Dear Rotarians and Guests;

Welcome to the greatest Rotary Club around it is my high privelege to be the president for Rotary year '10-'11 and try to live up to a very high standard set by some of the most outstanding community leaders, here in Fort Lauderdale.

John  Wooden use to say "don't confuse activity with accomplishment".  The Rotary Club fo Fort Lauderdale  is one of the most active organization in the country but the objective is alway to  achieve a worth while goal.

Our one Rotary club, combined with our one district, together with 32,000 other single Rotary Clubs makes One World power, which creates a constructive, beneficial, and successful difference in our World.  You can't help but notice all the things that the Rotary club of Fort Lauderdale does in our Community, County, State, Nation and World.  We bring a greater quality of life to third world nations in desperate need of potable water by drilling wells and delivering clean water to drink, raise livestock and irrigate fields of crops. Rotary International has world wide, come with in a breath of curing Polio.  We send mobility to many people through out the world with the delivery of thousands of Wheelchairs for those who are physically challenged and in need of personal mobility. We package and deliver food and personal item care packages for the needy and shut in's in our own community. We bring the chance of a better education through our Scholarship program to selected students in many of our local High Schools, and we give financial assistance to community projects through our Rotary 1090 Grant's program.

All of this is done by our own Volunteers, Rotary members of the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Club.  It was said many years ago by a great man of his generation, Dr. E. Urner Goodman, "he who serves his fellows is of all his fellows greatest".  That is who we are, Servant Leaders in our community and in the world.  Because, if we are still waiting to help, then we have waited too long, and if not us, then who, and if not now, when?  Our motto, is Service Above Self and as I said earlier I have the luckiest job in the world because I get to work with you, to really make a difference in our Community and our World.

In closing, I am privileged and honored to serve our great club this Rotary year as President and I challenge you to be a better Rotarian or if your are not a Rotarian, to become a Rotarian. 

Rotary is in your hands.  Please help us to continue to better our world.

Yours in Rotary,

John Gustafson