Welcome to Embers and Wind!

Guest Cameron Davidson states: “So it’s actually kind of funny. The first time I heard about Rotary, of course before I knew what it was, I kind of just thought it was a club of just older people who just, you know, hung out and would have conversations. So the very first time I actually heard of Rotary and had an experience with Rotary, was when I was a sophomore in high school. My English teacher had encouraged me to participate in the (Rotary) 4-Way speech contest that our local Rotary club was hosting and the grand prize was $100. So, 15-year-old me thought ‘Wow, $100! What can I not do with $100?’ So of course, I uh, I signed up to participate, and I ended up coming in first place. And this was like the very first experience that I had with the Rotary club…. The Rotary 4-Way Test is kind of like this motto that Rotarians and people associated with the Rotary club follow. And it’s essentially like a guide that guides your actions and your thoughts and what you say. And basically, it’s just ensuring that everything that you say or do is true. It’s fair to everyone concerned. It builds good will and better friendships. And it’s beneficial to everybody concerned.”

I'm your host, Keith Weedman. In each podcast episode, you will hear stories. These stories will feel like a tender wind blowing on the embers of service that glow within you. In this weekly show, you will learn ideas, kindling for your embers. It will be your choice to utilize the gentle wind to ignite the kindling. 

In this episode, Cameron Davidson recounts his multiple encounters with Rotary and putting service above self, beginning with winning $100 in the Rotary 4-Way Test speech competition as a high school sophomore. He shares how meeting high school students all around the world broadened his perception by participating in Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) program. He explains how participating in RYLA stimulated his interest in Rotary Youth Exchange. He talks about how attending school for one year in Mexico through Rotary Youth Exchange and living with a host family stimulated his interest in obtaining his education and then committing his career to peace and conflict prevention/resolution, one of the six areas of focus of The Rotary Foundation. He shares what it felt like to win Rotary District 6580’s $40,000 Global Grant Scholarship Award to obtain his master’s degree in Spain in Global and International Studies with a focus on nationalism and conflict management. He challenges people, including older people, to do things outside of their comfort zone. 

For those who want to connect with Cameron, he recommends connecting with him on Facebook or on Instagram. His Facebook page is listed as the website for this episode. This link is to his Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/cam.davidson99/. He also offers his email as a means to connect with him: [email protected]. His benevolent Call-to-Action is to push yourself outside of your comfort zone by meeting new people, trying new things and doing something you would normally never do. 

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