Paul Harris Fellow Awards, Jim Hooper

Jim Hooper presented by Paul Massuet

Paul Harris Fellow Recipient

“Jim Hooper represents the future of Rotary. He is, innately, a Paul Harris Fellow.” – Paul Massuet, fellow Rotarian.

Visit the Rotary Club of St. Catharines South on any given Monday, and you will meet the smiling face of Jim Hooper as he greets every Rotarian at our tables.  A warm hug, a friendly hand shake, a gentle enquiry as to your health, work, family, or weekend – this is Jim, our Rotary club’s ambassador.

In his youth, Jim was a Rotary Youth Exchange Student who sojourned in France. Growing up, Jim saw his father help his community as a Rotarian.  Jim, now an Agent with State Farm, understands the goodwill associated with being a good neighbour and the service associated with being an emissary of Rotary.

Since joining our club in October 2005, Jim has been very active in Group Study Exchange, working with the other St. Catharines clubs on planning and implementing the itineraries for our incoming GSE teams.  For a number of years, Jim has also been an integral part of our Foundation Committee, selecting our deserving Paul Harris Fellows.  In 2010, Jim co-chaired our Explore Niagara Car Rally and, most recently, he has been a lead for our semi-monthly Rotary bingo.

Consider this anonymous poem as it relates to Jim: A true hero gets out of bed every morning and goes about life's daily tasks unnoticed, unassuming, and unsung. A true hero takes on responsibility, gives out credit, and always looks for a way to solve the problem. A true hero speaks kindly, acts fairly, endures patiently, enjoys easily. And, facing every day with simple strength, a true hero persists in the things that matter.

For being an unsung hero for the Object of Rotary, the Rotary Club of St. Catharines South is proud to recognize Jim Hooper as a Paul Harris Fellow.