The Seattle International District (SID) Rotary Club recently elected Susan Beals as the organization’s new club president. She will begin her one-year term in July and is excited for the upcoming Rotary year.
The SID club is comprised of a diverse and dynamic group of more than 60 men and women of different ages, occupations and backgrounds. However, all of the members share a common goal of wanting to make a positive difference locally and abroad. Beals wants to continue to build on the club’s diversity and energy, and establish a closer bond between the SID Rotary Club and the International District.
“Every third Thursday we will have a guest speaker working on community service projects from the ID, emphasizing hands-on projects,” Beals said.
The Rotary motto, Service Above Self, personifies the ID Rotary Club with current projects – including serving children and youth locally at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School, YouthCare and Treehouse projects for foster children. The club also participates in the Chinatown International District Spring Cleanup, the Seattle International District Dragon Fest and hopes to expand its service to the residents of Legacy House. The club also provided scholarships to eight students last year in the community with strong academic performance and economic need.
The SID Rotary Club is the most diverse Rotary Club in Seattle, as a result projects are not only based in the local community, but span the globe, some of which are sponsored by members of the club or by Rotary International.
“We have a lot of people who have their own projects in other parts of the world, which Rotary supports,” Beals said. “These 10 international projects are very meaningful for club members, sometimes they are even tied to our members’ home country.”
The global priority of Rotary International is Polio Plus. In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary Clubs around the world are determined to eradicate polio. Since 1988, about 2.5 billion children around the globe have been vaccinated. There has been a 99 percent decrease in polio, from 350,000 reported cases in 1988 to 1,348 in 2010, and only 162 cases have been reported so far in 2011, according to the World Health Organization. This is a direct result from commitment and efforts of Rotary International and other key partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
As a Rotarian, Beals not only enjoys the service opportunities, but also believes the Rotary 4-Way Test is a fantastic guidepost for life.
“I find the 4-way test, the Rotary statement of values, to be a great foundation for the way Rotarians want to live our lives,” Beals said.
The 4-Way Test is, “Of the things we think, say or do:
•Is it the truth
•Is it fair to all concerned?
•Will it build good will and better
friendships?
•Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”
The SID Rotary Club recently moved to the New Hong Kong restaurant, due to recent increase in membership. The Rotary Club is also thankful for Sun Ya Restaurant, the previous location that hosted the club for numerous years.
“We want to thank the owners and employees of Sun Ya Restaurant for the many wonderful years we met there on Thursdays for our lunch meetings,” Beals said.
Everyone is welcome to join the International District Rotary Club, Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. for lunch meetings at the New Hong Kong Restaurant, 900 South Jackson Street, or at 5 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month at different locations around the city. Please visit their website for more information at www.seattleidrotary.org.
