Making Rotary More Diverse with David Humphries

We talk with Rotarian David Humphries about public image, the Rotary family and making Rotary more diverse.

Transcript

Peter Tonge: 0:20

Welcome to this episode of Talking Rotary. I'm Peter Tonge, and I'm a member of the Rotary Club of Winnipeg Charleswood.

Mandy Kwasnica: 0:26

And I am Mandy Kwasnica, Past President and also a member of the Rotary Club of Winnipeg. Charleswood. We are so happy you have joined us here and I are so excited for the new podcast and thankful to our many listeners. Let's start talking Rotary.

Peter Tonge: 1:06

Everyone, I'm Peter and welcome to another episode of talking Rotary. I'm here today with David Humphries. And David is in Ottawa. David, how are you this morning?

David Humphries: 1:17

I'm good, Peter, how are you?

Peter Tonge: 1:19

I'm doing really well. Now for our listeners all over the world. Can you explain where Ottawa is?

David Humphries: 1:25

Ottawa is the National Capital of Canada. It's off of the Ottawa River. It's where the Prime Minister of Canada who is our highest government official in in Canada, he lives here. It's if you know where Toronto is, it's about what five hours from Toronto?

Peter Tonge: 1:46

Right? Most people seem to know where Toronto is, So that'll help help orient them. So David, I know that you're a member of the Rotary Club of South, though. What brought you to Rotary? How did you how did you discover it and what brought you to the door.

David Humphries: 2:03

So my, my Rotary experience started when I was 12 years old. Here in Ottawa, we have something called the Ottawa rotary home, which is a home for people with disabilities, when they it's a respite care home and I was a client of the home for 12 years of my life, okay. And then I took a break, I was on the I was on the foundation's support team and a volunteer. And then two years ago, my friend Terry Clark, who's the president of our club now was looking for volunteers for our golf tournament. And I joined that, and that's how I joined was I was a volunteer at their golf tournament, and then I joined as a member who, okay, because I wanted to give, because I wanted to give back to Rotary because of what they did for me. I understand.

Peter Tonge: 2:56

So I had forgotten about the connection with the Rotary home. So tell me a little bit more about that. So you would regularly go there for respite care, is that right?

David Humphries: 3:05

Yes, yes, I would. Over Over the years that I was a client from I was client in 98. And then I went, took two years off, and then I came back. There's been a lot of changes. The home used to be on on Rochester Street, and now it's on bank on rotary way. Okay? And much larger.Okay, but so when I was 12, so when I was 12 years old, I had surgery where I broke my they broke my hip, rotated my my heel cords and stuff like that. Because I have cerebral palsy.

Peter Tonge: 3:45

Right? I understand. So do I and I've been through those surgeries as well, just just just 40 years

David Humphries: 3:53

It's the one thing that that I like, getting before. to know you is we've been through a lot of the same things.

Peter Tonge: 4:01

Yeah, that's, that's absolutely true. Now, I also tell so tell me a little bit about what Ottawa South is doing as a club.

David Humphries: 4:12

So Ottawa South is one of the 76 clubs we have in our district, which is 7040. I have many roles. As you know, Peter, I'm the district. I'm the Public Image chair for my club. I'm also the Vice fundraising chair for my club, and sit on many, many committees. We every year, we do a golf tournament this year. And past years, we've done it for the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, which I used to, which I also worked for. So it's been a really big connection warming over the past few years.

Peter Tonge: 4:53

Right. So all the other stuff is sort of inter woven that's kind of the otherwise Does the club still meet at the Hunt Club golf course?

David Humphries: 5:03

No. So we still do the golf tournament at behind Club Golf Course. But we meet at Ks on the Keys, which is a restaurant in south keys, which is part of Ottawa. But on top of my my role with the Ottawa South club, I am also the District Public Image share for this district, which I took on in September of this year. And it's been a really interesting experiences, which is just how we finally met in person at our local at our local zone event that we had in Toronto in September.

Peter Tonge: 5:42

Great. So I'm, I'm interested to see what what brought you to public image, what's the interest there?

David Humphries: 5:49

So my My professional background is wedding event planning, festival management and media communications.

Peter Tonge: 5:57

Okay.

David Humphries: 5:58

So with my professional background, our amazing Governor Pardeep when our when our former chair stepped down, asked me if I would step in, and I did. And as you know, as a Rotarian when you step into one role, many things happen.

Peter Tonge: 6:19

Do you sort of have have a strategic plan going forward and what you want to do with public image in your, in your district?

David Humphries: 6:28

Right now we're working on it. I was given the role. Three, three days before our talented district governor took his holiday. We had to call them friends. So I'm still working it in. Yeah. It was literally exactly the week he got back was the conference. So we've had, we are working on one, it's just been a very big transition and very interesting transition.

Peter Tonge: 6:58

Sure I understand? I'm honestly just being lazy and picking your brain for ideas, because, you know, I sit on the on the public image committee at the zone level. So every time they get to talk to a public image person, I'm always I'm always digging forth. Ideas, so I'll be interested to follow that as, as we as we go along. So when did you actually join your rotary club?

