community service both locally and internationally. The satisfaction that comes with “Service Above Self” is richly rewarding.

Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick has selected The Magic of Rotary as the theme for her year of service. What those words mean to her – and for Rotarians worldwide – is reflected in this excerpt from her message in the most recent issue of Rotary Magazine:

Rotary is at its best when we foster a sense of inclusion and belonging in our clubs. In fact, I would go so far as to say that belonging is The Magic of Rotary itself. With a focus on inclusivity and belonging, it is easier to be united in a common purpose. When we are committed to one another and focused on our goals, we are most effective.

That’s why expanding our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is so important. Committing ourselves to each other’s well-being is the first step to expanding our reach, allowing us to spread Positive Peace in these troubled times.

Peacebuilding is one of our top priorities, and one of the most effective ways we can build peace is with our Rotary Peace Fellowships, through which peace and development professionals learn how to prevent and end conflict.

We offer these fellowships through our Rotary Peace Centers at leading universities around the globe, where more than 1,800  Peace Fellows have graduated. Next year’s Rotary Presidential Peace Conference in Istanbul  will highlight the many ways our family of Rotary advances peacebuilding.

The truth is, we’re not going to bring peace to the world, end polio, or grow membership by waving a wand and saying some funny words. It’s up to you. You create the magic with every project completed, every dollar donated, and every new member inducted.

I love my Rotary family and I know you do too. That’s why I know that together, we can make every club and district simply irresistible. This year, let us change the world by embracing The Magic of Rotary.

The Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent celebrated a year of accomplishment while honoring outgoing and incoming board members and officers at the Annual Dinner on June 22. The club also announced Rotarians of the Year for 2023-2024.

Ceremonies began with an invocation by Lon Chesnutt, noting that Rotary International founder Paul Harris decided a long time ago to meet with friends for weekly fellowship and service.Since that time, Rotary’s inclusiveness has grown to extend across the globe, and we’re grateful to be part of that. God fills us with love for life, opportunities and occasions for continuing service in ways that support our community.

Outgoing President Kashonna Marrow introduced new club members and also thanked her husband, Kevin, for his support during her leadership year. Kashonna presented Rotarian of the Year plaques to Pete Pillow and to Karen Mosel. Pete was cited for writing the club’s newsletter report on weekly meetings. Karen, the club’s incoming president, was honored for chairing the annual Tour de Vines fundraiser, along with community service in Rebuilding Together Howard County’s program for home improvements for needy residents.

Reflecting on her presidential term, Kashonna said she was proud to be the first African-American to enjoy the privilege and honor of leading our club. “When I became president, it was truly a team effort,” she said. “Everyone said we'll be with you. Don't worry, you've got this. It has sharpened and enhanced my leadership ability and professional agility. What a journey to be with those who support you every step of the way.”

Kashonna lauded new 2024-2025 President Karen as “not only a business leader, but also a thoughtful and competent woman who understands service and, most of all, understands people. Columbia-Patuxent Rotary is a special club that deserves special leadership that will not stagnate or leave the club as is but will progress to the next level. Karen has shown her ability to do that.”

After receiving her President’s pin from Kashonna, Karen said she is “honored and really humbled to be the next president. I look at our club, and I’m always amazed about the knowledge and commitment that we have to our community and to the world, and to put service above self. I'm supposed to talk to you about our goals and what I see for the next year. Honestly, what I see is – let’s keep doing what we’ve been doing – because it’s been pretty amazing.”

Karen closed her remarks with a quote from Muhammad Ali: Service to others is the rent that you pay for your room here on Earth. “I choose this rent in my service to you, this club and to our community,” Karen said. “Let us continue to do good. Thank you.” Ken Solow, a club past president and past governor of Rotary District 7620, administered the oath of office to Karen and to 2024-2025 board members, enjoining them to do their best to honor the bylaws of the Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent and of Rotary International. He added: “I charge you to help us to see our Rotary club not as it is, but as it could be, and to help us to find our vision of what we can do for our community.”

In other presentations, Susanne Caviness gave Karen Mosel a stuffed Rotochick doll in honor of the club’s female members, while Kashonna gave Rotary-themed windshield sun shades to her 2023-2024 leadership team.  Dessert was a special cake decorated with Rotary International’s logo.

