[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 631

[Garry & Anne Krischock]

Messages In This Digest (4 Messages) 
  1. 1268: Get ready to change the world From: Sunil K Zachariah 
  2. 1270: Learning the meaning of Rotary Shares From: Sunil K Zachariah 
  3. 1271: Past RI Director Finks dies From: Sunil K Zachariah 
  4. 1272: RIPE Wilf Wilkinson's Thematic Address at Int ernational From: Sunil K Zachariah 
Messages 
  1. 1268: Get ready to change the world 
Posted by: "Sunil K Zachariah" sunilkzach at yahoo.co.uk   sunilkzach 
Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:04 pm (PST) 
Get ready to change the world

By Antoinette Tuscano 
Rotary International News

To stay relevant in Rotary's second century of service, The Rotary 
Foundation must prepare for whatever changes the future holds, said 
Trustee Chair Luis Vicente Giay at the 2007 International Assembly in 
San Diego.

"It is everyone's responsibility to prepare our Foundation for the 
future," said Giay. "We want The Rotary Foundation to be the best in 
the world." 

According to Giay, preparing for the future means ensuring the 
Foundation both quickly and simply serves Rotarians. At the same 
time, the Foundation must remain flexible enough to provide aid 
whenever it is needed. 

Giay chairs the Future Vision Committee of The Rotary Foundation, 
which advocates proactive problem-solving, increased Rotarian 
involvement in district-level project administration, and planning 
for growth. 

"Over the next 25 years," said Giay, "some US$300 trillion will 
change hands and pass from one generation to the next. A large 
portion of these resources will be transferred to foundations, 
charitable works, churches, and not-for-profit organizations. Our 
Foundation must have a well-defined and aggressive policy in place 
for receiving additional contributions."

Giay emphasized that the Foundation must not miss the opportunity to 
use these funds effectively. "We live in an age of unprecedented need 
and unprecedented promise," said Giay. "Everything to change the 
world is within [Rotary's] grasp." 

The Future Vision Committee created its objectives by consulting 
experts and surveying more than 20,000 Rotarians. The findings from 
this research formed the future vision plan, which includes short-, 
medium-, and long-term strategies.

The committee began its work in 2005 and will submit its plan at the 
Council on Legislation in April. The committee must conclude its work 
by 2009.

Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary


2. 1270: Learning the meaning of Rotary Shares 
Posted by: "Sunil K Zachariah" sunilkzach at yahoo.co.uk   sunilkzach 
Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:04 pm (PST) 
Learning the meaning of Rotary Shares


By Antoinette Tuscano 
Rotary International News

The 2007 International Assembly is now history. But what happened in 
San Diego will carry through to Rotarians everywhere as the group of 
532 incoming district governors takes what they've learned back to 
their clubs in preparation for the next Rotary year. 

The group found a common source of inspiration in the 2007-08 theme, 
Rotary Shares.

"This assembly is awe-inspiring," said Richard V. Fisher, the 
incoming governor of District 9270 from Durban, South Africa. "It's 
the experience of a lifetime."

The International Assembly, which ran from 28 January to 2 February, 
is an annual Rotary leadership development event in which seasoned 
Rotary leaders train and inspire the next group of district governors 
to help them prepare for the year ahead. Traditionally, it's here 
that RI leaders share their goals for the new Rotary year beginning 1 
July.

"We lead you, so you can lead others," RI President William B. Boyd 
told the assembly participants, echoing the current RI theme, Lead 
the Way.

"We have high hopes and expectations that you will do what you can - 
and more," said incoming Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Bhichai 
Rattakul to 2007-08 district governors. "Go forth from here and 
serve. Help and guide your clubs, sharing with them your strengths." 

Filled with Rotary fellowship that pervades the meeting and armed 
with new Rotary resources, the future governors and their spouses are 
up for the challenges of the coming year.

"It's a great fellowship opportunity. And there is so much to learn," 
said District 9120 Governor-elect, Saliu Osifuemhe Ahmed, from 
Kaduna, Nigeria. 

District 5710 Governor-elect Chuck E. Trimble, from Burlington, 
Kansas, USA, said the meeting reinforced ideas about Rotary he has 
had for years. Referring to this year's group discussions he 
said, "It's great to be in a room with 20 other district governors-
elect and hear what they're thinking."

