Rotary District Governor

Mar 18, 2025 12:00 PM

Jeff Horlacher

I joined the Great Bend Rotary club in 1991, and learned to love Rotary there. They selected me Program Chair, and finding programs for the year proved to be a fun and interesting process. I was a clinical psychologist then, and worked at the mental health center. I still have a passion for mental health issues, and was saddened to learn Kansas now ranks 51st in the nation in providing mental health care. How did we achieve that? They included Washington, D.C. in the rankings. We can do better! I moved to Colby in 1995 and joined Dad in the family jewelry store. Grandpa started the store in 1927, and I am proud to carry on the family business.

When in Great Bend I played on the Bonzai Bombers soccer team in the indoor city recreation league. I don’t recall we ever won a game, but a teammate interviewed us and reported on our games on the local radio station. It turned out the public loved hearing about our games, and complained when Randy stopped putting our games on at the end of his broadcasts. So, they resumed. You don’t always have to win to have fun. I also pursued my enjoyment of bicycling, and rode Bike Across Kansas for 20 years. I was also a route director for ten of those years. Dad shared his love of camping and backpacking, beginning with sleeping in a tent in the backyard as a child. I still enjoy exploring the mountains on foot. I have quite a collection of photographs from my trips, and have a camera with me most of the time.

I have been fortunate to travel the world, buying diamonds and colored gemstones in Europe and visiting a diamond cutting factory in China. I have been to five Rotary International conferences, beginning with the centennial in Chicago in 2005. I recommend all Rotarians go to at least one. It’s an eye-opening experience.

When asked “What’s your favorite music?” I have often been stumped. It depends on my mood at the time, and what life is presenting me at the moment. However, the best answer consistently has been “ballads.” Whether they present in folk, rock and roll, country, religious or classical music, it’s the songs that tell a story that touch my heart and soul. Among my life long favorites are sung by a man six years older than me, and his songs have touched hearts across generations and across the globe. Many of his songs are autobiographical, and resonate immediately, and we rely on them for years. James Taylor’s hit “Fire and Rain” speaks of a friend’s suicide, his struggle with addiction, and treatment in a mental hospital. All are topics we have examined this last year in Rotary across the world, and mental health is not a focus Rotary nor I want to abandon. Recent Rotary International Presidents have emphasized empowering girls and women, eradicating polio, and being people of action to achieve our goals.

We all should be cognizant of the seven areas of focus of Rotary International: Peacebuilding and conflict prevention, Disease prevention and treatment, Water, Sanitation and hygiene, Maternal and child health, Basic education and Literacy, Community economic development, and Environment. How do our projects fit in these areas of focus?

Our theme this year is the Magic of Rotary. We can make dreams come true, and together make the world a better place. I look forward to witnessing the Magic of Rotary as your District Governor, and sharing my enthusiasm with you, and becoming infected with yours.

Let’s make the Rotary experience Irresistible! Let’s make Magic!