Dear Rotary Leaders Of Tomorrow
Fast Forward
The years that went by…Oh! We all have felt that time must fly and better days must come soon. We spent a major part of the last two years without seeing our friends and relatives. Some of them have left us and we must live with only memories of our friendship. As a new Rotary year is about to dawn on July 1, we know this: Rotary – If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.
Did we all feel weak fighting this Covid 19 virus? Probably initially. But we challenged ourselves. We knew that weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character. Rotarians did not buckle down but did splendid service saving human lives. Bringing in oxygen concentrators, oxygen plants, beds, hospital equipment, medicines from abroad and organizing vaccination camps were some of the rapid actions taken by Rotary Clubs in India. The Governments of various States took our help to promote vaccination and remove hesitancy among the people. These are great achievements by any standards when you consider that Rotarians risked their lives and became ‘front-line volunteers’ to help the community.
As you get ready to lead Rotary in your District during 2021-2022, please remember that what keeps Rotary alive is the awareness amongst the existing members that we can do good and we are doing good. Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. We have shown that nothing can stop us when we stand united.
Rotary is all about genuinely reaching out to people all over the world. Service is linked to enlightenment. It is like the blossoming of a flower. Enlightenment can happen quickly and the when people realise that the purpose of existence is to serve, they will stay in Rotary and strengthen the movement. Rotarians must also know that being in Rotary is not just about how much they serve, but how much love they put into serving. Rotary and The Rotary Foundation are not destinations, but doorways to reach and serve the entire humanity.
I believe that if we consciously hold on to the programmes of The Rotary Foundation and the areas of focus, it can alter the way Rotarians and other donors think, feel and experience life. This will develop Rotary in your area to be favoured organisation when people in the community want to donate or look for support during times like these. Focus on the process of achieving the goals set by our RI President for the year 2021-2022 and the results will follow. Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, “It will be happier.”
The ultimate measure of a Rotarian leader such as yourself, is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge. You are here to serve and to change lives. As I said earlier, “If Rotary doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”