One of Rotary’s principal principles is that club members expand their reach beyond the walls of their weekly meeting space.  We recognize that Rotary grows in membership and in service by making connections with other organizations that are part of the local “larger world” outside.

Since its founding more than 35 years ago, Columbia-Patuxent Rotary has put this principle into practice.  Guest speakers at our meetings help us to better know and understand potential partners in action.  Volunteering and sometimes financially supporting worthy programs and initiatives allows us to meet real needs in the community.  

Some familiar names may be found in the ranks of our partners in progress. The Community Action Council of Howard County is one example.  We’ve backed its mission in helping people and changing lives by working at the Food Bank, assembling Thanksgiving boxes, packing bags for Afghan families, helping with the Summer Enrichment Program’s end of year picnic for students and families, plus providing Rotary Readers for Read Across America Day at early childhood centers.  We also assisted in a diaper drive and answered a tornado emergency request.

Another example is our involvement with Grassroots Crisis Intervention.  We’ve packed and delivered lunches for Grassroots after each Friday club meeting during designated months.  We donated supplies for motel boxes and housewarming move-in kits for Grassroots families.  We cooked and served meals at the Grassroots shelter and even conducted a bingo games night.

Our volunteers have stocked shelves as part of the Feeding Dragons program at Howard Community College’s food pantry.  The club sponsored a series of social services lectures at the college in addition to backing the school’s entrepreneurship students as they annually vie for prizes while presenting their “rocket pitch” ideas for new businesses.

We’ve supported Just Living Advocacy families with collection of school supplies and backpack distribution as the school year begins.  At the Community Ecology Institute’s Freetown Farm our tasks included clearing brush, tree removal, debris cleanup, and erecting a Quonset hut cover complete with electrical service.  Other physical labor took place at Robinson Nature Center (tree planting and fencing) and in conjunction with Rebuilding Together Howard County’s annual efforts to undertake free home repairs and modifications for neighbors in need.

While Rotary began as a way for business people to network with each other, today’s Rotarians are service-oriented and outcome-driven to expand beyond our traditional way of partnering.  We are embracing our members’ talents and skills to engage with other individuals to get work done and implement change for a better community.

April 19th marks the 156th anniversary of the birth of Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary. Born in Racine, WI, he moved to Vermont at age three to live with his paternal grandparents. He attended college at Princeton University and received a law degree from the University of Iowa in 1891, but did not practice his profession right away, instead working a series of odd jobs.  

In 1896 Harris opened a law office in Chicago’s main business district. There, he began to consider the benefits of forming a social organization for local professionals.  He found he was able to make “acquaintances, but not real friends” and wondered if others in the city had the same thoughts and if they, too, were searching for fellowship. 

Inviting three clients and local businessmen to join him, Harris organized the first Rotary club meeting "in fellowship and friendship" on Feb. 23, 1905. “I laid before them a very simple plan of mutual cooperation and informal friendship,” he later said.  “They agreed to my plan.”  The name Rotary was chosen because meeting sites were to be rotated among the members’ offices. The date of that first meeting would later be designated World Understanding and Peace Day.

Although their initial goal was to engage socially, Harris soon realized that Rotary members needed a greater purpose. The original club Constitution of 1906 had three objects: promotion of business interests, promotion of good fellowship and advancement of the best interests of the community. This third object – bettering community interests – would in time become the Rotary creed of “Service Above Self.”  

From its humble beginnings, the Rotary idea steadily grew. By 1910 there were 16 clubscreating an organization called the National Association of Rotary Clubs. Fittingly enough, Paul Harris was selected as its first president and served two years. The movement soon spread beyond the U.S. Today – as Rotary International – it reigns as one of the largest service organizations in the world, with over 46,000 clubs and a global membership of nearly 1.4 million men and women.

In 1947, upon the death of Paul Harris, memorial gifts poured into the nonprofit Rotary Foundation in his honor.  To cement the founder’s legacy, in 1957 the concept of Paul Harris Fellow recognition was proposed for Foundation contributors.  Those making a $1,000 donation – either once or multiple times – are designated Paul Harris Fellows and receive a distinctive medallion, lapel pin and attractive certificate signifying their financial commitment for RotaryInternational’s peace, education and humanitarian work.  Currently there are over 1,500,000 Paul Harris Fellows worldwide.  

