Rotary
International President Sakuji Tanaka's December
2012 Message
RI President's Message
- December 2012
Dear fellow Rotarians,
The year 2012 is nearly gone, and we have
reached the midpoint of this Rotary year. It is time to take stock
of the goals we have set for ourselves, and the progress we have
made toward them. Are we on track to achieve what we set out to
accomplish?
I am a great believer in the importance of
setting goals that are high but realistic. A worthwhile goal should
be within your reach but still require you to stretch. Opening yourself
to a new challenge helps you find out what you are really capable
of – which may well be more than you think.
On 1 July, we will embark on our newest challenge
as an organization: the full rollout of the Future Vision Plan,
the new grant model for our Rotary Foundation. We in Rotary have
set for ourselves a simple and vital goal: to do the most good we
can with all the resources we have. To do this, we will be working
to reduce overhead; to improve accountability, transparency, and
local control; and to focus our service more intensely in the areas
where we know we can have the most impact.
With Future Vision, we will implement a simplified
grant structure that will encourage Rotarians to serve in our six
areas of focus: peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease
prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child
health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community
development. These are areas in which Rotarians around the world
have already been working for many years, and in which we have experience
and a track record of project sustainability.
Sustainability will be a major focus under
Future Vision, as we shift our emphasis to long-term, high-impact
projects. Simply put, a sustainable project is one that will continue
to benefit the world even after Rotary funding ends. The ultimate
example of a sustainable project, of course, is polio eradication:
When polio is gone, the good that we have done will continue forever,
centuries after the last polio vaccine is given. And the lessons
we have learned from PolioPlus are universal. A truly sustainable
project requires an emphasis on planning and cooperation, a long-term
perspective, and an approach that considers community members as
partners in our service, not passive recipients.
Embracing Future Vision means embracing a
more ambitious view of Rotary – one in which we work to address
major issues in a serious, lasting way. It is a new way of thinking
about our service, and an approach that I believe will lead to a
Foundation more capable than ever of Doing Good in the World.
Sakuji Tanaka
President, Rotary International
"Peace Through Service"
TRF Chairman PRIP Wilf Wilkinson's
December 2012 Message
Trustee chair's message
- December 2012
Are You on Track to
Meet Your Goals?
It's hard to believe that we have already
reached the month of December, the month that celebrates the family
of Rotary. We are also nearing the halfway point of our Foundation's
year. Now is the time when our plans to reach our 2012-13 goals
should be reevaluated. Our words, our promises, our actions should
be taking shape to ensure that we will accomplish what we planned
during the last calendar year.
The month of December also provides each of
us with much to think about. It is during this month that we pause
to recognize World AIDS Day, International Volunteer Day, and Human
Rights Day – all significant reminders to Rotarians of our
Foundation's aim of Doing Good in the World. Many of our clubs are
working to help people with AIDS, others are volunteering all over
the world to deliver Peace Through Service , and it is hard to count
the number that will be raising their voices on 10 December for
human rights.
My friends, as we start to wind down another
calendar year, I am thankful to report that your Foundation is on
track to achieve its goals for 2012-13 because of each and every
Rotarian. This provides us with much to celebrate over the upcoming
holiday season. My prayers and best wishes go out to each of you
for a happy holiday season, and I eagerly look forward to sharing
2013 with you.
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair
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