A Rotary International custom for the history of the organization is the “classification speech.” Most of the time, new members are asked to deliver the speech in their first year of Rotary membership, but I was recruited during the pandemic, so we never got around to scheduling my speech.

The purpose of this activity is to tell your fellow members about your life: who you are, what you do, what you like, what does Rotary mean to you, and what are your hopes for the future.

Yesterday was finally my turn to deliver the speech, and I very much enjoyed it. I talked about my early days as a young news and sports photographer at the Shawnee News-Star, then, in 1988, coming the The Ada News. I talked about the different shoes I’ve had to fill as the newspaper business has evolved, and how I think it will evolve in the future.

Overall, I’d say the speech went well.

This October will mark five years as a member of Ada Sunrise Rotary.