The BreadBasket Who is Mark Howison

I wrote my Vocational Talk in 2004, and in that I mentioned I had decided I was like a cat with nine lives. If you want to see my first six lives, log into the Members area, and click on my Vocational talk on the right side of the menu.

Where I left off in 2004, I had just started racing again. In 2005, we formed a four car team and raced under the name MLC Racing (Mid Life Crisis). We had a great year. I got my first win and finished second in the Championship. One of our drivers got Rookie of the Year, and we all finished in the top ten in points. During this time I also squeezed in a month in Malaysia as Group Study Exchange Team Leader. In 2006, I could not run for the point Championship, due to my Rotary involvement, but I won one race and finished fourth in points. One of my teammates won the Championship. Not bad for a bunch of old guys.

The end of the 2006 racing season also saw the end of MLC Racing as I had been nominated to be District Governor 2007-2008 and could no longer spend any time racing. On to life seven!

Life Seven
I think a lot of Rotarians do not realize that being District Governor is a three year commitment. It honestly takes you a year to get ready, a year to be Governor, and a year to get over it! Our Rotary Zone has three required functions I had to attend, each a week long – Governor Nominee Training Session, Governor Elect Training Session, and of course International Assembly.

Of course my year had to be racing related – and it was. The theme was "Team Rotary". My Assistant Governors were "Crew Chiefs" and the Presidents were all "Drivers". The District Conference was all based on racing with lots of checkered flags and such. My keynote speaker was the son of Parnelli Jones, a famous American race car driver, and Parnelli came to cheer him on.

My actual year was otherwise pretty typical – fifty-eight club visits, a District Assembly, a Foundation Party, oh and eight to ten phone calls and sixty plus emails every day. Also lots of deadlines and paperwork.

The International Convention my year was in Los Angeles, sixty miles east of where I live, so that left Barbara and I some time to make a couple of other trips. I had started an idea of having a "District" International project, and our district adopted a village in Uganda. Barbara and I were able to visit that village. We also got to make a trip to China with a group of Rotarians.

Looking back now, even as hectic as things were, the time seems to have passed far too quickly. It is a time I will always remember with fondness. The best part was all the great Rotarians I was privileged to meet.

Life Eight
Past Rotary International President Cliff Dochterman has a great saying about Past District Governors – Old PDG's don’t fade away, they just accumulate…. Well, now I am one!

It was strange for awhile – my phone quit ringing and the mailman asked if everything was ok because I wasn’t getting any mail. I had to keep checking my email program because I was sure it was broken. It was like someone turned off the light!

Truthfully, being a PDG has been great. I have been able to focus on our village in Uganda (www.helpinguganda.org), and support the current Governor. Like being a Past President, I now have the knowledge and time to do what I want. I have no desire to move up the Rotary food chain, so now I can just be a member of a Rotary club again.

And for life nine? Who knows. Our middle daughter is in the film business. Barbara and I have produced a couple of Indy films, one of which is a documentary about our village in Uganda. I will keep you posted.

Mark Howison,
District Governor 2007-2008
District 5330
Southern California