Rotary
International President Ron Burton's July 2013 Message
Engage Rotary, Change Lives
RI President Ron Burton's message, July 2013
Dear fellow Rotarians,
This is an incredibly exciting time to be
a Rotarian. This Rotary year can be one of the greatest years we
have yet experienced in Rotary – but it is up to each one
of us. We are now writing the last chapter in our fight against
polio. While it has been a long, hard journey, we have learned many
valuable lessons. We have learned that as a group we can move mountains,
we can change people's lives for the better, and we can honestly
make a difference in our world. Perhaps the greatest lesson has
been that the more we challenge ourselves, the more we can achieve.
I'm looking forward to the 2013-14 Rotary
year and the immense and humbling privilege of serving as your Rotary
International president. During my presidential year, I'll let you
know on the Rotary International president's Facebook page and in
blog posts about some of my travels. I hope this will help you experience
some of the magic of Rotary.
I have to admit, during my first year as a
Rotarian, I almost missed the magic of Rotary. I didn't always care
for the food and programs at the weekly club meetings, and I thought
I had better ways to spend my time. But then my club president asked
me to chair the Rotary Foundation committee. Rotary started changing
for me after that. I found that the more engaged I became in Rotary
and the work of The Rotary Foundation, the more I saw the magic
of Rotary and how it changed lives.
That magic may be a little bit different for
each one of us, but it's there for all of us when we really put
our hearts into some aspect of Rotary service. For me, my heart
is in the Foundation. I feel that every time you donate to the Foundation
you're saying, "It's my resource, as a Rotarian; and it's my
responsibility."
Your new governors already have joined me
in this and led by example, with 100 percent of them donating to
the Foundation. I thank them for their commitment to Rotary, which
they've shown through their donations as well as facing the challenge
of inspiring new members to get more involved and learn about the
true meaning of Rotary.
When we really engage Rotary, that's when
lives change. And, at the end of the day, no matter how many lives
you reach out to change, the life that will change the most will
be your own.
That's what our theme for 2013-2014 is all
about. Engage Rotary, Change Lives. I look forward to reading your
blog comments as well as hearing from you in the Official Rotary
International LinkedIn Group.
We are also embarking on a new chapter in
the storied history of our Rotary Foundation. We have the rare privilege
of launching an entirely new grant structure we've come to know
as Future Vision. It gives us the opportunity to challenge ourselves
to do the absolute most we can, with all of our resources. Just
think how much more we can do with a stronger Foundation, with stronger
clubs filled with more Rotarians who are fully engaged in Rotary
service.
It's time for us to recognize that the real
challenge we face isn't just bringing new members into Rotary. It's
turning all members into true Rotarians. It's helping members get
engaged in Rotary – helping them realize the potential they
have, and how their Rotary service can change lives. We need to
make sure that every member is active and contributing, and making
a real difference – because when you're doing meaningful work
in Rotary, Rotary is meaningful to you.
When we realize what we can achieve in Rotary
– when we really engage Rotary – that's when lives change.
We change the lives of the people who need us. That is inevitable.
And along the way, our lives are changed as well. That is also inevitable.
That's what our theme is all about in 2013-14: Engage Rotary, Change
Lives.
It's time to open our eyes to the potential
each of us has through Rotary. Rotary lets us reach higher, do more,
and be a part of something larger than ourselves. No matter how
much we give to Rotary, we get more in return. And that, too, is
inevitable.
In 2013-14, let's turn all of our potential
into reality. It's up to us. We can do it by engaging in Rotary
service, by getting involved, by staying inspired, and by remembering
every day the gift we have in Rotary. Together, we will Engage Rotary,
Change Lives
Ron D. Burton
President, Rotary International
Rotary
International Foundation Chair D. K. Lee's July 2013Message
Trustee Chair's message, July 2013
Setting goals for a great year
I am excited as we move into the new Rotary
year. While Rotary remains constant at the core, our clubs and districts
have new leaders, and we've set new goals for the year ahead.
For 2013-14, we have four goals for The Rotary
Foundation: eradicate polio, build ownership and pride in our Foundation,
launch our new grant model, and engage in innovative projects.
Our first goal is familiar to each of you:
We must make our dream of a polio-free world real. In the 28 years
since the inception of PolioPlus, we have immunized over two billion
children and seen the wild poliovirus disappear in all but three
countries. Polio eradication is long, hard work, but when we have
finished this job, we will have achieved something wonderful –
and lasting.
This brings us to our second goal: building
ownership and pride in our Foundation. The success of PolioPlus
is due, in no small part, to the generosity of Rotarians all over
the world who have contributed to the PolioPlus Fund. And why do
Rotarians keep giving to the PolioPlus Fund? Because they see that
their generosity has a real, lasting impact on the lives of others.
