Rotary
International John Kenny's December 2009 Message
December 2009
My fellow Rotarians,
The idea of the family
of Rotary is a simple one, and one that we celebrate every December
during Family Month. Every Rotarian is part of the Rotary family
– but our family is much larger than just our 1.2 million
members. The family of Rotary includes every one of the men, women,
and children who are involved in our work: the spouses and children
of our members, our Rotary Foundation program participants and alumni,
and all of those who are part of our programs, in the tens of thousands
of Rotary communities around the world.
The youngest generation
of the Rotary
family is composed of our Rotaract clubs and Interact clubs, the
participants in our Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program, our
Ambassadorial Scholars, and our more than 8,000 Rotary Youth Exchange
students every year. As in any family, our youth are our brightest
promise for the future. Of course, it is my sincere wish that many
of these young people go on to become Rotarians in good time. But
Rotary is a part of them even today – and they are a part
of us.
My wife, June, and I
have been married for over 40 years, and I have been a Rotarian
for nearly as long. Although women were not eligible for Rotary
club membership at that time, June has been a part of the Rotary
family from the day I first entered the Rotary Club of Grangemouth.
There is no question that my Rotary service has demanded a great
deal of both of us since then – but there can be no question
that we have both reaped more than we have sown.
I believe that Rotary
club membership can and should enhance our home lives and family
interactions. As we work to attract more and younger qualified members,
we would do well to remember that today's young professionals are
often balancing work and family responsibilities. Adding in a commitment
to Rotary service should complement, never compete with, those responsibilities.
By scheduling meetings outside of the workday, planning activities
that involve family members, and welcoming family members whenever
possible, we help to ensure that every Rotary family will feel a
true part of the greater Rotary family.
Every club should strive
to achieve a balanced interaction between Rotarians and their families
– and the family of Rotary. Only by working together, as a
family, can we ensure that the Rotary of today grows into an even
stronger Rotary of tomorrow.
.
The Future of Rotary
Is in Your Hands.
John Kenny
President, Rotary
International
TRF Chairman's
December 2009 Message
Foundation Supports
a Strong Rotary Family
This year marks my 50th as a Rotarian. I cannot recall whether,
on the day I first joined a Rotary club, I gave any thought to what
my involvement with Rotary might be in 2009-10. I am sure I never
expected that Rotary would have become so much a part of the Estess
household that it would feel to all of us like family.
I often talk about how
The Rotary Foundation supports the entire family of Rotary. Rotary
is like a family in so many ways – in the ways we lift each
other up, help each other grow, and accomplish things together that
we never could alone.
Through Rotary, with
the help of our Foundation, we can take on challenges that no one
else has the ability, or the inclination, or the organizational
resources to tackle. We in Rotary share what we have in a way that
no one else does – with love, with kindness, and with simple
generosity. And that is why, when I was traveling with my wife,
Mary, during Rotary's centennial year, she so often said to me,
"The finest people in the world must be Rotarians."
What we have both seen
in the last 50 years, over and over again, has been a pure and overwhelming
desire to be of assistance – a desire that, thanks to the
Foundation, is backed with financial and practical resources. Rotarians
work to address needs that seem so large or so intractable that
no one else will even try – or sometimes so insignificant
that no one else will bother. In our Rotary family, we rise to these
challenges because we know we can – with the strength of our
Foundation behind us.
Glenn E. Estess Sr.
Foundation Trustee Chair
Source: Rotary International
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