Are you a potential Rotarian?

ASHEBORO — If you care about your neighbor, you may be a Rotarian at heart.

That was the message of a Discover Rotary event on March 3, hosted by Lisa Hayworth, executive director of Randolph Partnership for Children. She will soon succeed Kevin Franklin as president of the Rotary Club of Asheboro.

Moderating the small meeting of fewer than a dozen people was Mark Hensley, who is slated to be District 7690 governor for 2028-2029. The purpose of Discover Rotary meetings is to show from three to eight prospects what Rotary is all about.

After showing a video about Rotary International, Hensley told why he joined the organization and why he’s stayed. “I’m a service guy,. I enjoy giving back to the community. I want to be involved and give back.”

A retired banker and later director of the Randolph Senior Adults Association, Hensley talked about some of the service projects of Asheboro Rotary. One of them involves the Field of Honor, which allows folks to pay to have a flag flown in honor of a veteran.

Funds raised by the Field of Honor at Veterans Day, which typically flies from 400-500 American flags at the South Asheboro Middle School athletic field, goes to provide scholarships for graduating high school students.

Hensley noticed that one student being given a scholarship was graduating from Uwharrie Charter Academy, where he had previously served on the school board. He asked to be the one presenting the grant.

After the ceremony, the young girl said her father wanted to speak to Hensley. The man said Hensley had taken his daughter on a tour of UCA when she was still in kindergarten. She then enrolled at UCA and was finally graduating.

Hensley said he was so moved that he could hardly speak. “That’s why I have stayed” in Rotary.

Other projects of Asheboro Rotary are Back to School backpacks filled with school supplies for members of the Boys & Girls Club of Central NC. The club is also involved in the backpack program for needy school children that provides them with food during the weekends when they don’t have school breakfast and lunch.

Members also work with the local Habitat for Humanity home-building projects.

Rotary provides third graders with dictionaries each year and visits residents of nursing facilities at Christmas, providing gifts to those who otherwise would receive nothing.

“There’s always something interesting at our meetings,” Franklin said. He said Rotary of Asheboro has taken tours of the NC Zoo and heard from local nonprofits and other special speakers.

“It’s an opportunity to give back and fellowship, and get to know each other on a personal basis,” Franklin said. “It’s an opportunity to do good work and make a difference.”

They sometimes have joint meetings with other Rotary clubs, including Randolph Rotary, Midstate Rotary and Liberty Rotary.

Hensley said that anyone considering Rotary membership can legitimately ask, 

“What’s in it for me?” He responded that it’s a chance to do business networking, have fellowship with other community members, serve others and grow skills, among other reasons.

“We’re nonpolitical and nonreligious,” Hensley said. “We don’t care who you are.”

Paul Harris organized the first club in 1905 with just four members, according to Hensley. “He wanted to grow his law practice,” networking with the other three members. They would rotate hosting the meetings. That’s where the name, Rotary, came from.

One member was late to a meeting because he had to use the restroom, requiring him to have to go home since there weren’t public restrooms in Chicago. So the club created the first public bathroom in the city as their first service project.

Rotarians, Hensley said, “try to do things that will be lasting.” He recited the “Four Way Test, which is part of every Rotary meeting.

■ Is it the truth?

■ Is it fair to all?

■ Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

■ Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Rotary projects must meet all four tests, he said, adding that he tries to use those tests in everyday life.

There are 46,000 Rotary clubs in 220 countries with 1.3 million members. Their motto is “Service above self.” District 7690, which includes 15 Piedmont Triad counties, has 2,400 members in 45 traditional clubs, 12 companion clubs and two Rotaract clubs.

“Our 15 counties have raised funds for Western North Carolina,” where Hurricane Helene caused massive destruction in 2024.

A major international project is the eradication of polio around the world, Hensley said. A Rotarian became involved in polio eradication in The Philippines in 1979. But in 1985 Rotary International decided to take the project worldwide and the World Health Organization became involved.

Hensley said Rotary International has the goal of raising $50 million per year for the cause, and that’s backed up by a double match by the Bill Gates Foundation.

Today, Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last remaining countries with polio victims. They must have zero polio cases for three consecutive years to declare the disease eradicated. That’s certainly “beneficial to all concerned.”

Paul Harris was quoted as saying, “If you have the love of your fellow men in your heart, my friend, you are a potential Rotarian.”