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District Governor Pushpa and Mahes Past President Ron and Jill Rotarians and partners Friends |
| Firstly Ron, Thanks for your kind words about the club members and to all club members who made last year such a success.
I don't like making these types of speeches; all of us are born with a set of instinctive fears -- of falling, of the dark, of spiders, of falling on spiders in the dark, or speaking before a Rotary Club, and of the words "Some Assembly Required," but I'm sure I'll get over it sometime."The 2009-10 Rotary International theme, 'The future of Rotary is in your hands' acknowledges the important role individual Rotary clubs will play in shaping the future of Rotary. When announcing his theme, Rotary International President John Kenny noted, "The future of Rotary will not be shaped at RI Headquarters -- it will be shaped in each and every Rotary club, because it is for each of us -- as Rotarians -- to do what is necessary to keep Rotary strong." He acknowledged the foundation established by past Rotary leaders and laid the responsibility for building upon that success on every Rotarian; "Each one of us is standing on the shoulders of generations of Rotarians past, and it is our responsibility to determine Rotary's future" he said. Every Rotary club is, and must be, autonomous. "Everything begins and ends with our clubs. Our clubs can and do work together; they work through their own districts, in cooperation with other clubs and districts, and with the support of our Foundation." "But at the end of the day, everything that we accomplish is done through the strength of our clubs. And so each club must have autonomy to serve where and how it can serve best." |
| At the same time, John Kenny highlighted the importance of the Rotary International Strategic Plan as an essential tool in providing continuity to Rotary.
The Strategic Plan identifies seven priorities that Rotarians worldwide determined to be the most important concerns for Rotary in the years ahead - 1. Firstly to Eradicate polio - This is Rotary's number-one priority. Ensuring that every child is immunized against this devastating disease will remain Rotary's corporate focus until the goal of a polio-free world is reached. The United Nations Secretary General Ban Kee Moon called Rotary the heart and soul of the worldwide polio eradication effort and pledged the UN's continued cooperation and support. This Club has fully supported the fight to eradicate polio in the past and will continue to do so. 2. Advance the internal and external recognition and public image of Rotary - was cited as one of the organisation's highest priorities by a majority of Rotarians surveyed. Agreeing that the public perception of Rotary depends largely on the outcomes of grassroots service efforts, the Board of RI will continue to provide public relations grants to help clubs and districts deliver the message about their good work … I am sure that this is something that Kenwick can take advantage of to assist both the Club's public relations and in building membership.
3. Increase Rotary's capacity to provide service to others - The Rotary Foundation, which plays a key role in supporting Rotary service, is developing new models that emphasize the benefits of Rotary service to the world and measure its results. Together, the RI Strategic Plan and the Foundation's Future Vision Plan can enhance and promote the service achievements of clubs and districts. We need to look at these models to see what will suit our Club in the future and develop our plans for the future using RI's Strategic Plan as a template. 4. Expanding membership globally in both numbers and quality - is a key priority for Rotary and for all clubs. The Board encourages members to share Rotary with others by seeking out qualified men and women from all demographic groups who will bring new talents and enthusiasm to clubs. I know we have discussed the issue of membership and are well aware that there are problems, but the situation will not go away - this is a challenge for us all! 5. Emphasize Rotary's unique vocational service commitment - this is a unique feature of Rotary membership. Recognising that as leaders in their professions Rotarians can influence ethical decision making, the RI Board encourages members to use their expertise to help students, the unemployed, and other job seekers develop vocational skills. 6. Optimise the use and development of leadership talents within Rotary - Leadership talents abound in Rotary. To optimise these talents, the RI Board encourages clubs and districts to expand opportunities at all levels, and especially for young leaders, to keep them involved and ensure a strong future at the club, district, and international levels. 7. Fully implement the strategic planning process to ensure continuity and consistency throughout the organisation. |
| As a Club we plan for the future and for activities we engage in, just the same as any business enterprise does but are we aligned to Rotary's Strategic Plan, which is something we as a club must come to grips with, quickly. If we are not yet aligned do we take the actions necessary to ensure we are? This is something the members of this Club will have to decide; it is not up to the president to decide alone.
