Rotary is Everywhere

Perfect Attendance!

Did you know that the Chancellor of UNC-Greensboro has perfect attendance at her Rotary meeting? I have it on good authority that she does.

Let me explain. This Saturday past, July 21, Mary and I drove up to Greensboro to attend the Eastern Music Festival (held annually in Greensboro around Mary’s birthday to celebrate the time she spent there earning an M.F.A.– or so an unimpeachable source claims). After the concert–which was wonderful–we were sitting outside the concert hall waiting for our ride. A group of very young teenagers were hovering in the background singing the brass section from Dvorak’s New World Symphony, which had closed the show. A woman carrying a viola walked by.

"It was wonderful," Mary called out to her.

"It was, wasn’t it? I don’t know how we’re going to top that."

We got to chatting. She asked if we needed a ride. At first we refused out of politeness. Her name was Stefanie Cordick, and she turned out to be the director of the music festival, so this was a very busy time for her. "You know what’s humbling?" she asked. "The Chancellor of UNC-Greensboro is in my Rotary club, and she has perfect attendance every year. She’s in charge of 13.000 students; if she can get there, you'd think I should be able to as well."

I held up my copy of The Rotarian which had come in the mail that morning as we were leaving.

"You sure I can’t give you a ride?" By now the mosquitoes were chomping at Mary’s feet; we called the hotel and told them we didn’t need the ride they were sending.

Rotary is everywhere