Rotary
International Kalyan Banerjee's December 2011 Message
RI president's monthly
message - December 2011
My dear brothers and
sisters in Rotary,
In late August, Binota
and I were in Ghana, where Rotary Foundation Trustee Vice Chair
Sam Okudzeto and enthusiastic local Rotarians took us to the ribbon-cutting
for a water project in a little village, Abutia Teti, about 60 miles
from Accra. We arrived at about 11 a.m., and the whole village seemed
to be there. Everyone had been waiting since early morning to welcome
us. In the past, the women had to walk over 3 miles to carry pails
of water from a river. Now they had a supply of safe, clean water
from tube wells in the village itself. It was a simple but effective
project in which Rotary and USAID had worked together. But what
struck us most that day was family: The men, the women, the children
were all there together, dancing, singing, and welcoming us. It
made me think about how everywhere around the world, people come
together in families, and families join together as communities.
And this made me happy
that the first of our emphases in this Rotary year is the family,
because the family is where everything begins. It is where life
begins, it is where our day begins, and it is where our Rotary service
must begin. Because it is the family, and not the individual, that
is the building block of the community – and of Rotary.
It is one of my great
priorities to encourage the involvement of families in Rotary service.
I feel incredibly strongly that Rotary should never, ever come between
the Rotarian and the family. Rotary service should be something
that brings the family closer together. For myself, if I cannot
bring Binota with me to a Rotary event, it's simple – I don't
go! Rotary is not just for me; it is for both of us. This is why
I encourage districts to welcome families at district conferences,
to involve spouses and children in service projects, and to plan
meeting times with families in mind. The more that families are
involved in Rotary, the more Rotary will thrive – today and
tomorrow.
What is Rotary about?
It's about so many things, but at its core, Rotary is about these
words: Love your neighbor as yourself. Rotary is about love, and
that love has to start with us – and with those closest to
us!
Kalyan Banerjee
Reach Within to Embrace
Humanity
President, Rotary International, 2011-12
TRF Chairman Bill Boyd's December
2011 Message
Make giving
to our Foundation an annual tradition
Trustee chair's monthly
message - December 2011
As Rotarians, we often
reduce our words to initials. We talk of GSEs. VTTs, NIDs, and PHFs.
Our district officers are DGs, DGEs, and DGNs, and in Evanston we
have a GS. We have plenty of PDGs and an occasional PRIP. I am sure
you could add many more.
This month, I would
like to focus on another set of initials: EREY. The words are Every
Rotarian, Every Year , and they encourage every one of us to make
an annual contribution to our Foundation. Despite the economic problems
and the awful natural disasters, our giving to the Annual Programs
Fund last year was the second highest in history. Thank you for
your confidence that we are building a Foundation that will be stronger
and even more effective in the future.
I read a lot of district
and zone newsletters, and I smiled at a quote in a recent newsletter
from District 7600, in Virginia, USA. In it, Bill Billings talked
about how Rotary became more important to him as he became more
involved. He went on to say, "These are my brightest days in
Rotary because now I am learning what I can do for Rotary. I give
to The Rotary Foundation every year because it feels so good."
At this point, his sense of humor came through. I am not sure if
every country has telemarketing, but if yours does, you will appreciate
Bill's next words: "But I also give to the Foundation because
it is the best defense against annoying telemarketers. When they
call me I simply say, `I give my money to The Rotary Foundation,
but thanks for calling and have a nice day.' Click!"
Bill has made our Rotary
Foundation his charity of choice. I hope you will too.
Bill Boyd
Foundation Trustee Chair
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