As the Rotary District 5330 historian, it makes sense that District Governor Richard Lemire would set as the theme for his year, 2026-2027, “Celebrating Service and Friendship Since 1970.”
As Governor Richard made his way around all the clubs in the District, he visited the Lake Arrowhead and Lake Arrowhead Mountain Sunrise Rotary Clubs recently.
He posed this question: “How can we build on our past to make our future even stronger?”
In 1970, at the tender age of 14, Governor Richard knew nothing about Rotary. The event that led him to Rotary was campaigning for Victor V. Veysey as he ran for Congress. “Volunteering for him exposed me to the concept of community service,” the governor said.
He joined Rotary at the age of 26 and became president of his club three years later. He attended the Rotary International convention in Kansas City in 1985 when the campaign to eradicate polio was announced. “We thought it would be eradicated by 2005,” Lemire said. “The finish line is now in sight. We had made inroads in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
One of the speakers at that convention was Albert Sabin, who developed the oral polio vaccine.
Then, in 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that women should be allowed to join Rotary. “Where would we be if that hadn’t happened?” Lemire asked.
In addressing the local clubs, the governor reminded them that “the District isn’t here to tell you what to do. Each Rotary Club is autonomous. Rotary provides the bylaws and constitution – you decide what to do with them.”
Looking ahead, Governor Richard listed several upcoming events: the Foundation dinner on Nov. 14 and the District conference on June 19. The Rotary Youth Showcase will take place on ay 2 when “we show off our youth programs – the 4-Way Test speech contest, music contest and Art for Peace winners.
“There are no new initiatives this year in the District,” he noted. “Concentrate on what you do best.” Membership has been decreasing worldwide. “We need to turn that around,” the governor said, adding there have been some increases in 2026-2027. He asked his fellow Rotarians to keep in mind RI President Yinka’s challenge: To reach 1.25 million Rotarians worldwide by 2030, the 125th anniversary of the service club.
Governor Richard described President Yinka as “personable and dynamic. He asked us all to look at our last five years, choose our best year and make it better.”
As he concluded his presentation, the governor said the best part of being district governor is the bond he has with his classmates. And, he said, “I love visiting all the clubs.”
District Governor Richard Lemire with members of the Lake Arrowhead Mountain Sunrise Rotary Club.
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