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<p><font size=1 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:7.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'> </span></font>1. <a name=1></a><a
href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1568;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdGY5dGh2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE1NjgEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIzMzI3MzUyNQ--"
title="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1568;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdGY5dGh2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE1NjgEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIzMzI3MzUyNQ--"><b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>1648: R I President's Message - February 2009 </span></b></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-weight:bold'>Wed Jan 28, 2009 11:02 pm (PST) <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><br>
R I President's Message - February 2009<br>
<br>
Dear fellow Rotarians,<br>
<br>
I grew up in a small village, the same village where my family had lived<br>
for many generations. I lived close to many members of my extended<br>
family, and our family traditions were very strong. In those days, few<br>
Koreans ever traveled abroad, and there was very little Western<br>
influence. My home, my language, and my culture were all I knew.<br>
<br>
When I was in my 20s, I made a decision that would shape the rest of my<br>
life. With my father's encouragement, I traveled to the United<br>
States to work and to study. I chose <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:place></st1:City> as my destination and<br>
spent nearly two years there, taking classes and learning English. I<br>
made my way working at several entry-level jobs.<br>
<br>
It is difficult even today to describe what an impact that experience<br>
had on me. Everything, and everyone, was different. I was used to seeing<br>
only Korean faces; in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:City>,
I saw people from all over the<br>
world. I worked hard on my English and in my job. I learned what it was<br>
like to be the person who did not understand, who cleaned up after<br>
others, who took orders but never gave them. I learned how large the<br>
world outside my village really was. And those experiences sent me back<br>
to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>
changed.<br>
<br>
When I returned to join my father's business in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Seoul</st1:place></st1:City>, I knew what<br>
it was like to be a worker at the bottom of an organizational hierarchy<br>
– and that affected how I treated my employees. I knew what it was<br>
like to do physical labor all day – and that gave me increased<br>
respect for those who worked in every kind of job. Perhaps most<br>
important, I knew how much of the world lay beyond my own experience. I<br>
knew that there were so many different countries and cultures, so many<br>
different people in the world. I knew that as much as we are all<br>
different, we are all essentially the same. And I knew that everyone,<br>
everywhere, sometimes needs help from others.<br>
<br>
In Rotary, February is World Understanding Month – a time to focus<br>
on the importance of goodwill and understanding for peace. It is a time<br>
for all of us to pause and consider how we are pursuing Rotary's<br>
<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">fourth Avenue</st1:address></st1:Street>
of Service – International Service – because it is<br>
our international service, and our international fellowship, that will<br>
do the most to help us all build a more peaceful tomorrow.<br>
<br>
Dong Kurn (D.K.) Lee<br>
President, Rotary International<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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