Posted: 4 years ago

My former club, Rotary Club of Scottsdale, AZ, has funded as one of its chief projects a public park which is located in a beautiful area of Scottsdale. It has a ramada, playground equipment, picnic areas, and clean restrooms. After 9/11 the club built Unity Plaza, which consists of a U.S. flag that flies high over the area. The base around the flag is a Rotary wheel, and the club raises money by selling bricks with names engraved on them in this area. There is a low round wall that encloses the area, and plaques can be purchased and laid into this wall. Some people have used these plaques as memorials.

Yesterday I was honored by my husband, Ron, who ventured out of his own District 5490 and into my 5510 and who honored me by donating funds for a plaque in my name as the First Woman Rotary Governor in Arizona, along with the flag that has flown over the area for the past six months which is encased in a lovely mahogany box with a copy of the same plaque at the bottom. This flag now sits in place of honor in my office. I was so honored and humbled by this gesture and so happy to see all my old friends at yesterday's meeting. I wanted to share this event with all of you, and I will be making a donation today to Happy Bucks.

 Norma Taylor-Roderique

Norma Taylor-Roderique

Posted: 4 years ago

I want to offer my sincere congratulations to Norma for being honered for her achievements.  Eventhough I have not had an opportunity to meet Norma, I am very impressed with her accomplishments in the past.  I am familiar with all of the work that she has done in Mexico and other countries in support of the poor, so she certainly deserves all the accolades that she is receiving now.  I am also very happy that she has thought of contributing some Happy Dollars to the Smiling Pot.

Posted: 4 years ago

How wonderful. You are one of the shining lights of this eClub. Your courage in suffering and service above self are well known and appreciated.

Jack  Selway, Founder, Rotary Global History, Pueblo, CO, USA

Posted: 4 years ago

You are a special person. I know more than most since you shared your Pakistan trip with me, before settling on Mexico to bring your plans to fruition. Congratulations and best wishes. As a treat, I just found a special session at Carnegie Mellon University (where I attended in highschool to learn my art trade.) They honor a professor each year by asking him or her to give the annual "Lsst Lecture." The idea is: What would you say to your student if this were your last lecture? Randy Pausch is a virtual reality expert and receive the honor. It is given with the understanding that this is not your last lecture but play "What if?" Between the time when Pausch receive the notice that he was to give this major lecture and the time that he gave it in September of 2007, he was told that he had three to six months to live, dying of pancreatic cancer. He decided to give it as a present to his family, his parents, his children, his students, and his friends. It is inspiring, magical, funny, tragic and ultimately moving. It lasts 76 happy minutes. You can view it at: www.parade.com. It too is an honor and humbling. I know you, of all people, will enjoy it. I send it on as a gift for allowing us to share in your happy honor and humbling experience.

Joe