Eileen and Bob Rau Are Rotary Superstars!
And are the Latest Members of the Arch Klumpf Society
Prasad Menon, our District Foundation Chair, had sent me a quick e-mail asking to speak at our meeting last Monday. This is not uncommon, and it is always a pleasure to have Prasad attend our lunch. Prasad asked for six minutes, that’s all, to deliver some news. And the news was jaw dropping.
Let me digress a little more to add to the suspense. The Rotary Foundation is a bit of a magical beast. When we contribute to it, our money grows for three years and can then be returned to the Club in the form of District Grants. Also, the Foundation funds Global Grants and the Polio Plus Initiative. Through the Foundation, we have funded our Food Caravan to Town Hall, dialysis machines in The Philippines, the Nkozi Dental Grant, and so much more. The Rotary Foundation has earned the highest rating from Charity Navigator since its inception. The Rotary Foundation is a big deal.
Eileen Rau is the Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator for Zone 32 (that's a very big deal), and a PDG (Past District Governor), and our Foundation Chair, and a Past President of the Club; her resume could consume this entire newsletter. It's very easy to say: Eileen is the heart and soul of our club.
Her husband, Bob, is West Hartford Rotary’s secret weapon. Bennett Forrest and I were talking about our fundraisers and he was quick to mention at the top of the list was Bob Rau. Bennett’s comment, “This guy is a superstar!” said it all. Plus, Bob was not afraid to tackle the job of removing twenty years of grease from the Rotary grill. He doesn’t shy away from the grunt work that accompanies our events.
On Monday, July 17th, Prasad let our Club know that Eileen and Bob were being inducted into the “Arch Klumph Society.” He asked for six minutes, when in fact, he deserved sixty. Personally, I knew about Paul Harris Fellows, and even the Paul Harris Society, but Arch Klumph? Arch was the fourth President of Rotary and this award recognizes people who have made significant monetary contributions to the Rotary Foundation (I’ll let you look up the amount). But not only have Eileen and Bob donated money, they have donated their time and expertise over so many years.
This Fall, they will be inducted into the Society in an event at Rotary Headquarters in Evanston Illinois. Their profile will be placed in a permanent display there. Then, on November 5th, they will be honored at our District Foundation Brunch. (Note: Rock ‘n Rotary Beatlemania is that evening)
This, my friends, is a BIG DEAL.
Congratulations Eileen and Bob, and thank you for all you do. Color me impressed!