President’s Letter : Kevin Lynch, President 2023-2024

Hello Rotarians,

Prior to joining the Rotary Club of Louisville, I attended as a guest a few times, and had a very favorable impression. The Club had excellent speakers, was making a significant charitable impact, and members were nice and talented people motivated to make the world a little better place.

Bill Kelly, a long-term Rotarian, gave me an overview of Rotary and asked me to join. I said I would like to, but “I’m very busy now, so call me in a year”…not a wise thing to say to Bill! About 365 days and a few moments later, Bill called and invited me to join. I told him I was still “very busy, but I said that last year, so I’ll join and do what I can.”

I am so glad I made that decision, as it is one of the best decisions I’ve made! Over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate the opportunities as a Rotarian and the lasting friendships developed. As Woody Northrup, former president of our club, put it when he received the Lifetime Service Award (paraphrased): “Where else can you walk into a room and know that everyone in the room is committed to doing their part to make the world a better place?”

Rotarians come from a wide variety in terms of their backgrounds and what they do. They come from all walks of life…attorney, business owner, parent, executive, nonprofit leader, minister, doctor, engineer, caregiver, financial advisor, etc. They are also diverse in terms of their perspectives and their views of the world. However, from my experience with Rotarians, they have one thing in common in terms of who they are inside…they have a heart to care about others and are motivated to use their talents to make the world a little better place. They are good at what they do, personally and professionally, because they have a purpose in their lives that is bigger than themselves.

This year’s Rotary International theme is “Create Hope in the World.” That couldn’t be more fitting! Rotarians do that every day, through our club, and in their lives. Working together, Rotarians have a much bigger impact on the world than they would if they acted individually, whether that’s providing clean water systems in Guatemala, helping communities in Kentucky devastated by a natural disaster, or awarding college scholarships to qualified high school students who might not otherwise be able to attend college.

Bill Gates said the Gates Foundation searched the world over for charities that have the right processes in place and use their resources wisely in order to have the most sustainable impact with charitable donations. They chose the Rotary Foundation as the best in the world. Together, the Rotary Foundation and the Gates Foundation have invested almost $3 billion and vaccinated over 3 billion children in the fight against polio. We are well on the way to eradicating polio in the world.

One thing you commonly hear today, and the data seem to support it, is that people are much less connected to others than they were a few decades ago, and they spend less time in groups and community involvement. That can lead to fewer meaningful friendships and more feelings of isolation. There is also more divisiveness in our society than in years past. To the extent people join networks today, in person and virtually, they are often groups that share the same perspectives and biases. They can simply be echo chambers of their views, which can lead to even more divisiveness. The Rotary Club, in contrast, brings together people of different views who develop lasting friendships from their common bond of wanting to help others.

Rotarians, individually and collectively, can develop a lot of social capital. In your earlier years, because of time commitments from work or raising a family, you might have less time available to spend with Rotary. Still, you will find that the camaraderie you feel with other Rotarians will develop into meaningful friendships over the years. The social capital gives us the opportunity to bring people together to use our talents to “Create Hope in the World” and make it a little better place.

Kevin Lynch, J.D.
President