================
Dear Fellow Rotarians, Rotaractors, and friends,,
Increasing our ability to adapt: That is one goal
of our new Rotary Action Plan. And wow, have we seen that ability
put to the test this year.
In March, Gay and I were to visit Zimbabwe, Turkey,
and eight other countries over the course of 30 days. After participating
in a medical mission in Zimbabwe and Commonwealth Week activities
in London, on the 11th day, we were packing our suitcases for Switzerland
and Liechtenstein.
While attending a dinner at the High Commission for
Pakistan in London, we received word that it would be impossible
to travel everywhere on our itinerary. So, instead of flying to
Zurich, we returned to Evanston and One Rotary Center.
Throughout early March, the news about COVID-19 became
increasingly serious throughout the world. Following the advice
of local officials, we canceled UN presidential conferences in Paris
and Rome. Soon, the World Health Organization declared the virus
a global pandemic, and we consulted with authorities on more critical
decisions. We asked all Rotary districts and clubs to curb face-to-face
meetings until further notice and to hold virtual meetings instead.
To the districts and clubs that have adapted so quickly, thank you.
The Rotary Board of Directors held its first-ever
virtual meeting to make the most difficult decision of all, to cancel
the 2020 Rotary International Convention. Like the more than 20,000
registrants who planned to attend, I am disappointed. We acted to
protect the health and safety of convention attendees and their
families, friends, and colleagues, as well as those who call Honolulu
home, and I am confident we made the right decision.
I want to thank the 2020 Honolulu Convention Committee,
the Host Organization Committee, the 2020 Honolulu Convention Promotion
Committee, and Rotary staff for planning what would have been one
of the best Rotary conventions yet. I appreciate their hard work.
This issue of The Rotarian was going to press as the
decision about canceling the convention was made, and many other
decisions across the Rotary world were still up in the air. Future
issues of The Rotarian and of Rotary’s regional magazines,
along with Rotary’s social media channels, will keep you informed.
We began this Rotary year promoting the importance
of the new Action Plan for all Rotarians and Rotaractors. Today,
we are putting that plan into action out of necessity. That includes
the possibility of a convention-like experience with you through
a virtual event. We will have more to say about this in the near
future.
The world is changing rapidly, and so must Rotary.
Our adaptability and strength will help us navigate this experience.
The world needs our leadership today more than ever. Truly, Rotary
Connects the World.
Kindest regards,
Mark Daniel Maloney
President 2019-20
Trustee Chair's Message - May
2020
Gary C.K. Huang, Trustee
Chair 2019-20
Rotary Club of Taipei
Taipei, Taiwan
Trustee chair's message
Ni hao, Rotarians!
Every year, as we near the end of the Rotary year,
we look back on the path we've traveled. Of course,
this year has presented special challenges as we face
a global coronavirus pandemic that has changed our
lives and the way we do service.
The great philosopher Zhuangzi once said, "A
path is made by walking on it." Only by forging
ahead into the unknown do we actually make progress,
and only by looking back can we see how far we've
come. The coronavirus crisis is an unprecedented event,
and I want us to look back years from now, knowing
that we played a decisive role in helping the world
overcome this devastating threat.
I am proud of the work that Rotary members and our
Foundation are carrying out to stop the spread of
COVID-19 and to help people affected. Taiwanese clubs
have donated 200,000 face masks. In England, the Rotary
Club of Maidenhead Bridge launched a COVID-19 Volunteer
Community Response Team to help those in self-isolation
by shopping, dropping off prescriptions, and supporting
those in need.
The Foundation Trustees worked quickly to add COVID-19
projects to their list of eligible activities for
disaster response grants, transfer $3 million to our
Disaster Response Fund for COVID-19 grants, and waive
the 30 percent foreign financing requirement for any
new global grant that addresses COVID-19.
Of course, we have applied the knowledge and resources
we have built over many years in fighting another
infectious disease: polio. The polio eradication program
is already using its infrastructure to protect the
vulnerable from COVID-19, especially in polio-endemic
countries.
Please give what you can to help our Foundation, and
our members will transform your gift into humanitarian
efforts that are saving lives.
We will overcome this virus together, and when we
do, we will be able to look back and know that we
did not stand by and do nothing when a global public
health emergency paralyzed the world. Instead, we
took action and gave all that we could to stop this
virus and make lasting change in our communities to
help people survive and recover. Thank you for your
past, present, and future support of our Foundation.
http://www.endpolio.org/donate.
Gary C.K. Huang
Trustee Chair 2019-20
Copyright © 2003-04
Rotary eClub NY1 * Updated 2019
Design & Maintenance of this site by TechnoTouch
e-Strategists