Discussion group topics included membership development and 
retention, public image, youth programs, The Rotary Foundation, and 
club support. 

The family of Rotary - the support network that includes Rotarians' 
spouses - was active as well. While the district governors-elect were 
training, their spouses learned about Rotary in their own 
sessions. "I believe that I can help my husband [District 3830 
Governor-elect Renato Magadia]," said Vicky Magadia, from Makati 
City, Philippines. "I'm adding to what he's learning here." 

On Thursday, Rotarians and their spouses enjoyed International 
Festival Talent Night. With enthusiasm and in colorful national 
dress, Rotarians took to the stage to dance and entertain the crowd, 
showcasing the global flavor of the meeting. 

In the midst of the festivities though, no one forgot what it meant 
to be a Rotarian. To raise funds for The Rotary Foundation, some 
Rotarians had their costume props auctioned off on stage by RI 
General Secretary Ed Futa. Australians raised US$7,000 by selling a 
large inflatable kangaroo, an Italian group auctioned off a 
miniature "World Cup" soccer trophy for $2,000, and Past RI President 
Frank J. Devlyn contributed $1,500 to the Foundation by bidding on a 
sombrero from fellow Mexican Rotarians.

Besides the impromptu auctions, The Rotary Foundation raised, as of 1 
February, $225,000 in contributions at the assembly.

>From the 14 volunteer sergeants-at-arms who kept the event running 
smoothly, to the Rotary leaders and trainers who shared their 
knowledge and experience, to the incoming governors who generously 
contributed to the Foundation and gave their time and energy to 
prepare for the year ahead, they all proved how Rotary Shares.

Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary


3. 1271: Past RI Director Finks dies 
Posted by: "Sunil K Zachariah" sunilkzach at yahoo.co.uk   sunilkzach 
Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:09 pm (PST) 
Past RI Director Finks dies

Past RI Director Harry F. Finks Jr., of Clinton, Missouri, USA, died 
on 5 February. He served as RI director in 1969-71. 

A Rotarian since 1937, Finks was a member of the Rotary Club of 
Clinton. He also served as district governor, committee member and 
chair, and Rotary Foundation trustee. 

Finks, a retired banker, served his community as a former trustee of 
Missouri Valley College, past member and secretary of the Board of 
Regents of Central Missouri State College, and member and vice 
president of the executive board of the Kansas City, Missouri, Area 
Council of Boy Scouts. 

Visitation will be held the evening of 9 February in Clinton at 
Bradley and Hadley Funeral Home, 1410 E. DZF Road. Funeral services 
will be held at 2:30 p.m. on 10 February at the First Presbyterian 
Church of Clinton.

The past RI director is survived by his wife, Maxine; sons, Harry and 
Richard; daughter, Sydney Reding; six grandchildren; and 11 great-
grandchildren. Condolences may be addressed to Maxine Finks at 505 
Ninth Street Terrace, Clinton, MO 64735 USA.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Harry Finks Scholarship 
Fund c/o Rotary Club of Clinton, 200 W. Franklin St., Clinton, MO 
64735 USA.

Source: Rotary International News
Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary


4. 1272: RIPE Wilf Wilkinson's Thematic Address at Int ernational 
Posted by: "Sunil K Zachariah" sunilkzach at yahoo.co.uk   sunilkzach 
Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:26 pm (PST) 
Rotary Shares

Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
RI President-elect

Rotary is an amazing thing. I've been a Rotarian for an awfully long 
time - 44 years now - and I've gotten kind of used to it, so every so 
often I have to stop and remind myself just how amazing Rotary is.
And I think that that's a valuable exercise for all of us who've been 
in Rotary for a while.

What is Rotary? You've all been asked that question. What I say is 
that it's the oldest, most international service club with 1.2 
million members, all of them out there in their communities,
all over the world, doing their best to make them better. It's 32,000-
plus clubs that meet every week to try and do just a little bit more 
to help others. And it's tens of thousands of projects going on every 
day, doing just about every kind of useful and creative
work you could possibly imagine - and then some. It's all of us out 
there, doing our best to change the world.

That sounds pretty good. But it doesn't really say it. It doesn't 
really convey what Rotary is - what it means to all of us here, and 
what it means to me personally.