Rotary International – along with members of Rotary clubs everywhere – has a vital role to play in advancing peace in today’s conflict-torn world.  That’s what RI President R. Gordon McInally told District 7620 Rotarians during a recent meeting in Washington, DC, noting that “we need to work towards peace as aggressively as others work towards waging war.”

He said Rotary has three different “personalities” in peacemaking practice.  First, there’s the personal and emotional side of Rotary, where we’ve experienced firsthand the lives transformed by good works of charity and service above self.  But emotion and personal experience alone is not enough.  For an organization like Rotary to have its greatest impact on the world, we must be systemic and evidence-based in sharing the peace imperative.  

This leads to our second peace personality – that of a highly professional and international humanitarian/development organization working with similar partners.  In this role, Rotary is a practitioner of fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, improving the health of mothers and children, supporting education and growing local economies, all of which fosters optimal conditions for peaceful societies.  

Acting as a respected and impartial presence within communities afflicted by conflict and division, we might achieve the simple act of bringing people together and getting them to talk to one another.  Rotary members can promote communities that are connected, inclusive and resilient.  Combining our personal and systemic approaches has tremendous potential.  

That opens up room for our third personality – aspirational Rotary – a vision of our organization as something more than just the people we see right in front of us or the direct results of service projects.  In dreaming big – like our commitment to eradicate polio from the world – Rotarians acknowledge that we can’t solve all the world's problems at a stroke.  But we can take the first brave, humble steps toward understanding and appreciating each other a little better.

President McInally closed with this thought: “It is in times of greatest crisis and despair, that we need empathy.  Most of all, let us find a way to share each other's outreach, share each other's heart, and share with each other the seemingly hopeless cry for justice and peace.  Let us be brothers and sisters who join as one … to see a world where people unite and take action for lasting change across the globe, in our communities, and then ourselves.”

Along with its core values of fellowship, integrity, service and leadership, Rotary believes that exemplifying and embracing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) should be a part of everything we do.  District 7620 in 2021 launched a DEI Committee to see that local clubs are welcome places for all to grow in service.

Kashonna Marrow, our present Columbia-Patuxent Rotary president, has been chair of the district panel and says it’s important that we’re clear about what DEI is and what we can do as a club, and as individuals collectively, to make sure it’s happening and is intentional.  Even though it's been politicized, Kashonna said DEI isn't a political issue. “It’s been under attack in our businesses, and in our world, because it has been misunderstood and, unfortunately, misinterpreted,” she explained.

While people may think DEI is primarily about race, Kashonna said it’s based on consideration for your neighbor, especially for those neighbors who don't look like you, don't have the same experiences or the same background that you have.  “Basically, what we're saying is, don't just treat people how you want to be treated, but treat them how they want to be treated as well,” she said.

There’s a descriptive “wheel of bias” showing in color 16 different bias factors we deal with daily. Kashonna said “if you say you don't have a bias, well, you're lying to yourself, because we all have them …(like) appearance, how someone looks. We call that a beauty bias. You determine that because some people are beautiful, they must be good. What DEI does is say - hey, I understand that I have this bias, and I’m willing to do what’s needed to make sure that I address it and begin to disrupt it.”

For Rotary, Kashonna said examining systems and processes to ask what could be done to make  clubs more diverse, equitable and inclusive offers an opportunity to make DEI an intentional choice. Issues might include things such as dues. If we’re going to invite someone to join, they may not have the financial advantage that some of us have. How can we begin to make it equitable?   If prospective members visit but don’t return, maybe we should reach out to see if they felt welcomed or excluded when they came, or to ask if there's anything we can do for them now?

“There are different things that we all can do to be intentional about our (DEI) engagement,” Kashonna said. She recommends that Rotary clubs form their own DEI committees and ask for volunteers “who want to talk about this further, begin to just see what we need to do, and who can bring it to the club as a whole, and begin to operate in that vein.”

Interact is one of Rotary’s key youth development programs – helping to bring young people ages 12-18 together to learn leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self.   Rotary District 7620 has 35 active Interact Clubs in Washington, DC and Central Maryland, five that are community-based and 30 based in high schools. 

