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June 29, 2017 -  President Jim Russell's farewell address was followed by a standing ovation.
 
"First, thank you to Sue Rose, Bill Murray, Rob Tidd, Tom McNair, the Chelan-PUD, Julio Cruz and everyone else who gave Karen and me such a memorable experience.
 Long ago I adopted my life theme to be Micah 6:8:  He has shown you, O man, what is good;
“and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God?”  It’s a question, an ask. And I believe God is listening to my answer.
My answer is yes, it’s true. I support Rotary because our four-way test and Rotary’s six areas of focus build firm foundations for justice and kindness and a path to humility.
In 2009 I was asked to run for president. I said yes, because I felt obligated. I lost to Brenda Abney. It hurt.
Four years later Brenda was chair of the nominating committee and asked me to run again. I said yes, because I wanted to make some changes. I had an agenda. She didn’t nominate anyone else so I won. I’m thankful I won the second time instead of the first time.  I was lucky, even blessed.
The District asked me to chair the MDD (south) for the 100th Anniversary of The Rotary Foundation and I said yes.  I was lucky to be asked and blessed I could say yes. And I didn’t know how I was going to do that.
Bill Murray and Pete Van Well emphasized that we should honor Ed Cadman, and I said yes. Then I learned this may be the last year someone experiences paralysis from a wild polio virus. I was lucky to be asked and blessed I could I say yes. And working with Pete gave us some ideas for the Tribute fund.
I wanted to use Club Runner so I asked dozens of people to be secretary until Frank Clifton said, “Yes, as long as you want to use Club Runner.” I was lucky, we were lucky and blessed when he said yes.
As president I asked members and the Board what they wanted. To my surprise the Board led by Jill Leonard unanimously said they wanted an auction.  Jill and Jay Smith were asked to co-chair it and they said yes. And they asked many of you who said yes. We were lucky and the whole community was blessed.
So I de-emphasized raising money for The Rotary Foundation and asked 40-50 people to be sponsors. Most said yes. 
Last week you saw how many people said yes when they were asked to serve, and there are many more who serve with a quiet yes. 
For the Million Dollar Dinner--South we asked hundreds of people for $10,000 and most said no, or not now, or said nothing, or just looked at me incredulously. A relative few said yes and still fewer gave even more. And we identified pledges and cash of over $1 million in the south and over $1.5 million in the District.  We were lucky and blessed to be on that journey.
At Quincy one young mother with her child heard me ask for $10,000 for Polio eradication. She thanked me, thanked Rotary for offering vaccinations around the world at a time when people are questioning vaccinations. She hugged her child, and began sobbing. Thank you, thank you, she said, tears streaming out of her eyes. She was also a nurse. She gave me a deep, heartfelt, memorable, blessed yes.
 
For my inevitable errors and transgressions, I asked for forgiveness. Thankfully, I feel people gave it to me.
I visited many clubs to ask for their support. I appreciate our Club even more and saw some ideas we can use.
People and clubs said yes and then had to say no. They said no and then said yes. Another gift I got is learning to appreciate what each member, each Rotary Club, can give in our shifting points in time and places in space.
 
Finally, people said thank you for asking me. I thank you for asking me. Thank you, thank you. And I thank God for what I could give. "