David Humphries: 7:27

In June of 2021, I think, okay.

Peter Tonge: 7:32

So relatively new, like a couple of years, a little more than a couple of years. Yeah, um, what's your favorite thing about it?

David Humphries: 7:40

It's the service above self. I love working with the community. And it's, it's a way to do that. Right. It's also, as you know, Rotary isn't just a club, we're a family. We're a family of 1.4 million people all over the world. The things I've learned from you and other people in in, in Rotary over the last two years has been absolutely amazing.

Peter Tonge: 8:07

Right? So where, where would you like to take your role? Do you think if the world was your oyster, what would you like to do?

David Humphries: 8:17

So I, I as as my district tells me, I'm one of the first they don't usually put somebody who's only been with Rotary for two years and a district role. Right? So my amazing mentor, Graham, who is our governor now not nominee is, is molding me with the help of our governor elect and our governor, President governor, to move up. And that's where I want to go because I want to be a member. I want to be with Rotary for as long as I can be. I'm hoping in the next five to seven years, I can be district governor and change my district to be more accessible, and more more more inclusive, as you know, from getting to know me over the last few months. I'm very, very tight on inclusivity. And on the accessibility of clubs.

Peter Tonge: 9:16

Well, I mean, that's certainly the night not out of the realm of possibility. More and more and more district governors, you know, are are not, you know, older white men who stand up, right? We have a lot of women, we have people with disabilities we have this is a much broader scope. Now. It's taken a long time, we're 100, whatever, almost 100 years in, but we're getting there. And you know what I? I don't, I don't mean to say that critically. I mean, Rotary changes in society changes and I'm just I'm just glad to see it because there's so many people to me to make contributions, right.

David Humphries: 9:56

So I know when I'm my proudest moments at the conference, and and this has to you is watching you come down the the row. And watching you get on that stage at graduation from your Governor elect as somebody with cerebral palsy watching somebody else with cerebral palsy, do it told me that I could be next, as I as I said. So I appreciate being able to be there and watching that. I know that was a very stressful day.

Peter Tonge: 10:33

There was the ceremony, but it all worked out. And credit, credit Active Directory for making it work. But I think you raise a very important point. Because as rotary becomes diverse, more and more people can see themselves in different roles as Presidents are Governors or whatever it is. Because if you're involved in an organization, and you never see somebody like you in a role, what is there to aspire to, right, but as we become more diverse, we see more people doing things in different ways. It's sort of it sort of shows that it can happen, right. And I think that's really important.

David Humphries: 11:16

Something that I'm in the midst of putting together as I've told you, on our personal conversations, is a new club in Ottawa called the access Club, which stands for ability, create, support, and stand for change. It'll be a club of parents and our people with disabilities, parents with disabilities.

Peter Tonge: 11:35

I think that's a really, I think that's a really wonderful idea.

David Humphries: 11:39

I'm and I'm really happy because my governor and my, my, my next two governors are 100%, behind me, as well as members of my my club and other clubs in this city. So it's been an experience.

Peter Tonge: 11:57

It's your hands. So So tell me a little bit more about what sort of your vision for that, that club is what kind of what kind of impact is it going to have?

David Humphries: 12:06

So that club, I want to focus on educating people about disabilities, working with nonprofits that do things for people with disabilities, like Easter Seals, and, and children at risk, which is our an autism organization, in Ottawa, and then there's a bunch of other ones that I'm working with. But I want to focus that group, I want to focus on educating people that Rotary can be a service club for everybody, which is something that is starting to happen, as you know, but the community thinks, and I'm, and I'm going to be blunt, the community and the world thinks Rotary is a bunch of white haired business people, it's no longer that way. And that is the way that it's that's the way that our international team, like people like Brian, who's on the committee at international and other people that I had the luxury of meeting over the past few weeks and past few months and two years, want to see it is to grow it.

Peter Tonge: 13:21

We certainly share that goal, because I want I want Rotary to look, I want Rotary to look like me. And yes, I'm an older white man. Absolutely. But that's where the similarities end.

David Humphries: 13:36

I'll say this one day, you could be international president or I could be international president or the international president could have a disability. That's, that's where I see our I see Rotary going.

Peter Tonge: 13:48

Yeah, absolutely. I could. That could certainly happen. I can tell you, it won't be me, because that's not something that I'm intesested in doing. But it doesn't mean that wasn't other folks again, can't do it. I mean, I love the fact that I'm going to be a governor and I'm going to work have my district level and at the zone level, but that's at 60 years old. That's kind of where my Rotary ambitions end right like, that doesn't mean I'm leaving rRotary but I have I have no interest in in, you know, taking a year out of my life and flying all over the world and doing you know, malaria clinics in Pakistan. That's not my thing.

David Humphries: 14:32

As you know, Peter, and as you saw there was one President and and she's an amazing lady. You are actually in the governor elect program with her husband. Yes. Jen. Jennifer Jones. Yeah. Jen has been a big supporter of mine, as I saw at her end speech. Yes. And she, she her and Nick. I've actually been talking Never men. And if you look at how her year when she was all for the diversity and the accessibility and and I see that with, I see that with a lot of rotaries in the way we're changing. You and I both got to speak with Stephanie, who's our incoming president, and she's so open minded and and I am so excited to see where the next couple President international presidents come. And what they see changing like, Stephanie is only our second female president ever.