Rotary however has nothing on lawyers when it comes to planning though ... the difference between a good lawyer and a bad lawyer is that a bad lawyer can make a case drag out for several years. A good lawyer can make it last even longer … now that's planning; getting someone else to take the blame and pay for it.
World President John Kenney has thrown down the challenge for Clubs to use the Rotary International Strategic Plan as a roadmap to the future … for Clubs to put the plan into action and, by working together, to ensure that we achieve the Clubs and Rotary's goals.
This year's Presidential Citation program provides a menu of challenging activities related to the first six priorities of RI's Strategic Plan. These activities also offer opportunities to address each of the four Avenues of Service, as well as the World Presidents emphases in the areas of health and hunger, literacy, and water. By focusing the Club's efforts within the framework of Rotary International's strategic plan, our club will also help Rotary succeed in addressing the plan's seventh and final priority — to fully implement the strategic planning process to ensure continuity as an organisation.
To qualify for a citation, our club should complete the membership goal and an activity from at least three of the six categories (that is three activities in total) between 1 July 2009 and 31 March 2010. The scope of the activities should be in proportion to the number of members in our club and our abilities, interests, and skills. In a speech to incoming governors at the 2005 International Assembly at Anaheim, Past Rotary International President Glen W. Kinross said four simple words to commence his speech to the gathering - Rotary Is a Miracle. He spoke of Rotary's support of peace, friendship and understanding to all people, it's vision of a better |
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world, the worlds need for determined fighters against diseases like polio, or cancer, or AIDS and its need for more caring volunteers, eager and prepared to help fellow human beings. Television screens in every country of the world remind us every day of the reasons for us to continue to provide food, shelter, and potable water, plus education and vocational training to disadvantaged people and their communities. Kinross concluded that the world does not need more pockets of conflict, poverty, and intolerance. Instead, the world needs more Rotarians. His words are as important to us today as they were four years ago; for today the world still needs Rotary; far more than when the first four Rotarians met in Chicago in 1905; far more than when Kenwick Club was formed and far more than even last year. The needs are greater and growing and ever more difficult to meet. The challenges we face in making our world more equitable and more just, over the broad range of human needs, amounts to a steep mountain to climb. Yet the climbing must be done. And if the Rotary Club of Kenwick can't manage a decent climb, no one can. Every member of a Rotary Club is a volunteer, we all are, but we are not enough. Cynical people often challenge the motives of volunteers and community activists. One young volunteer is alleged to have remarked to his friend: "Let us do voluntary work so that our resumes would be longer than one page". The story also goes that another volunteer in a community project said after his first day on the project: "You said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Well, it's starting to get tough, so I am going." But I know that the members of this Rotary club and of Rotary cubs around the world are not here to lengthen their resumes, nor do they intend to run away from the challenges of service. Remember the reward for good work is always more work. Andrew Carnegie once stated - "Take away my people, but leave my factories, and soon grass will grow on the factory floors. Take away my factories, but leave my people, and soon we will have a new and better factory". Tonight, the baton of leadership has been handed over to a new management team in this Club and I look forward to sharing with you the pleasure and responsibility of ensuring that World President John Kenny theme The future of Rotary is in your hands is enthusiastically adopted and acted on by this Club in the coming Rotary year. The miracle of Rotary lives in the heart of each one of its members. The Future of Rotary Is Most Definitely in Your Hands. To close I will again mention the words of World President 2009-2010 John Kenny …. Make this coming year the best year yet for your Club and it will be the best year yet for Rotary International.
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We meet at the HIGH ROAD BISTRO, High Rd. Riverton at 6.15pm Wednesdays