Rotary Magazins

A Rhyme for Membership

From The Raven, bulletin of the Rotary Club of Dublin North

TEN little members standing in a line,
one disliked the president, and then there were nine.

NINE ambitious members offered to work late,
one forgot their promise and then there were eight.

EIGHT creative members had ideas as good as heaven,
one lost enthusiasm, and then there were seven.

SEVEN loyal members got into a fix,
They quarreled over programmes and then there were six.

SIX members remained with spirit and drive,
One moved away and then there were five.

FIVE steadfast members wished there were more,
One became indifferent and then there were four.

FOUR cheerful members did never disagree,
’til one complained of meetings, and then there were three.

THREE eager members! What do they do?
One got discouraged and then there were two.

TWO lonely members; our rhyme is nearly done,
one joined a bridge club, and then there was one.

ONE faithful member was feeling rather blue,
met with a neighbour and then there were two.

TWO earnest members, each enrolled one more,
doubling their number, and then there were four.

FOUR determined members just couldn’t wait,
’til each won another, and then there were eight.

EIGHT excited members signed up sixteen more,
in another six verses, there will be a thousand and twenty‑four!

Odds and Ends from the pages of The Rotarian Magazine contributed by historian Dr. Wolfgang Ziegler