Happy New Year! I greatly enjoy saying this to friends and family for the next several weeks. I do NOT limit
the phrase for only the first few days of the new year. I encourage each of you to say Happy New Year instead
of goodbye and hello for the next several weeks. It brings smiles to many faces.
the phrase for only the first few days of the new year. I encourage each of you to say Happy New Year instead
of goodbye and hello for the next several weeks. It brings smiles to many faces.
Many of the customs of the New Year observe the passing of time with both anticipation and regret. The baby
as a symbol of the new upcoming year and the old man representing the year that has passed. The Romans
originated the month of January from their god Janus, who had 2 faces – one looking backward and the other
looking forward. Thus – this a great time of year to reflect on what we – as Rotarians – have accomplished in
the past year and what we plan to do for the upcoming year.
Last year in 2024: Harvest Table, Brookings Marathon, Hillcrest School Medary School Move, Habitat for
Humanity, Brookings Backpack, Feeding Brookings, Salvation Army Ring the Bells, Suicide Help Talk to
Teachers, many Thirsty Thursdays, Painted Born Learning Trails, Food Drives, Coat Drives, SDSU
scholarships, School of St. Jude student support…just to name a few.
As we look backwards – Brookings Rotary Club had a very successful year in “Service Above Self” and
impacting lives of others.
Upcoming in 2025: The sky is the limit! Plans are in the works for packing kits for Delta Denta Van, packing
food for refugee camps in Chad, Africa, Feeding Brookings, Backpack Program, Brookings Marathon, activity
walls for Brookings Schools and the possibility of many more opportunities to help others.
I am excited, as I hope you as Brookings Rotarians are, about the projects and plans that we can do to provide
“Service Above Self” to our community and the world.
We have all heard the many things about new year’s: goals, resolutions, yearly aspirations and new habits
that we want/should set. Many times our new year’s resolutions are self-focused – exercise more, eat
healthier, read more books, etc. This year – I challenge each of you to set a different type of New Year’s
resolution to think about others and how you can impact their lives. These goals may be small ones – such as
giving a smile everyday to a stranger or buying a cup of coffee for the person in line behind you. OR – maybe
loftier goals of helping others by volunteering at a local non-profit or church. Rotary is about “Service Above
Self” and starting out the year with our Rotary motto is a great way to set a your resolution / goal for the year.
If you has a Brookings Rotarian have an idea on how and where we can help others and you see a need in the
community, please pass along the word!
2025 and tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book, so us as Rotarians need to write a good book
for the upcoming year. And we can title it “Service Above Self."
Happy New Year!
President Jen Olson
President Jen Olson