Letter to the Editor:

Let’s be honest, as a young 20-something professional, it can be a challenge to integrate with the community and meet others with similar ambitions. In my own search, however, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the Rotary Club. To be candid, I always perceived the Rotary to be a bunch of old men meeting up on the golf course.  This perception was immediately shattered when I attended my first meeting and witnessed 70 or more energetic men and women making jokes, laughing, and encouraging each other at 6:45 on a Thursday morning. Not at all what I expected – but I knew I wanted to be a part of it!

This tight-knit community is exactly what we aim to achieve with the Rotaract Club consisting of our young professionals ages 18-30. Our hope is to create an avenue for personal and professional growth through building relationships, serving, and mentoring. The Rotaract will self-govern and independently choose the areas of service in which they will place their focus. Meeting every second and fourth Wednesday of the month for an hour at the Kennett YMCA, this group of young leaders will make big impacts on the local and international community. Please join us for our first meeting on September 24 at 6 p.m. Contact Brooke Fanning for additional information at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there!

Bob Merkle