District Governor
Posted by Heather Rutz
District Governor Do Nguyen shared a powerful example of his own life for service.
District Governor Do Nguyen is using the powerful example of his own life to tell Rotarians they can make a difference in the world.
Nguyen, 2016-2017 governor for Rotary District 6600, introduced himself to the Lima Rotary Club Monday. A Rotary member in Maumee since 1995, Nguyen is a 2013 winner of the Rotary Service Above Self Award. He has participated in multiple mission trips, especially in Guatemala and visited his native Vietnam in a Rotary-sponsored fact-finding trip. He also helped establish the Dove Fund, a nonprofit that builds schools and provides scholarships and microenterprise business support in Vietnam.
“I had declined invitations to join Rotary five times before I joined in 1995,” Nguyen said. “Now I realize it was a great gift that changed and enriched my life.”
Nguyen told the club his father died before he was born, and his mother’s example of care, love and doing good for others was the first gift in his life, he said. He came to the United States to study at Bowling Green State University and could not return home after the fall of Saigon. Several years later, his wife and daughter joined him, and they made their home in Ohio.
During his first mission trip to Guatemala, he was hooked on international service.
“I saw myself in those children,” he said.
Nguyen wants to see District 6600 (and its local and international service projects) represented well at the international Rotary conference, held this year in Atlanta. He also wants to push Rotary’s values down to the region’s youth, to high school and even junior high and elementary students, using the Four-Way Test as a vehicle. Lima Rotary Club Past President Esther Baldridge is helping initiate a Four-Way Test essay contest, and board member Jill Ackerman is helping initiate a speech contest.
Rotary will soon win the battle to eradicate Polio in the world, Nguyen said.
“We will stay on the battlefield until the last case is a distant memory,” he said.
Also Monday:
Tim Fitzpatrick brought nine members from the UNOH Rotaract Club to the meeting. The club received its official charter Monday.
President Dave Frost reported a good effort from the social event at Rally in the Square, saying about 15 Rotarians helped with the event. The next social opportunity is Aug. 6, a family bowling night at Westgate Entertainment Center.
Frost announced the spring Blood Clinic raised $11,322 for the Rotary Foundation.
Jonalee Schmidt presented a Rottery check for $1,315 to the Honduran water and sanitary project. This quarter’s Rottery will benefit Ottawa River Coaltion.
