Rotary
In'l 2014-15 President Gary Huang's Acceptance Remarks
I am greatly honored and delighted to accept
this nomination to serve as the president of Rotary International
for the year 2014 - 15.
Rotary has continuously provided me with honors
to serve. My first honor came 37 years ago, when I was finally allowed
to join Rotary Club of Taipei, after being rejected three times.
Although my club had a strict quota on members' classification,
I insisted on joining and I am very glad I did not give up. Otherwise
I wouldn't have had this honor today.
I have witnessed tremendous growth of Rotary
in Taiwan, working hard over these years together with my fellow
Rotarians. During 1986 - 87 when I was a district governor of D3450,
I chartered 19 new clubs in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
I also created another 15 new Rotary clubs
as district governor's special representative in the following years,
and we never stopped. We are still working on recruiting members
and establishing new clubs. This is because we believe in the spirit
of Rotary, and would like to share the honor of being a Rotarian.
Rotary also gave me the honor to serve beyond
my country's borders. I helped establish clubs in Mongolia and China.
I would like to ask for all of you to join me in looking beyond
borders and extending the network of Rotary. I am confident that
as the network of Rotary becomes stronger, the world will be a better
place for all of us.
We have been fortunate in Rotary to have had
many years of strong and visionary leaders and I look forward to
the opportunity to build upon their success. We know how to change
ourselves to become better. The pace of change has changed, and
it's getting faster. However, there is nothing to fear, since we
are not just adapting to the fast - changing environment but we
are actually shaping our future through our strategic plan. We are
focused, our goals are clear, and we are highly motivated to serve.
My friends, I believe that the job of Rotary
International is very simple; and that is helping every Rotary Club
to be the best it can be. And the job of an RI president is also
simple: ensuring that RI is strong, efficient, effective, and dedicated
to supporting Rotarians — in every way that they serve.
An ancient Chinese scholar, Confucius said
"It is better to light up a single candle than to sit and curse
the darkness". Rotarians have always believed this to be true.
When we are confronted by the world's problems,
we are not paralyzed by despair, we are called to action. I've written
a book with similar meaning, titled Find Solutions, Not Excuses.
That's exactly what I shall do for you and we shall do for our communities.
I believe that the best days of Rotary are yet to come —and
that all of us will soon be prouder than ever, of a Rotary that
is larger, more active, and better known than ever before —a
Rotary that touches more lives, and makes the world better, every
single day.
And I look forward to serving all of you with
all my heart in the 2014 - 15 Rotary year to brighten up our world
together.
Thank you.
RIPE Gary Huang
13-14_RI President Gary Huang and his spouse, Corinna
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