[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 686

[Garry & Anne Krischock]

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  1. 1335; RI President's August Message 
Posted by: "Sunil K Zachariah" sunilkzach at yahoo.co.uk   sunilkzach 
Wed Aug 1, 2007 3:40 am (PST) 
RI President Wilf Wilkinson's Message for August 07

Dear fellow Rotarians,

In Rotary, August is the month we set aside to focus on membership. 
It's appropriate that this time occurs at the beginning of the Rotary 
year, because everything that happens in Rotary begins with 
membership.

When I speak at Rotary gatherings, I often tell the story of how I 
was invited into the organization. I was new in my town of Trenton, 
Ont., Canada, and my wife, Joan, and I hadn't yet met many people. We 
were active in our church and in the Boy Scouts, so it probably would 
have just been a matter of time before we were asked to join a 
service group. And as it happened, I was invited to a Rotary club 
meeting.

Rotary seemed like a good place for someone like me to meet like-
minded people. I talked about it with Joan, and we both thought it 
could lead to some new friends, and possibly a good chance to do some 
worthwhile community service. I thought I might even attract some new 
clients to my fledgling accounting practice. So, when I was invited 
to join, I did.

Now, 45 years later, that decision has shaped our lives. I thought I 
was joining a club. Really, I was joining one part of an organization 
that strengthens communities, improves health, creates possibilities, 
saves lives, and makes the world better in too many ways to count, 
every single day.

So many things I've seen as a Rotary leader have made me proud to be 
a Rotarian. But I know that being proud is not sufficient. We must 
share our pride with colleagues, friends, and family members, and we 
must seek out qualified men and women whom we'll be proud to see as 
Rotarians.

A new generation of Rotarians is essential to every club, and to 
Rotary. In some parts of the world, our clubs are thriving, and new 
ones are forming. But in others, clubs are aging and doing little to 
attract new members. As members leave, there is no one to replace 
them - and when a club disappears, there is no one to take on the 
work that's left undone.

All of us know that when we ask someone to join Rotary, we are not 
imposing a burden. We are giving a gift. We are sharing with another 
person the wonderful, amazing force that is Rotary, just as Rotary 
Shares with us.

So I urge each of you, this very week, as proud Rotarians, to share 
Rotary with a qualified individual. Submit the name of at least one 
prospective member, and if approved, ask that person to join - just 
as someone did for me, and just as someone did for you. 
Wilfrid J. (Wilf) Wilkinson
President, Rotary International

Courtesy:eFlash_Rotary

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