Christine O’Brien Finishes Year As Antioch Rotary’s First Woman President
- Christine O’Brien leads a meeting of the Antioch Rotary Club
By Natalie Souza-Rapp
In 2011, Ms. Christine O’Brien became the first woman President of the Antioch Rotary Club. The club has been serving the Antioch community for 65 years since it was formed in 1947. If anyone has ever wondered “who belongs to the Rotary Club and what do they do?” The organization is comprised of Antioch businessmen and women, and community leaders with a passion to serve people in our community, as well as internationally, who are in need. The Rotary motto, “Service Above Self”, is the driving force behind the group.
As a mother of 20-year-old twins, O’Brien moved to the United States in 1983 from Australia and has been living in Antioch since 2010. She has been working in the community since 2002 and manages both Bank of the West branches in town.
O’Brien joined the Antioch Rotary Club in 2003 because she wanted to meet people in the community and give back. When asked “what prompted her to serve as Club President?” she replied, “it is an honor and a privilege to serve as the first woman President.” She enjoys giving her time to all the great causes the organization helps.
The club meets every Thursday at 12:15 p.m. at the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center. Many people tend to view Rotary as an older men’s club. However, there are “young men and women Rotarians”, says O’Brien. Rotary is made up of “ordinary people doing extraordinary things”, she added.
Rotarians believe in living by a life-long standard known as the ‘4-Way Test’. In all things they say and do, a Rotarian will ask the following: 1. Is it the TRUTH? 2. Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3. Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? This sounds like a perfect standard for all to live by.
Just some good works the Rotary Club provides include: coats for kids, food for the hungry, Christmas gifts and Easter baskets to our youth. Their biggest program in Antioch is providing free dictionaries to the children in the community. In partnership with Delta Rotary Club of Antioch, Antioch 3rd graders in 11 schools received dictionaries this past year. On an international level, Rotarians are well known for their fight against polio. Rotary International is striving for a world where all children can get the polio vaccine.
On May 18, the Rotary Club had their 19th Annual Golf Tournament at Lone Tree. This is their biggest fundraiser which helps fund the following year’s projects. This is O’Brien’s favorite organization. “Collectively, as a group, we do amazing things” she said.
O’Brien will complete her term at the Club’s annual “Demotion Party” where they roast the outgoing president and induct the club’s president for the new year beginning July 1st.
To learn more about the Antioch Rotary Club, visit their website at www.antiochrotaryclub.org or on Facebook by typing in Antioch Rotary Club.
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Christine O’Brien speaks
