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Rotary Addressing Racism Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Rotary’s vision statement drives us to work together to make a better world for everyone and that means tackling racism in all its forms. Each person has a unique and different background or upbringing which contributes to unconscious bias against other human beings. As a young boy growing up in rural B.C. in the 1950s, I heard in my home, my school, and my community, many derogatory names and statements about people who looked different from me. Some I questioned, but I know that I absorbed many of them without even knowing. So I have to recognize that I have unconscious biases and must be continually aware of it and question myself constantly - I must keep looking inward to unlearn and relearn. Nelson Mandella said “education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world”. So I ask that you join me in District 5050’s efforts to tackle racism by participating in upcoming online sessions on racism that you will soon hear about. Our goal is to help members and their communities work to end racism. Statement from Rotary International: At Rotary, we have no tolerance for racism. Promoting respect, celebrating diversity, demanding ethical leadership, and working tirelessly to advance peace are central tenets of our work. We have more work to do to create more just, open and welcoming communities for all people. We know there are no easy fixes and that challenging conversations and work lie before all of us. Rotary’s strength has long been our ability and commitment to bringing people together. We will tap into that strength now as we stand with those who are working for peace and justice. Rotary will do our part to listen, learn and take action to ensure that we continue to contribute to making positive change. |
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The Rotary Club of La Conner with great sadness announces the passing of longtime Rotarian Don Bakken. 
When Dolly Parton presented her 100 millionth book to the Library of Congress Feb. 28, members of the La Conner Rotary Club were able to take pride in helping achieve that number through their participation in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
The club signed onto the Imagination Library in 2011 when Connie Milliken, who coordinates the club’s participation, was president. Bobbi Krebbs McMullin, the first coordinator, did a fantastic job of setting up the program and getting children enrolled. Since then, the La Conner Rotary Club has donated more than 3,800 books to children from birth to five years of age residing in the La Conner School District. T
“The La Conner Rotary is passionate about literacy, and the best way to inspire literacy in children is to instill a love of books right from the very beginning,” Milliken said.
The La Conner Rotary Club budgets funds each year to pay for the books and register children with the Imagination Library, which then mails books to them. Because of budget limitations, the club restricts participation to children living within the La Conner School District boundaries. The program may be expanded to include children in neighboring school districts if increased donations are made available.
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