To me, Rotary is nothing short of magic. Rotary is what makes it 
possible for a chartered accountant from Canada to do a whole lot of 
things you wouldn't expect him to do. Rotary made it possible for me 
to travel up the Khyber Pass with armed guards to immunize Afghan 
refugee children against polio. Rotary made it possible for Joan and 
me to have good friends in countries we probably hadn't heard of 44 
years ago. And Rotary made it possible for me to stand here in front 
of all of you today.

The magic of Rotary is that Rotary allows ordinary people to do 
extraordinary things. Rotary allows people like you and me - people 
whose lives revolve around our families, our jobs, and our 
communities - to reach beyond our daily lives to do, and be, something
more. It allows us to open our hearts to people we might never meet 
and to share the love that we have for our own communities with a 
community thousands of miles away. Because Rotary is about human 
beings' love for other human beings, whoever and wherever
they may be. Rotary allows us to express that love and to share it.
We share it through our club service - because our clubs are the 
hands of Rotary. Without our clubs, there is no Rotary. And so we 
work to strengthen our clubs by recognizing our members, reaching out 
to members in need, and maintaining contact with the widows and 
widowers of past members. We work to make sure that our clubs are 
open, friendly, and welcoming to anyone who is qualified to join.
We share our love through vocational service - because through our 
work we are the voice of Rotary. We share our training, our 
expertise, our abilities, and our strengths. And we strive to assert 
the ethical values of Rotary in our every business transaction and our
every professional decision.

We share our love through community service - because service to the 
community is at the heart of Rotary. We work to address the needs we 
see at home, because our homes are our first responsibility. And we 
do our best to make our presence in our communities known, so that 
people will say, "This is the good work that Rotary does." And 
perhaps they, too, will join in it. We share our love through 
international service - because each one of us, in our own
country and region, serves as the eyes of Rotary. It is our job to 
know our own community, to see where we can help and how. We know 
that if there is a need that we cannot meet alone, then other 
Rotarians, around the world, can be called upon to help.

We share our love through focusing on youth - because youth is the 
future, not only for Rotary but for us all. Working to strengthen our 
programs for youth helps ensure that a new generation of responsible, 
ethical, and volunteer-minded people will be waiting to fill
the seats in this room when those of us here today leave them. These 
young people are our link to the Rotary future that we ourselves will 
not see. 

And we share our love for Rotary through focusing on membership. No 
matter how many our successes, unless we continue to gain new 
members - and keep the ones we have - Rotary will not survive.
But as President Bill has told us so often, if we want to Lead the 
Way, we must lead by example.

And that is why I have asked each of you to bring in one new member 
before arriving at this assembly. And it's why I've asked each of you 
to ask your club presidents to bring in one new member in their year 
in office. And it's why all of us have to be sure to follow up on our 
efforts by staying in touch with those members, to make sure that they
succeed in Rotary and bring in new members themselves.

I know it's not always an easy thing to invite someone into Rotary. 
Too often, we hear no. And nobody likes to hear no. It's easy to get 
discouraged. But you have to expect those no's and know when to ask 
again - and when to move on to find a yes somewhere else.

That yes that you get, on the second or third or fourth try, is what 
Rotary needs from you most of all. It is the single most important 
thing you can do to ensure Rotary's second century. Without new 
members, nothing else matters. Because however good our work,
however valuable and vital, without new members it will take only a 
few decades for Rotary to disappear. Unfortunately, this is something 
that we are already seeing among many of the smaller service clubs.
As district governors-elect, you are about to take responsibility for 
districts with clubs that may be small or large, weak or strong, old 
or new. Your job is to take all of those clubs
and make each one of them better. You must know your clubs, inspire 
your clubs, and encourage your clubs. It won't always be easy. But as 
the saying goes, to achieve something worthwhile, you don't ask for a 
light load. You ask for a strong back.

I know that your backs are strong, or you wouldn't be here today. You 
are the ones who value and cherish what Rotary is and what it does. 
You have the ability, the knowledge,and the commitment to bring 
Rotary into another year of success and growth, another
year of building on 102 years of service and good work.

