Rotary
International Ray Klinginsmith's December 2010 Message
December 2010
My fellow Rotarians,
"Cowboy Logic"
I have adopted "Cowboy
Logic" as my theme song for two reasons. The first is its happy
music that reflects the warm and positive atmosphere of Rotary club
meetings around the world. The second is the common sense and simple
approach expressed in its lyrics.
Fifty years ago, I often
heard the expression "Keep Rotary simple." That admonition
has been lost in the intervening years, and i want to remind Rotarians
that the basic concept of Rotary service is simple. Club members,
who are community leaders, learn to know and respect one another
through their weekly meetings, which create friendship, fellowship,
and networking. When a community need is identified, the club members
find they have an amazing ability to fill the need because they
have the leading business and professional leaders in the community
as their members, and they know how to get things done!
The same simple approach
works for club service, vocational service, and New Generations
service projects. Rotary clubs have the talent to assess and prioritize
the needs of their communities. They also have the expertise and
resources to address the needs, if the clubs keep their members
informed and motivated. The communications within the club must
be simple - and frequent!
Perhaps it is in international
service that the simplicity of Rotary is most evident. Rotarians
learn that their fellow club members are trustworthy, and as they
meet Rotarians from other countries, they realize they are similarly
trustworthy. As a result, Rotary friends from faraway places are
easily made and kept, and the resulting cooperation between clubs
for international service projects is truly astounding!
The "Cowboy Logic"
song says that cowboys have a simle solution for just about everything.
So do Rotarians! It is called the Spirit of Rotary, and its hallmarks
are fellowship and service. Together, we can make the world a better
place by making our clubs Bigger, Better, and Bolder. So let's do
it! That's cowboy logic!
Ray Klinginsmith
Building Communities
/ Bridging Continents
President, Rotary International, 2010-11
TRF Chairman's
December 2010 Message
The Family
of Rotary
December is Family Month.
To many Rotarians, the family of Rotary means spouses, brothers,
sisters, parents, and children. Their work for Rotary is much appreciated.
However, to me, as long as we do not have a Rotary family membership,
relatives are not the family of Rotary - the family of Rotary consists
of all Rotary International districts, clubs, Rotarians, programs,
and The Rotary Foundation.
The Rotary Foundation
is a huge part of the family of Rotary. All of the money raised,
whether through Rotary International or The Rotary Foundaiton, is
channelled through The Rotary Foundation. There are large sums of
money coming every year to the Annual Programs Fund, the Permanent
Fund, the Rotary Peace Centers Major Gifts Initiative, and right
now, Rotary's USD200 Million Challenge.
Even though the money-raising
efforts for these four funds are separate, they are all linked together.
Annual giving is the core of our business. The Permanent Fund was
geared toward those Rotarians who can afford to give large sums
and as a support to the Annual Programs Fund. The Rotary Peace Centers
Major Gifts Initiative was also launched to approach those Rotarians
who can afford to give more than avrage. Thus it is apparent how
these three fundraising events depend on one another. In addition,
we have Rotary's USD200 Million Challenge, which affects the annual
giving, thus also the two other fundraising programs/
It is important that
when we give money, we must donate to all of the above initiatives.
By remembering this, we can continue Building Communities - Bridging
Continents through Service Above Self.
Carl-Wilhelm_Stenhammar
Foundation Trustee Chair, 2010-11
Source: Rotary International
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