One of the highlights of the Rotary Club of Salem Creekside's April 26th Anniversary Luncheon was the presentation of the Rotary Foundation District Service Award for 2023 to club member Richard D. Beck, presented by Rotary District 5100 Governor, Steve Williams.
Richard is a Ch
arter Member (April 26, 1998), Club President 2017-18 and still highly involved in the club and dedicated to its future as well as the future of Rotary and the Foundation. Richard Beck is the true essence of Rotary, in every aspect: honest, helpful, caring, committed, always putting everyone else first, the true essence of “Service above Self”.
arter Member (April 26, 1998), Club President 2017-18 and still highly involved in the club and dedicated to its future as well as the future of Rotary and the Foundation. Richard Beck is the true essence of Rotary, in every aspect: honest, helpful, caring, committed, always putting everyone else first, the true essence of “Service above Self”."I have known Richard since 2010. Over the years Richard has served as our Project Service Chair and Foundation Chair, always with a dedication to moving Rotary forward, " stated Maria Mokrai.
We are a small club, with a big heart and a commitment to helping those in need. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the lives of our neighbors near and far with Richard's support along the way.
Our Service Projects over the years can attest to our work. Whether we are helping locally paint, remodel, clean, furnish rooms for homeless VETS; or COVID Assistance Program - supporting local business during the pandemic; or supplying fire victims with laundry vouchers, we are here for our community.
We also have a strong connection to our youth, whether instilling a desire to learn during the pandemic and at home instruction through our Achievement and Challenge Award program; or Operation Backpack (provided school supplies to Title One schools and students); or making sure that students can achieve greatness as we sponsor local robotics teams as they compete nationally (Vortex Robotics), and offering high school students the ability to advance their education through our Richard Beck Scholarship Program.
We are here to support other nonprofit agencies: the Salvation Army (financially and ringing the bell); Marion Polk Food Share (financially and packing food); and preserving history at WHC with their caboose and phone both, just finishing up on decking this year. We are also helping internationally - Fire Equipment to Guaymas, Mexico last year, Humanitarian Relief to Ukraine Refugees this year and so much more. All of this and more within the last couple of years. None of this would have been possible without the inspiration and drive of Richard Beck. He is there not only with the knowledge of what needs to be done, but also how to do it, providing materials and resources to get the job done.
His support doesn’t stop with Rotary. He is a friend to all and willing to give you the “shirt off his back”, offer his home for socials and activities. "My husband and I were preparing to move furniture down to my mom’s home in Central Point and he volunteered to help us, wanting to provide a truck and manpower. Talk about service!" stated Maria.
As a Rotary Club we would not be where we are today without Richard's help. This year (as in past years) he has brought forth three additional members to our club, always advocating for Rotary and the great works it does.
But more than that, consistently and never wavering in his commitment to Rotary itself is his commitment to the Foundation. If anyone needs anything he is always there to support, whetherr in service or financially. He helped sponsor Robotics teams, programs for Veterans, schools, non-profits organizations, and the list goes on and on.
Richard is in many ways a humble man, a sustaining member of Rotary and a Paul Harris Fellow. When Richard first joined as a Charter member in 1998 club dues were $200 with a $300 donation to the Foundation yearly, and to date he is still a strong advocate of making a measurable donation to the Foundation. As a major donor, Richard never boasts about the financial support that he has given to Rotary. He would prefer being in the background. Since I have known him (2010) he has used his Foundation Points to help members become Paul Harris Fellows, with an understanding that they will make a minimum of $100 donation to the Foundation every year, knowing the good that this will create. EREY is one of his mottos, long before it became a district motto. Rotary cannot do all the great works without donations and through his generosity he has made lifetime Rotary donors – all serving humanity and doing good deeds. He brings in Foundation guest speakers and continues to note all the good that the Foundation does locally and internationally.
To us he is the true essence of what a Rotarian should be. A truly worthy recipient of the Rotary Foundation District Service Award.