A few years ago, when Children's Hospital of Colorado issued an emergency call for help in stemming the leading cause of death for kids and young adults in the state, a small group of Highlands Ranch Rotarians answered.
They formed the Pediatric Mental Health Committee and set an ambitious goal: to raise enough money to fund, in perpetuity, a psychiatric fellow at Children's Hospital — a doctor who would see more than a thousand patients a year, provide counseling and, when needed, medication, and treat not just the child but the whole family. Suicide is a sad and permanent (for the victim) solution to what should be viewed as temporary problems.
The initial impetus came from Shrin Murthy, who volunteered at Children's and persuaded Debby Doig, Tamie Fennell, and Jeannie Taylor to join him on what felt at times like a Quixotic journey.
It meant driving lots of miles and giving lots of smiles, visiting Rotary Clubs across Colorado to highlight the need — and to make clear that any accrued credit would belong to all of Colorado's Rotary Clubs, not just the one that spearheaded it.
The approach worked. Together, the clubs raised more than half a million dollars, enough to seed the Fellowship. More than half of that total came from the Rotary Club of Highlands Ranch itself.
The effects continue today. The Fellowship account now exceeds $700,000, and at a recent Noon Club meeting, members heard from their third fellow, Dr. Amelia Abbot-Frey who compared our efforts to that of bakers who provide sustenance for their communities— a living reminder of what that statewide effort set in motion, not just a roadside rest stop, but a far reaching infrastructure that gives succor and strength helping to fight mental illness hour-by-hour, day-by-day, year-by-year. It’s an amazing example of what Rotarians are able to do. Thanks to all who have participated in this critical campaign and thanks to Children's Hospital and Dr. Amelia and to the Fellows who came before her and who will come after.
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Our Fellow wipes a tear from her eye…
…but there was also joy abounding
as we in Halloween garb, celebrated a tremendous accomplishment!
Our new District 5450 Governor, Cindy Chase (above) also spoke to us. She noted that the indispensable person asks, “How can I be the one everyone needs?” In contrast, the leader who develops successors asks, “How can I help others become capable enough to succeed without me?” The first instinct may produce admiration and security. The second produces capacity and continuity.
That shift is not always easy. Sharing expertise can feel like giving away the very thing that makes one valuable. Delegating important work means accepting that someone else may do it differently—and may make mistakes along the way. Teaching judgment is even harder than teaching procedure, because it requires trust. A successor cannot grow if they are allowed responsibility only when failure is impossible.
Nor does developing a successor mean diminishing one’s own contribution. It means changing its form. Instead of being the single point of knowledge, one becomes the person who makes knowledge transferable. Instead of solving every problem personally, one builds a team that can solve problems together. Instead of measuring success by how often people seek one’s help, one measures it by how confidently they can proceed without it.
The goal is not to produce a replica. A successor who merely imitates a predecessor may preserve familiar habits but fail to meet new demands. The better aim is to pass on strong foundations—principles, context, craft, and standards—while leaving room for a successor’s own strengths. To surpass a predecessor, someone must be allowed not only to inherit the work, but also to improve it.
That is the deeper distinction: becoming indispensable centers success on one person’s continued necessity; fostering successors centers it on work that can outlast any one person. One creates dependence. The other creates possibility.
The most meaningful measure of a career, then, may not be how difficult it is to replace the person who held the role. It may be how much stronger the role becomes in the hands of the person who comes next. Jane Kucharski talked of passing the baton to Nancy Barton on the Social Committee. It wasn't easy to let go after carrying it for many years. To make oneself indispensable is to become a crucial part of the present. To foster successors who might even surpass you is to invest in a future that does not have to stop when you do. Thank you Cindy for your leadership!
Cindy also presented a conference opportunity (below).
Sunrise Club
At our last meeting, Gary presented Rebecca Hu with her gold badge (below) recognizing the completion of her Rotary onboarding and how she has jumped in with both feet: peach sales, Brent's Place, an upcoming Guatemala trip, and even a board meeting. Congratulations, Rebecca!
Our final count on the glasses collection for Mission of Healing Eyes was 88 (much needed!) cases, 7 sunglasses, 37 prescription glasses, and 9 prescription sunglasses. Thank you to everyone who contributed from both the Noon and Sunrise Clubs. Dr. Conahan is on a mission now and was thrilled to have received our generous donation before he left!
Guest Speaker: Backpack Society June Everett, founder and executive director, inspired all of us by sharing her father's story and how it inspired her to fight childhood hunger in Highlands Ranch. Since 2019, Backpack Society has grown to serve 80 schools across four districts with weekend bags (about 500 weekly), custom grocery boxes, a no-cost market, school pantries, and the Grow to Give garden program. Donations of food or cash are welcome, and Colorado Gives (November 1 through December 8) is their biggest fundraiser.
Once again the early risers (below) have been working over the burners at Brent's Place cooking good food for good folks!
Fly'n B at Wind Crest
Making a difference, every day in every way!
Many thanks to Beth Clarke for proofreading, to Kari Brown for tech support, and to Jeannie Taylor and Ray Leaycraft for photos. Thanks to you for reading!
Please send submissions to philipbclarke@gmail.com and put Wheel Spinner in the subject line.
“…and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
