“Service Above Self” — This is the motto for Rotary International, a collection of more than 30,000 clubs worldwide whose members are volunteers working locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio.  With more than 1.2 million members, known as Rotarians, Rotary International might be the most recognizable organization whose purpose you never fully understood.

Today, I had the unique honor to sit in on a Rotary Club meeting, a weekly occurrence where members get together for breakfast, lunch, or dinner to socialize as well as discuss weekly organizational goals.  Socialize?  Isn’t that what Facebook and Twitter is for?  Maybe, but before we had these social networks, people got together in things called ‘conference rooms’ to talk face-to-face.  Usually there’s food and drink, some announcements are made, a guest speaker presents, a little Q&A after the presentation, everyone claps, and the meeting is adjourned.  Sounds like fun, right?  Well, all sarcasm aside, it’s actually really interesting, educational, and a good time.  I laughed … out loud even.  LOL.

This week’s Eugene Rotary meeting highlights included guest speaker Heather Hutanen reflecting on her recent trip to the Netherlands as an Ambassadorial Scholar and what she learned about American culture while living abroad.  Did you know in Holland that time spent with family is a cultural value, so much so that most businesses close at 5:00 p.m. and aren’t open on Sundays and Mondays specifically so citizens can be with their loved ones?  Me neither, but it was very interesting to hear all about the Dutch culture from Heather.

Anyways, you’re probably wondering what the Rotary Club has to do with skateboarding and Tactics, right?  Well, if you haven’t heard, Eugene is in the process of building a world-class skatepark and the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) has set aside $292,000 for the skatepark, but with a final goal of $500,000 by December 31st, 2009, it’s up to public organizations like the Skaters for Eugene Skateparks to raise the additional capital.

Here is where the Eugene Rotary Club comes in: Rotarian Lee White hopes his organization can provide $50,000 for the Washington-Jefferson skatepark project.  Lee doesn’t skate.  He doesn’t have kids who skate.  He’s not in the industry, he’s just down for the cause.  Service Above Self, that’s what Lee White and the Eugene Rotary Club are all about, and as a skater, I thank the Rotary Club for their support of Eugene skateboarding.