Columbia-Patuxent Rotary is proud to sponsor Hammond High School’s Interact Club under the direction of advisor/Rotary Liaison Kellie Lego, who guides the students in projects and activities that make a difference in their school and community.  The group began with an introductory meeting in October to talk about leadership camp training, Rotary’s Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do (used by Rotarians worldwide as a moral code for personal and business relationships), and community service projects for the school year.  They also enjoyed an exercise where they wrote letters to “their future selves” that will be opened in May of 2024.

The club’s Annual Canned Food Drive took place in November.  Interact members placed collection boxes in the rooms of 65 first period teachers.  Hammond students could bring non-perishable food items to their first period class from Nov. 1-17.  The top three classes donating the most won a Chick Fil A breakfast sponsored by the Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent.  Interact and National Honor Society students delivered 645 pounds of food to Howard County’s Food Bank the week before Thanksgiving. 

Also in November, Interact president Eliza and club community service coordinator Jason attended District 7620’s Environmental Summit in Frederick, MD, along with Kellie Lego.  Topics included: 

• Organizing community tree plantings 
• Reducing plastic film pollution 
• Safely recycling lithium batteries 
• How to decontaminate recycling 
• Starting a compost program 
• Recovering uneaten food and feeding the hungry 
• Helping your school become a certified green school 
• Where to find funding for green projects 
• Learn about net zero buildings (that produce enough renewable energy to meet their own annual energy consumption) 
• Help reverse climate change 

The Hammond Interact students are hopeful they’ll be able to organize community tree plantings and work to reduce plastic film pollution.  At their December meeting, students made snowflakes for children in emergency care at the Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C.  Once these children were strong enough to go home, they could take their beautifully-crafted snowflake home with them.

The reasons why people join their local Rotary club can be many, but historically some of the key interests of prospective members include:

Take for example, one of the more recent members to join Columbia-Patuxent Rotary’s ranks – Michael Werling – following experience in the Rockville and Bethesda clubs.  He was born in Spain but relocated to the US with his parents in 1998. His father was a Penn State grad, a second-generation Eagle Scout, a Peace Corps volunteer and a University of Maryland professor. His mother grew up in Santa Barbara, CA, also was a Peace Corps volunteer and worked in school food service.

As a high schooler in Virginia, Michael was active in an environmental science program that fueled his interest in the outdoors.  “As I was graduating high school, I had the opportunity to do missionary work in the Dominican Republic and Haiti,” Michael said. “I was there for three or four weeks, and that was probably the first time I was really able to truly see the world - to see that we're all in this together - and that we need to help everyone regardless of where they're at in life or where they're at in this world.”

Following graduation from the University of Virginia, Michael joined the nonprofit world and was offered an opportunity to handle Boy Scout operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But he methis future wife - Cindy - in the meantime. She had also lived in Virginia and had attended the same elementary school as Michael - with the same teacher - but a year apart.  Cindy has been a dedicated educator for 10 years and is a talented, artistic crafter.

Today Michael serves as Community Outreach Specialist for the Community Action Council of Howard County.  He describes his CAC work this way: “We have many needs in our community and the Community Action Council is an incredible way for families who are in need to get resources. A lot of our programs are funded by grants, but unfortunately there’s still a huge gap.

“We rely on private contributions and private volunteers from across this county for help. Somebody needs to facilitate that help. It’s my responsibility – and a very humbling opportunity – that I have every single day. It’s something that I don't take for granted.”  

Michael also does not take his Rotary club responsibilities for granted.  He’s known for his willingness to lend a helping hand whatever the occasion, and to pitch-in when the need arises, often without being asked.  Like we said, Rotarians are some of nicest – and most helpful – people you’ll ever meet.      

Rotarians are sociable people, but not all of their fellowship takes place at club meetings, parties or special events.  Much of it happens in Rotary Fellowships – groups made up of club members and others who share a common interest in recreational activities, hobbies, professions or cultural identity.

These groups help expand skills, foster vocational development and enhance the Rotary experience by exploring interests while having fun.  More than 70 Fellowships are now officially registered with Rotary International.  One closest to home is the Rotary Yacht Squadron of Chesapeake Bay, part of the International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians begun in 1947 and now counting some 3,700 members across 44 countries throughout the world.