They take pride in the fact that their contributions mean that the
end of polio is in sight.
Our third goal will help us move into a successful
future, after polio is eradicated. This goal is to successfully
launch our new grant model and put our Future Vision Plan into practice
worldwide. The simplified grant structure has made it easier for
clubs to apply for Foundation grants, and we have already seen the
benefits of focusing our monetary efforts on sustainable projects.
Lastly, our fourth goal for the coming Rotary
year is to engage in innovative projects and creative partnerships
that help build a more just and peaceful world.
Our theme for the year is Engage Rotary, Change
Lives . It's a good theme for Rotary, and for inspiring us to work
through The Rotary Foundation – because without our Foundation,
Rotary's reach is shorter and smaller. Without the Foundation, polio
would still be a worldwide scourge. If it weren't for the work of
our Foundation, children all over the world could face a future
without education, without clean water, and without health care.
Without our Foundation, many of the world's
children would be without hope. Your leadership in the coming year
will provide that hope. May your efforts Engage Rotary, Change Lives
.
Dong Kurn (D.K.) Lee
Trustee Chair, Rotary International
================
The New Rotary Year - Changes you should know about
For three years, 100 districts have been testing
Future Vision, a pilot of The Rotary Foundation's new grant system,
which was designed to increase Rotary's effectiveness during the
next century of service.
As the new Rotary year dawns, the future has
begun. All districts begin using the simplified grant structure
1 July. Districts have already been completing the qualification
process and qualifying their clubs. A number of clubs and districts
have begun preparing and submitting grant applications.
There will be three types of grants: global,
district, and packaged. You can learn about all three types, and
get more details about the application process, on Rotary's grant
microsite .
Also on 1 July, new leaders will take office
at the club, district, and international levels.
Ron D. Burton, of the Rotary Club of Norman,
Oklahoma, USA, will become Rotary's 103rd president and will encourage
Rotarians to Engage Rotary, Change Lives . Read a profile of Burton
from The Rotarian and download his convention speech.
Anne L. Matthews, a member of the Rotary Club
of Columbia East, South Carolina, USA, will become the first woman
to serve as vice president. Matthews, a former director of South
Carolina's Department of Education, is president of Matthews and
Associates, an educational consulting firm. Read her biography.
Dong Kurn Lee, of the Rotary Club of Seoul
Hangang, Korea, will take over as Rotary Foundation trustee chair.
Read his biography and download his convention speech.
Other changes for 2013-14:
* Rotarians will be allowed to form satellite
clubs, whose members meet at a different time and location from
their parent clubs. The change, approved by the Council on Legislation
in April, is intended to make it easier for members to develop the
core for a new club.
* Districts will be able to form an unlimited
number of e-clubs. The Council removed a limit of two e-clubs per
district. The change is designed to bring in new members and appeal
to young professionals, who may be less able to meet in person weekly.
* The name of Rotary's fifth Avenue of Service
will change from "New Generations Service" to "Youth
Service." This change was also approved by the Council. In
2010, this avenue of service joined Club Service, Vocational Service,
Community Service, and International Service.
* The dues Rotary clubs pay Rotary International
will increase US$1 to $53 per member.
* A redesigned Rotary website will be launched
in late summer.
The RI Board of Directors will seat nine new
directors 1 July, along with 2013-14 President-elect Gary C.K. Huang,
of the Rotary Club of Taipei, Taiwan. The new directors for 2013-14
are Celia Elena Cruz de Giay, of the Rotary Club of Arrecifes, Buenos
Aires, Argentina; Mary Beth Growney Selene, of the Rotary Club of
Madison West Towne-Middleton, Wisconsin, USA; Seiji Kita, of the
Rotary Club of Urawa East, Saitama, Japan; Holger Knaack, of the
Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany; Larry A.
Lunsford, of the Rotary Club of Kansas City-Plaza, Missouri, USA;
P.T. Prabhakar, of the Rotary Club of Madras Central, Tamil Nadu,
India; Sangkoo Yun, of the Rotary Club of Sae Hanyang, Seoul, Korea;
Steven A. Snyder, of the Rotary Club of Auburn, California, USA;
and Michael F. Webb, of the Rotary Club of Mendip, Somerset, England.
The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees will
seat new members Monty J. Audenart, of the Rotary Club of Red Deer
East, Alberta, Canada; Noel A. Bajat, of the Rotary Club of Abbeville,
Louisiana, USA; and Kalyan Banerjee, of the Rotary Club of Vapi,
Maharashtra, India. John Kenny, of the Rotary Club of Grangemouth,
Scotland, will serve as chair-elect, and Michael K. McGovern, of
the Rotary Club of South Portland-Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA, as
vice-chair.
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