Dear Fellow Rotarians,

As my year as president comes to a close, I want to thank you for the privilege of serving our club during its 101st year.

Anyone who has held this office knows the club doesn't run because it has a president any more than a train runs because it has a conductor. The conductor welcomes people aboard, makes announcements, rings the bell, and occasionally touches the brakes. (Maybe tells a dad joke over the intercom once in a while!) The real work is done by the engine and the tracks. 

That's you. The members of Belfast Rotary provide both the power that moves this club forward and the steady direction that keeps it on course. From the president's seat, I've had a unique view of both. It has inspired and gratified me.

I've watched this club change lives. Our scholarships open doors for young people. Our
support for local food pantries helps families through difficult times. The gift cards, coats, and boots we distribute each December provide more than necessities—they preserve dignity and offer hope. Our events bring neighbors together and strengthen our community in ways that are hard to measure but impossible to miss. Thank you for
making those things happen.

The past few years have also reminded us that even the strongest engines need fuel, and the best tracks require care. The pandemic interrupted more than our meetings. It disrupted traditions, relationships, and the comfortable rhythm that had carried this club for decades. Like any great locomotive, we've spent time building up steam again.

I believe we've made real progress.

Our 100th Anniversary celebrated our history, but it also challenged us to think about the next hundred years. The Strategic Planning Committee put us on a track to ask: How can we communicate better? How do we invite more people into leadership? How do we ensure our committees are effective, transparent, and welcoming? Our willingness to ask these types of questions demonstrates our strength as a club. I know our new President, Donna, and President Elect, Bobby, will keep asking these questions
and find workable solutions.

Going forward, we'll need to balance what has always made Rotary special with what will keep it strong. We'll need both fellowship and thoughtful organization, both tradition and adaptation. The personal relationships we build will always be our greatest strength so long as they are supported by clear processes that help every member find a place to contribute.

No president succeeds alone. I am grateful to our board, committee chairs, and every member who stepped forward with advice, encouragement, and a willingness to help. You reminded me that Rotary is at its best when we work together, laugh together (or groan! As long as it is together!), and serve together.

As I hand the conductor's hat to Donna, I do so with confidence. The track ahead won't always be straight, and there will undoubtedly be new challenges around the bend. But after spending this year watching the people who make this club what it is, I have every confidence that the engine is strong, the tracks are sound, and the journey ahead is worth taking.

Thank you for the honor of serving alongside you,

With gratitude,

Russell Werkman
Past-President