Columbia-Patuxent Rotary member Charlie McCabe is Commodore of the Chesapeake Squadron, while past commodore John May is Fleet Captain.  The squadron was founded in Annapolis in 1954 and has about 30 active members, with about half that number of boats. Its members hail from home ports all over Chesapeake Bay and represent Rotary clubs in Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

John said Chesapeake members “have fellowship, we talk about the service projects that our own home club is involved in. We offer not only advice but ideas among the members about how they can go back to their home clubs and conduct fundraising, source projects and the like.”  The Fellowship operates much like a Rotary club.  

“Our officers are called the Commodore, the Vice Commodore, the Rear Commodore and the Fleet Captain,” John explained.  “We also have directors. We have the same Rotary traditions and ceremonies that clubs do. We have Paul Harris presentations and guest speakers at our events.” Fellowship activities include a seasonal kickoff dinner in May, followed by a three-day weekend cruise (or rendezvous) in June, July, August and September, and ending in a change of watch formal dinner and ceremony in October.

“Any Rotarian with an active interest in boating or just being on and protecting the earth’s waters can be a member,” Charlie said.  “Ownership of a boat is not required.”  He added: “The International Yachting Fellowship is the oldest and largest of all Rotary Fellowships.  Whatever you're interested in, there's probably a Rotary Fellowship for it. I would recommend you look into it if you have a particular interest.”

Acting with integrity and high ethical standards in their personal and professional lives is a commitment that Rotarians the world over take to heart.  It is part of their responsibility to deal fairly with others and to treat all occupations – especially their own – with due respect.  Unfortunately, today’s world sometimes seems replete with scammers who are determined to violate any kind of trust in worthy business practices.

 The result is a number of lawless schemes to separate honest people from their hard-earned money.  Angie Barnett, president/CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Greater Maryland, recently warned Columbia-Patuxent Rotary members about these most recent scams:

 1. Investment and cryptocurrency promise of high financial rewards for little risk.

2. Fake employment offers of high-wage jobs with few required skills.

3. Emergency situations where a friend or family member is supposedly in dire straits and pleads for money.

Angie said there are RED FLAGS that warn about possible business fraud, including:

● If you’re feeling pressured to act quickly, it might be a scam.

● If an offer seems too good to be true, it might be a scam.

● If somebody reaches out claiming to be an authority figure, do your research and make

sure they’re legitimate. It might be a scam.

● If they insist you pay a certain way, usually in gift cards, money orders or digital

payments that can’t be traced or refunded.

● If they tell you NOT to talk to other people who could help you determine the situation

is a scam. The scammer may even keep you on the phone until you follow through on

their request.

To all of this good advice, we would add one more safe practice.  Keep an eye out for business and professional people who know and live by Rotary’s Four Way Test of tried-and-true ethical behavior.    

Although Rotary is not usually thought of as a disaster relief organization, Rotarians do their part to help victims of flood, fire, earthquake, drought, hurricanes, tornadoes and other calamities that occur locally, nationally and internationally.  

Columbia-Patuxent members, plus those in Howard County’s other clubs and in Rotary District 7620, give assistance not only directly to the needy but also through contributions to Disaster Aid USA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit raising emergency funds.  Our club made these recent donationsin conjunction with this partnership:

Additionally, in 2022 Columbia-Patuxent gave nearly $6,200 for Ukraine’s relief following the Russian invasion.  Disaster Relief USA and District 7620’s focus was aid for refugees and persons or families displaced by war.  Rotarians also identified high priority medical needs and were instrumental in getting and shipping $50,000 worth of emergency first aid kits and custom medical combat backpacks.

Our club contributed more than $13,000 in 2021 for a “breath of life” initiative that bought and shipped oxygen generators to India in response to the COVID pandemic.  The generators made medical grade oxygen from ambient air and met critical needs in a country then experiencing 400,000 new cases daily.  Our partner in this project was Disaster Aid International, another Rotary-sponsored organization that provides relief in emergencies.

Currently, Rotarians all over the world are lending helping hands – and giving much-needed funds – for Morrocco, where the strongest earthquake in a century killed thousands and destroyed many cities and villages – and to Libya, where heavy rainfall and severe floods have killed even more thousands and resulted in large-scale destruction affecting affects transportation and the food-supply chain.

Again, while Rotary’s chief aim is not disaster relief, it’s clear that Rotarians – members of one of the largest service organizations in the world – believe that meeting humanitarian needs for people in distress serves goodwill, peace, appreciation and understanding for all.