WEAR YOUR PIN PROUDLY

Luanne Triolo was several weeks into a challenge to wear her Rotary pin for 60 days straight when she realized she had missed a day.
So the 2009-10 president of the Rotary Club of Carol Stream, Illinois, USA, started all over again to meet the challenge William Ferreira, governor of District 6440, had set before all his club presidents.

"You get used to it. It's something that is really good to do," says Triolo. "Different pins do catch people's eye in different ways."
Many Rotarians are serious about wearing their Rotary pins. Eugene Beil, past governor of District 6950 (Florida, USA) and a member of the Rotary Club of Hudson, tapped into that dedication recently when he started a discussion thread on RI's official LinkedIn group, asking Rotarians whether they wear their pins every day or just for meetings. The discussion has prompted more than 190 comments.
"I am happy with the feedback," Beil says. "I feel strongly about the value of wearing the pin every day. Whether you are at the grocery store, at work, or anywhere, you never know when a stranger is going to notice and you have an opportunity to explain Rotary to them."
Tony Quinn, governor of District 1200 (England), notes on the LinkedIn thread that Rotarians agree to wear their pins at all times when they are inducted.
"Remember what Past RI President Bob Barth had to say," Quinn notes. "He said that a Rotary pin should say this about the wearer: 'You can rely on me, I am dependable, I am reliable, I give more than I take, and I am available.' I can't think of a better reason to wear it at all time."

Many shapes and sizes

Triolo says her favorite Rotary pin depicts several women with their arms raised in the air, with the Rotary emblem on the side, available through the vendor Russell-Hampton. (See a full list of official RI licensed vendors.) She says she likes to look for new pins at presidents-elect training seminars, club officer trainings, and district conferences. "There are even magnetic ones for people who don't want to stick a pin through their clothing."
Claudiu Presecan, a member of the Rotary Club of Cluj-Napoca Cetatuie, Romania, notes that Rotary was forbidden in his country during the 50 years of communist rule. "It's a pin we can wear now in Romania too. I guess only when you are forced to stop wearing it you realize its true significance."
Daniel Romanchik, a member of the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, says the LinkedIn discussion has convinced him to wear his pin more often. He is particularly drawn to RI theme pins.
Lisa Hunter, president of the Rotaract Club of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, says she always wears her Rotaract pin with pride. "Like many others, I keep a variety of different pins in my bag so I always have the right one to suit the occasion," she says.