Rotary District 5040 Governor Drew Antrobus made his annual visit to Rotary Club of Ladner on December 3, 2024. Drew’s wife, fellow Richmond Sunset Rotarian and this year’s District Learning Facilitator, Judy Smith, joined Drew. He spoke about this year's theme, The Magic of Rotary, and that it's the individual members who are the magicians who provide service where needed and make things happen, at home and in the world.
Drew Antrobus joined Rotary in 1986 as a Charter Member of the Ottawa Bytown Rotary Club. In recent years, he has been a member of the Rotary Club of Richmond Sunset, serving recently as club president. He is also a member of the Pacific Northwest Passport Club in District 5050.Over 37 years Drew has served at both the club and district levels, in a wide range positions, including club president, Assistant Governor, District committee chair and District Trainer and facilitator. He is a Paul Harris Fellow +5 Award holder, a member of the Polio Plus Society, and a Foundation Benefactor, marking some of his various Foundation contributions.
Drew retired after more than 30 years as a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and with a foundation in Civil Engineering.
Drew has two children: a daughter who is a teacher in Halifax and married with two children and a married son living in Ottawa.
He coached boys’ Little League Baseball for over 18 years and Competitive Girls Basketball for 6 years and served as certified trainer and hockey manager for 12 years in Ottawa.
Drew and Judy live in Richmond with their canine family member, Sherlock, a large Standard Poodle, shown here in miniature with Drew.
The Magic of Rotary, chosen by Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick as Rotary's theme for 2024-25, emphasizes the incredible impact Rotary members have in transforming lives through their service projects, donations, and community engagement. Members create, grow, unlock, and advance the Magic of Rotary with their actions and contributions to save lives and make a difference in their communities.
 |
The countless ways we, as members of Rotary, have transformed lives has come about through "service above self", but now, with less focus on self and more on teamwork and collaboration, through "empowering through unity."
Each member in her or his club is the most important element of Rotary is delivering service where it is needed, and the District, Zone and Rotary International are all there to support the member, in the inverted pyramid. Each member also needs to look after themselves and their own mental health as a first priority, then their family and finally as a Rotarian.
The Rotary Foundation has been among the highest rated for almost 15 years. A huge reason for our success in making lives better near and far is the Foundation. We donate to it, but Drew asks us to think of it not so much as donating, rather as "investing" in transforming lives now and the future.
We can engage ourselves and our fellow members in Rotary through the Rotary Action Plan and its four priorities or pillars. |  |
 |  |
 |  |
Learning from a line up of interesting speakers and fellow Rotarians from communities throughout our province, some fun activities, low hotel room rates and free parking all make the District Conference in April an appealing opportunity.
 | |
| President David Rushton and Richard Shantz thank District Governor Drew Antrobus for his visit to Rotary Club of Ladner with a donation in his name to Rotary's global campaign to rid the world of polio |