Peter Tonge: 15:36

Yeah, I know, we have to think about that a little bit. Right. As I say, we've been, we've been, you know, the first 100 years, there wasn't a lot of change. But in the last 18, there's been, there's been much more, which I'm very pleased about I'm, I'm gonna I'm going to take a little bit of responsibility for pushing the change just by being me and being vocal and being, you know, I mean, I only play a small part, but

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David Humphries: 16:30

it was only a year ago that our first female president became president. Yeah, exactly. And she was a Canadian. So you and I feel that's a, that's a special thing in itself. And, and we're all Canadian.

Peter Tonge: 16:48

And let's be fair, for the presidents that follow after her for the next few years, they have a big role to play because she was very organized, she was very planned. She very much stuck to the program that she wanted to do. And she accomplished a lot. That's a lot to live up to, for those that follow her. I mean, one of the one of the challenges in all of the Rotary roles, whether it be club president or governor or international president, you have 365 days. Right. So you, Rotary is a bit of a supertanker, you're not going to turn it very far in 365 days. But if you can vary it a little bit, then then we made and we've made some, some progress, you know, some longer terms might be helpful. But having said that, as an incoming governor, you know, I want to make it through my year and turn the ship a little bit.

David Humphries: 17:47

And I'm honored to be given the role of public image chair two years into my term, two years into being a Rotarian. Like when I heard that they don't usually give a role to somebody, when they've only been with Rotary, a role like mine to somebody that unless, unless they're like three to four years in and prepare to deep and the district team, to have enough faith in me, for me to do this role. It's a very big role, as you know. And it is the image of an organization that, yes, we only have 76 clubs in Ottawa, but we're an international organization. Yeah. And it has a lot on my plate, but it's an honor.

Peter Tonge: 18:35

And in the nation's capital. One of the things that you mentioned a couple of events, David, that I think is so important is you talked about the fact that you have a team around you and you have mentors, and you have all I think that's the right way to do it. Not everybody in Rotary has that I'm so glad that you have people around you to help support what you're doing.

David Humphries: 18:56

I feel and I know that my district governor and I know that members of my district feel having a mentor before you're put in the role or Well, for the first year you're in a role is the best way to do it. Because you're getting thrown into something that is not just a district, it's international, because you're getting stuff from your international organization that you have to promote. Yes, and even your district organization and and and your zone organization as you know, we have so many different tiers on on in Rotary that we all work together, but we all we all need to be able to work as a team and not separate.

Peter Tonge: 19:45

Absolutely. One of the things that I'm very pleased about is is over the last, I'm going to say 10 years. They use that sort of they use that sort of structure for district government. So you're originally elected as the district governor, nominee elect, and then you're the nominee. And then you're the district governor elect. And then you're just a governor. So you have a four year ladder of mentors and supporters. As you're coming through and as you learn the role, we just found out to be literally, before that, I don't know the dates of when it's changed. It used to be Hi, you're the District Governor, there's the keys.

David Humphries: 20:31

And I've heard that from not just you, like, I've been friends with district governors, and and I'm very good friends with my district governor and and I become friends with you. And I, like as you saw, I made, I made quite an impression at zone.

Peter Tonge: 20:43

Yeah, you will notice, which is a good thing.

David Humphries: 20:51

To have our chair of zone conference call, even say I call him out. Everybody was kind of,

Peter Tonge: 21:01

okay. No, but I mean, you, you, you, you were you were there to learn and to make an impact. And I think you did both of those things. So that's, that's good. There's no, there's no matter where they are that.

David Humphries: 21:15

Graham, our governor nominee was on the last. I'll call it action meeting for next year. And it was a two hour meeting and 80% of it was accessibility. And he's like, You really put a lot into the team. And I'm like, Okay,

Peter Tonge: 21:34

there's nothing. Really any of that and it's becoming part of the regular planning processes instead of an add on at the end.

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Peter Tonge: 22:17

So David, I, I only have one standard question for my podcast. And it's this or it's a version of this. You could be spending your time and your money and your energy doing anything. Why Rotary?

David Humphries: 22:33

Because Rotary is a service above self, and I've learned over the years that if you don't serve people, or you don't serve above yourself, what is what is your legacy? Legacy is a big thing in my life. Okay. So the way that I see it is, Rotary is now part of my legacy. Rotary is part of my life. And, and one day I helped my step kids see that, and they know that I love them, but I also love my community.

Peter Tonge: 23:11

That's, that's a brilliant lesson to share with your step kids. Thank you, David. I appreciate it very much.

Mandy Kwasnica: 23:47

Thank you so much for joining us on another great episode of talking Rotary. We would love to hear from you. Please send us your comments and story ideas and you can share with us easily by sending us an email at feedback at talking rotary.org Let's keep talking Rotary.