by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Rotary District 6970 Assistant District Governor Theresa Smith delivered quite an introduction Monday at the Rotary Club of Jacksonville for District Governor Dave Faraldo. Some of the accolades Smith mentioned included being personally responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall and a tour of duty as the captain of the Starship Enterprise.
Faraldo acknowledged that his introduction was appropriate and said when he went to the podium, “The tone for my year is fun and fellowship.”
He has been a member of the Rotary Club of Orange Park since 1991 and served as its president in 2004-05, Rotary’s Centennial Year. That year the Orange Park Club was recognized as “Best Large Club” in District 6970. A retired U.S. Navy Captain, he currently serves as the Jacksonville director of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.
Faraldo said a question he is often asked as he visits the clubs in the district is how he became district governor. He said it started even before he joined Rotary, when his former commanding officer at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Ret. Adm. Kevin Delaney, asked him if he knew anything about the Rotary Club.
“A few weeks after that Ken Smallwood invited me to lunch and it was at the Rotary Club,” said Faraldo.
He joined the club and then began serving on various committees, the board of governors and eventually took the office of club president.
“I just kept saying ‘yes’ when I was asked to serve,” Faraldo added.
He recently attended a meeting in San Diego with about 500 of his fellow district governors. They learned about the theme for the 2009-10 Rotary year, “The Future of Rotary is in you hands.”
Faraldo said that statement wasn’t meant for the district governors, it applies to all 1.25 million Rotarians who are members of the 33,000 clubs around the world.
This year’s international goals include adding at least one member to each club, eradicating polio from Middle East and Africa and promoting Rotary’s public image.
The meeting was also an opportunity to recognize members of the club who have contributed $2,000 or more to the Rotary Foundation. The names of 51 Downtown Rotarians were called.
Club member John Seeley said the club’s foundation donations last year totaled more than $323,000.
“That’s more than a third of the total of $923,000 given in the district. The district was able to achieve a 9 percent increase last year even with the current economy,” he said.
That prompted Faraldo to tell club members, “You’re making a difference in the lives of people you will never meet and never shake their hand.”
Faraldo also presented the Rotary International “Service Above Self” Award to Daily Record Publisher Jim Bailey.
“Through leadership, hard work and team work this Rotary club can accomplish anything,” said Bailey in accepting the honor.
Club President Steve Bacalis commended Bailey for his contributions to publicizing the work the club does in the local and international communities and added, “Jim lets our Rotary light shine. It’s public relations we couldn’t afford to pay for and we appreciate what you do.”
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