At the Installation Dinner one year ago, I asked each of you to pledge 100 minutes to serving Rotary and our community through the next twelve months.  Many of you headed the call (with some 4,813.36 hours reported and counting).  We began with planting one hundred packets of bluebonnet seeds, and I think all of us can agree it was a banner season for the beautiful blue hews throughout our fair city.  Along with RI President Jones, we Imagined a Centennial Year where we would invite members to re-engage, in some cases rejoin us, and reached out to attract new and younger members to ensure vibrancy in our club for years to come.  We saw some twenty-five members inducted with, due to normal life circumstances, an overall net of thirteen members.  We imagined a club more reflective of our community and created the Minority Business Recognition program where we introduced Rotary and the power of working together to a whole sector of business. Four businesses were recognized and introduced to our club.  Each were invited to join, and it looks promising we will yield a few. 

 

We imagined a way to honor the past accomplishments of our Club and ensure the community would have a greater appreciation of the impact.  Our roots in beginning the first park in Arlington and a sculpture garden there for Rotary’s one-hundredth birthday inspired our Centennial Project; the installation of what we now called “Boundless” and the creation of the Rotary Dream Park.  We have already seen how children and adults alike have come to interact with Boundless letting themselves imagine in its mirrors and interactive lights whatever they wish to accomplish in the American Dream City. 

 

We imagined finding a way to celebrate this once in a lifetime milestone and it was only fitting we celebrated on the UTA campus; the same land that our founding members signed our original charter.  The Celebration saw approximately 360 individuals join from all sectors of the city and Rotary.  While a wonderful evening was had by all, we managed to raise additional funds (over $90,000) that will be returned to the unrestricted portion of our local foundation to be used to continue our impactful work in the community. 

 

Finally, as president, I imagined entering into the installation dinner this year knowing we set goals and met them, honored our past and laid out the pathway for our second century, and found a way to remind each other that when we harness the power of purpose, almost anything can be achieved.  I smile knowing that I was given the honor to help walk this pathway with you all this Rotary year and I rejoin the ranks of Rotary, re-energized to share the power and passion of our collective mission.

 

 

 

2023-2024 President Barry Bondurant is more than a third-generation Rotarian, he grew up in an extended Rotary family, seven Bondurant Rotarians to be exact. The Bondurants are among the Club’s leading families during our first 100 years.  Barry’s grandfather was the first Bondurant member of our Club in the 1940s and wrote to Barry’s dad Fred Jr. during WWII about joining Rotary. Barry’s dad Fred became the second Bondurant member, and then Barry’s uncle Bill joined.  Two of Bill’s sons became Rotarians, Bill Jr. and Rob.  We’re up to five Bondurant Rotarians by that count. Barry began coming to Club meetings in his shirt and shorts since second grade.  About that time Fred got blindsided with “Fred, they just called your name!” He received his first 100% Percent Perfect Attendance Award. Fred was hooked!..and that meant his family was too.  That year began 65 years of 100% Perfect Attendance by Fred.  Barry reports that family trips were planned with an eye to where dad could get a Rotary makeup.  Somehow cousin Mike Bondurant escaped the pull of Rotary.  But Mike sent in a sub.  He recruited his racquetball buddy Jack Garbo to acquire his father Bill’s law practice, which led to Fred becoming Jack’s sponsor. Jack celebrates 30 years in 2023 and is a living tribute to his friend Fred.  The two did make-ups together over the years, including to needle Barry when he was a Rotarian in Mansfield. Barry acquired another adoptive family member when Fred sponsored Mike Wade, helping him build out Wade Family Funeral Home.  Mike celebrates 20 years as a member of our Club in 2023. Mike more than served to usher Barry’s father home when his time came, he ushed Barry’s grandfather into the DFW National Cemetery as well, maybe the only WWI veteran there Barry reports.  When Jack decided it was time for Barry to come home a few years ago, he was his sponsor.  What about brother Rick, who was Club President (1986-87), between Fred Jr (1955-56) and Barry? Well, enter Don Mebus.  Don’s dad Jerry wanted him in the Club.  But classifications were a BIG deal, Don being in “insurance” and Fred was the “insurance” guy.  Sooo…Fred became a Senior Active Rotarian, paving the way for Don to come in under “insurance.” Don liked that and told Fred he’d propose Rick as additional Active “insurance” whenever Fred gave the word…which he did in 1980.