RI President 2019-20 Mark Daniel
Maloney - July 2019
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Dear Fellow Rotarians,
I love to travel! I even enjoy the mundane process
of getting from here to there. But last year, my wife, Gay, and
I had one of those experiences that would strain the optimism of
even the most cheerful traveler. We found ourselves with six hours
to wait, at an airport where we were not scheduled to be, on a day
we had not planned still to be traveling, having woken up that morning
at a hotel unknown to us the night before. It was one of those days.
As we waited at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York
City, Gay and I took a walk to people watch. We went from one end
of the terminal to the other and back, looking at every gate, every
destination, every group of people waiting for their flights.
Each gate was its own island of humanity. When we walked down the
center of the concourse, we were in New York, moving along with
everyone in one river. But when you veered off into those seats,
you left that current and landed on an island. You were already
in Delhi or Paris or Tel Aviv.
As we started our walk, I thought: "All these different people,
all these different countries, all in one place. This is like Rotary!"
But as we walked past gate after gate, I realized something. It
was not like Rotary at all. Because everyone in that river was heading
for an island. And every island stayed an island. The people heading
to Taipei might be talking to one another, but they were not talking
to the people heading to Cairo or Lagos.
Contrast that with Rotary. Rotary allows us to connect with one
another, in deep and meaningful ways, across our differences. It
connects us with people we would never otherwise have met, who are
more like us than we ever could have known. It connects us with
our communities, to professional opportunities, and to the people
who need our help.
Connection is what makes the experience of Rotary so very different
from walking along that concourse at JFK Airport. In Rotary, none
of us is an island. All of us are in Rotary together, whoever we
are, wherever we are from, whatever language we speak or traditions
we follow. We are all connected to one another — part of our
communities and members not only of our clubs, but also of the global
community to which we all belong.
This connection is what lies at the heart of the Rotary experience.
It is what brings us to Rotary. It is why we stay. Please join your
fellow Rotarians on this journey as Rotary Connects the World.
Mark Daniel Maloney
President 2019-20
Trustee Chair's Message - July
2019
Gary C.K. Huang, Trustee
Chair 2019-20
Trustee chair's message
I am so excited to have this opportunity to
communicate with you every month in my new role as chair
of The Rotary Foundation Trustees. When I look at the amazing
work that the Foundation has ahead of it this year, I'm
astonished. We are making such an enormous, lasting impact
on the world. In the near future, polio will be wiped off
the face of the earth — all because of you.
I see my role as chair much like the position I played on
my high school basketball team. I was the point guard. It
was my job to bring the ball up court and make sure my teammates
received the ball when they were open. Nothing made me happier
than to see them make shots.
We didn't have the high-five back when I played, but I would
have loved to give out high-fives for every basket. Now
I'm eager to give them to you. Think about it: There is
so much you can do to give a high-five to the Foundation.
I started out by getting all five members of the Huang family
in Rotary — my wife, three children, and myself —
and keeping us donating year after year to the Foundation.
Now, let's see how many high-fives all of us can give in
the next year. Whether you write five more checks, hold
five more fundraisers, find five new donors, or simply give
five more dollars, every high-five counts.
This year, I am going to fill my Social media accounts with
all the Rotary Foundation high-fives I give around the world
and tell the stories of the generous people who are bringing
us closer to our goals. Join me on Facebook (@garyckhuang)
and share your stories. And feel free to give your own high-fives.
Let's reach our goals and keep going. Clubs have great projects
— they are counting on us. And the children of the
world are counting on us. Right now — you're open!
Take the shot! Let's make this the Foundation's greatest
year yet.
Gary C.K. Huang
Trustee Chair 2019-20
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