HAMPTON —- Departing Hampton Town Manager James Barrington received another farewell recognition Tuesday as members of the Hampton Rotary Club celebrated him at an evening meeting at the Ashworth by the Sea Hotel.

The accolades kept coming at Barrington's last meeting as a Hampton Rotarian. But even though he and his wife, Darlene, will be on the road to re-establish their roots in the Lone Star State today, Barrington's love affair with Rotary is set to continue in their new home in Canyon, Texas.

An emotional Barrington sat through the litany of well-wishers and anecdotes of Rotary members. And in the midst of these feelings, he offered more reflections of what Hampton Rotary and Rotary International mean to him.

"It's about who we are, it's about what we are; it's about integrity," Barrington said.

Barrington went on to note how Rotary is dedicated to eradicating polio from the world, and offered: "To the extent we can affect others, I want to start an epidemic."

Barrington said his realization of the tributes that Rotary receives for all the services it provides made him commit to being "not a Rotarian just on Tuesdays, and I challenge you not to be either."

"What you need to do, do," Barrington said. "It has been a wonderful experience for me and my family."

In ending, Barrington recently said his 5-year-old grandchild saw a pin on his lapel and, recognizing it, said, "Oh, Rotary!"

"Every 5-year-old in the world needs to know what Rotary means," Barrington said.