Members of the Rotary Club of Fort Erie attended an Urgent Care SOS Town Hall meeting, as there is an imminent decision to close the community’s 24-Hour Urgent Care unit. What is a Rotary club to do? How must we weigh our participation in these matters, our very citizenship with others in our community, with that of ensuring Rotary and our brand remains politically neutral? Sometimes a club and it’s community struggle to find a balance in its activities when it comes to change in its community. This article attempts to explore one such issue, and Rotarians can reach out to the Rotary Club of Fort Erie directly (RotaryFortErie.org).As we aspire to the Service Above Self ideal, especially in cases where we provide care for others in our international partnerships abroad, what do we do as a club when we see a reduction in care in our own community? These are tough, tough questions to answer and speak to the very core elements of the club as a listener to the needs of its community, a local network, a connecting resource, and indeed a voice.
This kind of change in the level of health care will come with some impacts, including costs not only in financial terms, but in other ways. Rotary indeed can use its convening power to bring perspectives together. The club must also contend with esteem, perceptions, and public image when dealing with such a charged issue.
As noted, Rotarians are welcome to reach out to the Rotary Club of Fort Erie via email: RotaryFortErie@gmail.com
-Vincent Quon, Dave Alexander