Rotary International Theme 2025-2026	THE ROWEL Rotary Club of Durham		Rotary International President: Francesco Arezzo Rotary District 5160 Governor: Joy Alaidarous Durham Rotary President: Tom Knowles _____________ Editor: Phil Price Publisher:  Jen Liu
	January 20, 2026	Crab Feed 2026 Will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026

The Meeting Opening President Tom Knowles called the meeting to order at the Memorial Hall in Durham. Tom asked Glenn Pullium to lead the pledge, which he did. He Tom presented the invocation. He then asked Larry Bradley then lead us in singing a song.  He led us in singing America. We then had a slightly unusual dinner which included salad, edamame, some chicken chunks with smashed avocadoand some other things, but it was good.

Introduction

We had two visitors.  They were Rebeka and Shane Oberdorf who intend to join Durham Rotary. Since they are already on the Crab Feed work schedule, maybe they already are members.

Announcements

Paradise Rotary had contacted us about assisting them with their Shelterbox project.

The Paradise Rotary Club is deeply involved with ShelterBox, an international disaster relief charity that provides emergency shelter and supplies,leveraging Rotary's global network for logistics and volunteer support, especially after local disasters like the Camp Fire, helping them provide hope and essential aid to families worldwide. 

In essence, the Paradise Rotary Club integrates with ShelterBox to bring immediate shelter and dignity to people in crisis, both locally and globally, building on a strong, decades-long Rotary-ShelterBox relationship. 

Pam Gray reported that Paradise Rotary had raised $3,280 for their ShelterBox project.

President Tom reported that Durham Rotary had donated $500 to Paradise Rotary for their ShelterBox project.

The Program

The meeting was at the Durham Memorial Hall for the purpose of completing the planning of the Crab Feed.  There was a discussion, around the table (see photos below), let by Glenn Pulliam, about various matters relating to the Crab Feed.  It appears that the planning is complete.  The real problem is that we have competition this year, so ticket sales are down.  There is a celebration of the life of Doug LaMalfa at the Silver Dollar Fair Grounds and some other crab feeds.

   

The work list was passed out.  A copy is attached at the end of this Rowel.  See what you are scheduled for.  Check with Glenn to see when you are to be there.

Set up of the tables will be an 3:30 pm Friday.  Setting of the tables will be at 9:00 am Saturday.  The Crab Feed doors will open at 5:30 pm Saturday.

Next Meeting

The next meeting, on January 20th, will be at the Butte Creek Country Club. Peggi will present Tina Wolfe about CASA.

Membership

Bring guests who you think you can interest in becoming a member. We Need More Members! Your dinner and your guest’s dinner will be paid for by the Club.  Also, bring a guest to oneof our occasional social gatherings.

President Tom is asking the members to bring in new members this year.

Go to the following Rotary International web site for information on membership development:  https://my.rotary.org/en/learning-reference/learn-topic/membership .  From this website there is access to membership development and other related information.

The Rotary Foundation Donations

You can make a difference in this world by helping people in need. Your gift can do some great things, from supplying filters that clean people’s drinking water to empowering local entrepreneurs to grow through business development training.

The Rotary Foundation will use your gift to fund the life-changing work of Rotary members who provide sustainable solutions to their communities’ most pressing needs. But we need help from people like you who will take action and give the gift of Rotary to make these projects possible.

When every Rotarian gives every year, no challenge is too great for us to make a difference. The minimum gift to The Rotary Foundation is $25.00.   An annual $100.00 gift is a sustaining member.  Once your donations accumulate to $1,000 you become a Paul Harris Fellow.

If you have any questions, ask Steve Heithecker.

It is possible to learn more about The Rotary Foundation on the Rotary web site. 

Your gift can be made online or by sending Jessica Thorpe a check made out to The Rotary Foundation to Durham Rotary, P.O. Box 383, Durham, California 95958.

The District Newsletter has been uploaded to DACdb - to view it there go to the District tab, open the District Bulletin file and look for the pdf file named Rotary District 5160 Newsletter. 

{Note that the proceeding may not be the complete article.  See the complete article on Rotary International’s web page.}

Note that the photos in the original article may not have been reproduced here.

Rotary International president-elect emphasizes effective action and ‘embracing the world with open arms’

By Etelka Lehoczky

Rotary International President-elect Olayinka H. Babalola called on members to Create Lasting Impact by making their clubs more welcoming, carrying out impactful projects, and allowing their Rotary experiences to transform them personally.

“Rotary has changed us. It has shaped who we are and made us better people,” Babalolasaid at Rotary’s International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, USA, on 12 January. “We often talk about changing the world. We talk about ending polio,about building peace. We do not think enough about how Rotary transforms us.”

Babalola, a member of the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Nigeria, described how joining a Rotaract club as a teenager enlarged his perspective beyond the limited, privileged outlook he’d once had. That change in awareness came from observing the lasting impact his club had in the community, particularly from teaching people to read and write.

“As members of Rotary, we share a vision of a better future,” he said. “To make this vision a reality, we must acknowledge and unleash the change within ourselves. We must focus not only on outcomes, but on impact.”

Change and impact are not the same, he added: “Change is only the beginning. Impact is what endures.”

Understanding impact

Rotary members have made an impact by expanding early childhood education in Knysna,South Africa, and increasing access to prenatal care in Nigeria, Babalola said. The Rotary Club of Knysna empowered local women to open and manage early childhood education centers.

“The project has reached thousands of children and families, and it will continue to provide education in those communities for generations,” Babalola said. “We can recreate this kind of impact in other parts of the world, and in doing so we can earn the trust and recognition of our neighbors in the communities we serve. And when more communities trust Rotary, more people want to join.”

Babalola also described the wide-ranging impact of Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria. The initiative to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates received a US$2 million Rotary Programs of Scale grant in 2022.

“Before Rotary’s intervention, many women avoided prenatal care, which is essential to ensuring a safe birth for both mother and child,” he said. “After working with Rotary, systems were put in place to help expecting mothers receive prenatal care. The community was involved. Attendance went up. Mortality went down. That project [will] transform lives across Nigeria for decades.”

Extending a welcome

Babalola urged members to take a more open, welcoming attitude toward newcomers to their clubs. He described how, when he was a Rotaract club member eager to join a Rotary club, the president of the Rotary club treated him with scorn.

“He said, ‘What audacity! You cannot just join. You need an invitation,’” Babalolare called. “I could have walked away. Instead, I said, ‘I didn’t know a child needed an invitation to enter his parents’ home.’”

While things have changed since that time, Babalola said, they haven’t changed enough. Some clubs close themselves off instead of “embracing the world with open arms,” he said. Young people aren’t necessarily treated with respect, headded, and people with different ideas and backgrounds aren’t always made to feel welcome. He urged members to think about how they could better welcome others.

“You never know whose Rotary story might begin — or end — based on the way you make them feel at a meeting or service project,” he said.

Another way members can focus on personal change, he said, is to aim to do better than their best. He urged district leaders to examine their past successes in raising funds, planning projects, and recruiting members. Then, he said, they should challenge themselves to surpass their past triumphs.

“When we change ourselves, we change our clubs and districts,” he concluded. “When we change our districts, we change the communities we serve. And when we change our communities, we create lasting impact across the globe, in our communities,and in ourselves.”

© 2025 Rotary International. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Terms of Use