Posted by Richard Barron on Mar 14, 2018
 
WHY I JOINED RB SUNRISE ROTARY: Richard Barron
 
I’ve heard it said that once a Rotarian, always a Rotarian, and I now understand the meaning.
 
My brother-in-law, Dr Ian Richardson was long time member of Rotary International in the UK, and I admired the work he and his club did. Their contributions to the community were extensive and impressive, and I recognized the value I could add to the world by following suit.
 
From 2007-12 I belonged to the Escondido Sunrise Rotary when I ran for a seat on the City Council. This was an opportunity to meet people and get involved with projects affecting the City. For a year I was the Program Chair and enjoyed finding interesting and fun speakers. We had a Hula class one week and had everyone learning to dance and another time a vet that had volunteered for Afghan to look after the service dogs brought a new understanding to that situation. My contributions allowed me to become a Paul Harris Fellow and it was satisfying to know that those contributions helped programs like eliminating Polio World Wide.
 
Still, I wanted to contribute to more regional causes, and left Rotary to instead help local groups focused on aiding the futures of North County youth. As such I became a supporter of the Tarik Khamisa Foundation that teaches Restorative Justice, Peace and Forgiveness and has made a huge impact on the lives of kids in the Middle Schools
 
After 10 years of having our business office located in Downtown Escondido it was time to move, so we relocated our business to Rancho Bernardo to better serve our expanding client base. An invitation from the president of the RB Sunrise Rotary club to visit them for a free breakfast and some camaraderie came at just the right time, and I took it as the perfect opportunity to re-connect.
 
Today the ink is barely dry on my application, but I already know this is where I’ll be calling home for years to come. These are good people in this club, and I’m pleased and proud to be part of this family. Not a week goes by without my meeting someone new, and the quality of the members, multiplied by the energy in the room every Tuesday morning, ensures my future participation at every level.
 
Why don’t you stop by the RB Country Club some Tuesday morning at 7am and see for yourself just what a great experience it is to be part of Rotary International?