Can Our Club Respond to a Major Crisis or Disaster?

In your current issue of the Rotarian magazine, there are several articles and photographs regarding Rotarians responding to earthquakes, floods, famine, and disease. Some of these crises were sudden and unexpected; but Rotarians were prepared to leave their homes, jobs, families, and other obligations to serve others in time of need. Services that can be rendered by Rotarians in response to crisis include medical, construction, sanitation, logistics, legal, spiritual, and educational assistance, just to name a few. Within our own club, several folks came to my mind as I listed the categories of help.

As I read about disasters and crises in our most recent history, I wondered to myself what we could do to respond as a club if (actually, WHEN) something similar occurred again. We have witnessed our club's ability to respond financially to sudden crises; which has always been generous and rapid! But what I mean is a "hands on, boots in the dirt" approach to the problem. Assuming the crisis occurs outside of our border: is there a group among us that have passports updated, immunizations completed, issues at work secured, and families permitting? If the crisis is within the U.S., or even in the State of Texas, the analysis is not much different.

As a club president, and as a Rotarian, I truly would want to respond to the call if our services are needed. Unfortunately, when the crisis is present, the time to prepare has long passed. As we sit at home or at our offices today, I want for us to think about how we each individually can respond to a call for help by questioning whether our affairs are in order to take off at a moment's notice. You never know, but, in the next twenty-four hours a circumstance may arise that causes me to send an email through ClubRunner asking for volunteers to travel to [blank] to assist with relief efforts due to the [blank] that occurred overnight. I would love to be that club that is there in [blank] making a difference. The key is to plan for events that are unpredictable and unforeseen.

Have a fruitful week.

Yours in Rotary,

Steve Walden