I was recently forwarded a powerful message from a man who dedicated over 40 years of his life to serving his community. In his retirement speech from a local school committee in 1980, he reflected on how often people say they would like to get involved, but they don't have the time, don't know enough, or assume someone else will step up.
He ended his speech with a simple but profound reminder:
“The ‘other guy’ is always going to do it but each of us is ‘the other guy’.”
Those words, spoken more than 45 years ago, are just as relevant today, especially in Rotary.
It's easy to assume someone else will volunteer, lead a committee, organize an event, or take on a new project. But the truth is, Rotary—and our community—thrives because people choose to step up rather than wait for someone else to do it.
We all have busy lives, competing priorities, and countless demands on our time. Yet being a Rotarian means recognizing that service isn't someone else's responsibility. It's ours.
As we look toward the future of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs, I encourage each of us to ask ourselves: Am I waiting for the other guy, or am I willing to be the other guy?
Because when we each do our part, even in small ways, we create something extraordinary together. That's the power of Rotary. That's Service Above Self.
Weekly Meeting Recap - October 20, 2026
Good News: $338 collected for our scholarship fund - Thank you, Joe Champ, for leading Good News and all Rotarians for contributing!
Greeters: Allan Kirkpatrick and Win Idle
Lunch Provided By: Shreddies Suppers
Announcements:
PolioPlus Society - Rotary recognizes October as PolioPlus Month. Please consider joining Rotarians by contributing $100 or more annually to PolioPlus and becoming a PolioPlus Society member.
Pints for Polio - This is our Rotary social and a great little fundraiser for the eradication of polio. See below for more information.
Turkey Bingo - Slated for Saturday, November 21st. We'll be supporting this event with some volunteer opportunities and particularly dessert and turkey prizes for Bingo winners! Be on the lookout for a signup sheet to volunteer.
Program: We were joined via zoom by Dr. Cliff Gronseth, founder of NYAGI (an educational non-profit organization focused on saving mothers' lives in rural areas of the world), and Diana Fields, chair of the World Service Committee for the Boulder Valley Rotary Clubs. We learned how Rotary is currently working with NYAGI, through a global grant through the Boulder Valley Rotary Club, to provide portable ultrasound probes for rural communities in Haiti. They are looking for other Rotarians to leverage funds to help make this project a reality.
Next Meeting: We'll be meeting at SpringHill Suites (Flattops Room), and for our program we'll be hearing from 19-year-old local, Xavier Knott, an autistic athlete whose pursuit of the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1st is about much more than crossing a finish line. This is going to be a GREAT program. See you then!
PINTS FOR POLIO:
In a world often divided by politics, beliefs, and differences, the fight to end polio is something that unites us all.
Together, we can End Polio Now.
Hope to see everyone for a pint on Saturday!
Rotary Upcoming Non-Profit & Community Events Shared By Rotarians:
STICK IT TO CANCER HOCKEY GAME
Shared By Kerry Shea
Hosted By: Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey Association
When: Saturday Oct 24th; Puck drop 6pm
Where: Howelsen Ice Arena
Cost: FREE
What: 4th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game. Come help turn the Howie Dome PINK and raise money for an important cause.
DEAR STEAMBOAT
Shared By Loryn Duke
Hosted By: Steamboat For All
When: Now through Oct 25th; 10am-6pm weekdays and 12PM-5pm weekends
Where: 1306 Lincoln Ave
Cost: FREE
What: An immersive art and storytelling exhibit from Steamboat For All that puts human faces behind housing and child care affordability issues in our valley. Learn morehere
MAMMOGRAMS & MOCKTAILS BENEFIT BRUNCH
Shared By Karen Schneider
Hosted By: Yampa Valley Medical Center Foundation and BUST of Steamboat
What: The brunch aims to benefit accessible breast healthcare and financial support for Northwest Colorado women. Participants will learn about about breast health resources and have the opportunity to connect with others who sare a passion for enhancing access to breast healthcare.
Rotarian Shout-Outs:
David Box for taking the lead in making sure our AV/mics are set up and working for our meetings. This is an integral part of our programs, and we're super grateful that David always steps up when needed.
Our website is getting an update. Thank you to Vicki Rudolph, Dan Austin, and Kate Klitgaard for volunteering to help get it updated with better information and navigation. Stay tuned!
Recently, we lost our vendor who did our Student of the Month plaques. Teresa Weinman and Chancie Keenan came up with an idea to give custom Rotary Student of the Month Yeti bottles to our selected students to replace plaques that likely weren't of value to seniors moving on to college. Thank you, ladies for re-inventing our Student of the Month “tokens” for our students! And a shout-out to Joe Tecce for designing the bottle print. We look forward to showing the club when they arrive.
Rotary 5440 District:
As we recognize October as PolioPlus Month, we have an important opportunity to strengthen District 5440’s commitment to Rotary’s effort to eradicate polio worldwide.
We strongly encourage every club to increase participation in the PolioPlus Society, inviting more District 5440 Rotarians to make an annual commitment to ending polio.
Currently, just over 160 Rotarians in our district contribute $100 or more annually to PolioPlus and qualify for PolioPlus Society membership. We know we can grow that number!
How To Become a PolioPlus Society Member:
To inspire you, below are links to two excellent videos featuring the pilots who completed round-the-world flights in support of PolioPlus. These pilots presented at our District Innovation Summit this past summer, and their stories are both exciting and inspiring.