In the year to come, I plan to continue President Bill Boyd's 
emphases of water, health and hunger, and literacy. These basic needs 
have been at the forefront of Rotary's efforts for several years now, 
and I hope that that will continue - because with clean water, good
health, and the ability to read and write, so many of the people who 
need help will find the ability to help themselves.

I also plan to continue his emphasis on the family of Rotary - 
because in caring for each other, we help assure that Rotary will be 
around to continue these good efforts for many years to come.

When you focus on meeting these needs, I ask you also to remember 
that just as the essence of Rotary is love, the essence of expressing 
love is kindness. I ask you to show that kindness in your dealings 
with each other, with your communities, and especially with
those your work is aimed to help. Bringing someone hungry a meal only 
feeds his stomach; bringing him a meal and sitting with him, while 
you eat together, feeds his soul. 

We are all proud of Rotary's great works - Polio Plus, the 3-H 
grants, the big projects that help so many. But just as important are 
the little things we do in our daily lives - the errand you run for a 
friend, the hour you spend helping a neighbor. Those little acts that
Wordsworth called "That best portion of a good man's life, - / His 
little, nameless, unremembered acts / Of kindness and of love."
The love and kindness that inspire all of us in Rotary aren't 
anything belonging to reason or logic. They're not anything that can 
be expressed in terms of a formula or reflected on a balance sheet. 
But love and kindness is what makes Rotary possible. And what makes
Rotary great is our expressing that love in our hearts through the 
work of our hands and our minds. As Rotarians, we don't just sit back 
and talk about loving other human beings.

As Rotarians, we demonstrate that love, and we share that love, 
through helping each other. That is why, in 2007-08, our theme will 
be Rotary Shares.

Rotary Shares because Rotarians care. Rotary Shares because Rotarians 
know the needs. Rotary Shares because Rotarians provide Service Above 
Self.

In choosing this theme, I thought about how much of Rotary is about 
sharing. We share our time, we share our talents, we share our money 
with others who need our help. We share our kindness and we share our 
love.

In Rotary, sharing doesn't mean giving away what you have to spare, 
what you don't need for yourself. Sharing means giving of yourself, 
selflessly, for the good of others.

In the coming year, I will ask you to focus on what each of you has 
to share with Rotary: your leadership, your skills, and your 
dedication to making your clubs and your district better and stronger.
And I will ask you to share Rotary with others by bringing in new 
members. Because Rotary will only be able to continue sharing if it 
continues to grow. I will ask you to remember the importance of a 
listening ear, a gentle word, a helping hand, and an open
heart. And I will ask you to remember the words of Stephen Grellet, 
who wrote: I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good 
things, therefore, that I can do, any kindness that I can show a 
fellow being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I 
shall not pass this way again.

My friends, the opportunities that lie before you in the year ahead 
will not come again. This year is your chance to be a district 
governor, to help your clubs, to guide them, to share your strengths 
and your love.

In the year ahead, a great deal will be asked of you. This will be 
your year, your chance, your opportunity to truly achieve. It won't 
always be easy. The path won't always be smooth. And that's why I ask 
each and every one of you to resolve today that this year,
you will say yes to Rotary. Yes, I will share Rotary by bringing in 
new members. Yes, I will remember to put Service Above Self in 
everything I do. Yes, I will demonstrate my love for Rotary to those 
in my district and in every one of my clubs.

I want the district governors of 2007-08 to be known as the class 
that says yes. And I'd like you all to start right now by standing 
up. Please stand up.

Now, I already started this as the year of saying yes by asking our 
training leaders if they would share Rotary with each of you. They 
responded by pumping their arms in the air three times and 
shouting, "Yes yes yes!" Let's see if you can match their enthusiasm 
and do a little better with the volume.
Do you love Rotary? (Incoming governors answer, "Yes yes yes!") 
Oh, you can shout your love for Rotary louder than that. 
Do you love Rotary? (Yes yes yes!)
Will you serve Rotary? (Yes yes yes!)
Will you share Rotary? (Yes yes yes!)

Thank you! Please be seated.
And so, I ask you all, this year, to share Rotary freely and fully. 
Work hard, and work with love. And remember that everything you do in 
service to others is part of the magic of Rotary, the magic that lets 
ordinary people, like you and me, do absolutely amazing things.
Thank you.

Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary
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