Rotary
International John Kenny's June 2010 Message
June 2010
My fellow Rotarians,
In February, I attended
the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club of St.
Paul, Minn., USA. After dinner that evening, a young lady came up
to me and asked, “Of everything you have seen this year in
Rotary, what has touched your heart the most?”
For such a simple question,
it was nearly impossible to answer – only because I have seen
so much that has touched my heart so deeply and made me so proud
to be a Rotarian. These past 12 months have given me the opportunity
and the privilege of observing firsthand how our service touches
the lives of others, and how great are the needs we address.
It is one thing to see
photographs of the devastation in Haiti caused by January’s
earthquake. It was another thing entirely for me to walk among the
rubble, to see the collapsed buildings, to understand that the true
scope of the tragedy will never be known.
In Banda Aceh, Indonesia,
where Rotary has done so much to rebuild the city shattered by the
2004 tsunami, I thought I understood the scale of the disaster before
my visit. But I was not prepared for the sight of a large freighter
in a field 2 miles inland, swept there by the tsunami.
In China, at a Rotary-supported
orphanage, I held a two-month-old girl who had been abandoned on
a train. With that baby in my arms, I realized that what Rotary
provided to the orphanage – food, warm clothing, a clean and
safe home – was only one part of what was needed. What that
child wanted most of all, in that moment, was simply to be held
and to feel loved, and that touched me very much.
There is so much we
can do as Rotarians that will mean so much to others. And as important
as it is to give material assistance – to help in the areas
of water, health and hunger, and literacy – it is equally
vital that we give that help freely, with true caring for others.
Because often, simply caring is what helps others most of all.
As this Rotary year
and my term as RI president draw to a close, I thank you all for
your service to Rotary and your support. I have been honored to
serve as your president, and remind you that The Future of Rotary
Is in Your Hands.
The Future of Rotary
Is in Your Hands.
John Kenny
President, Rotary International
TRF Chairman's
June 2010 Message
Through the
Foundation, Rotary’s reach grows
In Rotary, we are guided
by the three simple words of our motto Service Above Self. That
motto forms an important part of our identity as Rotarians. It reminds
us why we are here, why our every action matters, and why we take
the time and the initiative to help others wherever and however
we can.
Our Rotary Foundation
has its own motto: Doing Good in the World.
Doing Good in the World
is more than a slogan. It is our goal, our mission, and our reminder.
It expresses in the clearest terms why we have a Foundation, and
it challenges us to reach as far as we can to do the most good possible
with everything we have.
Our Foundation exists to support the good that we can do through
Rotary. It expands our reach, increases our strength, and makes
our service more powerful and more effective. Because of our Foundation
we can, very simply, do more of our Rotary work.
In May, I marked a personal
milestone: 50 years as a Rotarian. In that time, I have seen so
much achieved through Rotary, and seen very clearly how much of
Rotary’s ability to do good is drawn from our Foundation.
Through our Foundation, every one of us has an opportunity to be
a part of all the good that Rotary does.
This month marks the
end of my service as trustee chair of our Rotary Foundation. I am
grateful for the opportunity to know so many of you, and I thank
you all for your support and encouragement. Please join me in welcoming
our incoming trustee chair, Past RI President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar,
and in wishing him great success.
Glenn E. Estess Sr.
Foundation Trustee Chair
Source: Rotary International
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