Paying it forward: Me versus we and a thriving flag subscription program
In honor of Memorial Day, Rotarians across Wichita County placed flags at several thousand locations.
The Wichita Falls Southwest Rotary Club, Cafe con Leche Road to College students and Optimists joined in placing and retrieving 759 flags. Altogether over 75 volunteers organized as 24 teams and then drove 12 unique routes.
Saturday morning’s volunteers enjoyed pleasant weather. Bountiful rains and thick grass made finding the hole to place a U.S. flag challenging. Two-thirds of the flags were retrieved in the heat Monday evening. The final third of them were retrieved Tuesday between showers. Flags have to dry before storage.
June 14 is Flag Day, our next weekend holiday.
Memorial Day holiday opens this year’s Flag subscription season. Every year volunteers come and go. Delivering flags as a team bonds us together in service to others in our community.
Want a U.S. flag at your home, school or business on key holidays? Provide name, address and email by emailing [email protected] or going online to southwestrotary.com/page/flag-program-sw-rotary-of-wichita-falls. All will receive a reply. Service is in limited areas from five Wichita County Rotary clubs.
Rotarians have worked flags with Road to College for many years, and students know Rotarians and vice versa. Both are enriched for their shared experiences.
The Southwest Rotary Club flag program has tripled since 2015 as the Road to College students and mentors joined in volunteering to assist in placing and retrieving flags while generating the majority of funding for the lunch expenses of the Road to College Summer Camp coming up in June and July.
Congratulations to May Graduates, another year, another step towards adulthood. Watching Road to College students grow and then graduate is gratifying.
We celebrate the graduation of this year’s seniors, in particular the legacy last classes from Old High, Hirschi and Rider high schools. While retrieving flags with one senior friend Monday evening, we spent time talking about her seven years in Road to College and her plans.
Engaging as “We” toward a mutual goal, entails the cooperation that builds the trust that is the foundation of a relationship. Volunteers sustaining projects at nonprofits make dreams real. Listening and growing is for all.
Success is empowering and fun. Everyone likes to have fun and make lifelong friends. Volunteer opportunities at over 200 nonprofits cover every type of dream you could imagine. Contribute your vision, and make a shared dream possible in the future.
Jack Browne is a community volunteer and former tech sales and marketing executive who worked 40 years at Motorola, MIPS Technologies and other companies. How are the children doing? Visit his website at www.newcollarcoach.com.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Paying It Forward: Me versus we
