RI President 2023-24 Gordon R.
McInally
Rotary Club of South Queensferry
Lothian, Scotland,
Dear Fellow Rotarians, Rotaractors, and friends
July 2023
Even as we face new and serious challenges, Rotary takes care of
its members and those we serve, works to build lasting peace, and
embeds belonging and inclusion in everything we do. That is why
I am asking everyone in Rotary to Create Hope in the World.
This year, we’re prioritizing projects to support mental health.
This effort is deeply personal to me. I know what it’s like
to see someone suffer in silence. I have also witnessed the power
of personal connections, the value of discussing emotional and mental
well-being, and the lifesaving impact of preventive care and treatment.
Research shows that performing acts of kindness is an effective
step any of us can take to protect our well-being. And by building
peace within, we become more capable of bringing peace to the world.
Building peace is the essence of Rotary. Many of our service projects
foster the conditions for Positive Peace. We work tirelessly to
overcome barriers and create new connections. This year, we’ll
promote virtual international exchanges for members to strengthen
those vital connections.
Peace isn’t a dream, and it’s not passive. It’s
the result of working hard, earning trust, and having open conversations
that may be difficult.
Peace must be waged persistently — and bravely. Everything
we do across our areas of focus has the potential to foster the
hope that can make peace possible.
The spirit of connection and purpose should inspire every Rotary
member. When club leaders focus on offering an excellent club experience,
we retain more members and attract more prospective members. We
must make our clubs as welcoming and as engaging as we can.
Our goal is to create a sense of belonging, from our club meetings
to our service activities. We need to continue creating inclusive,
welcoming environments where everyone can be their authentic selves.
All people of action need to be able to imagine a place for themselves
in Rotary — it’s up to us to ensure they can do so.
Over the next year, I will be putting a focus on continuing our
journey in diversity, equity, and inclusion — ensuring that
Rotary reflects the communities we serve and continues to take significant
steps toward accessing the full range of human talents and experiences,
so that we can better serve humanity. And we will continue to empower
women and girls by helping them unlock the potential already within
them.
As we begin this journey together, I take inspiration from Scotland’s
national poet, Robert Burns, who in the 18th century spoke of all
the world becoming kin, promoting “sense and worth, over all
the earth.” This has long been my call to action, and I share
it now with you.
Let us build peace within and spread it freely. Let us create belonging
and imagine the future of Rotary afresh. Let us work together joyously
and Create Hope in the World.
.
Gordon R. McInally
President 2023-24
Trustee Chair's Message - July
2023
Barry Rassin
Trustee Chair 2023-24
Rotary Club of East Nassau,
New Providence, Bahamas,
Trustee chair's
message
BIO
July 2023
I love Rotary for many reasons, perhaps most of all
for the impact we make when we work together. There
is really no other group like us.
In the last five years, The Rotary Foundation has
helped 100 million beneficiaries. That is staggering.
But the need is great. There are countless more we
could be reaching and supporting right now if we had
the resources. We could reach twice as many in the
next five years. And your fellow Rotaractors and Rotarians
are ready to help. They're hungry for more grants
to help more people who need us.
That's why, this year, The Rotary Foundation Trustees
have set an ambitious goal for giving of $500 million,
our highest ever.
This breaks down to $150 million for the Annual Fund
to help fund grants and $50 million for polio eradication,
to be matched by $100 million from the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation. For the Endowment Fund and
our future, we are targeting $60 million in outright
giving and $80 million in commitments, totaling $140
million. And we want to collect $60 million in other
contributions, such as direct giving, cash for global
grants, and Disaster Response Fund donations.
To make this happen, we need all of you — each
and every Rotarian and Rotaractor.
Did you know that over 80 percent of Rotary members
make no contributions to PolioPlus, or that over 60
percent make no donation at all to The Rotary Foundation?
For an organization of 1.4 million members, that means
that nearly 1 million of us are not contributing each
year.
Imagine the tremendous difference it would make if
each of those 1 million could contribute just $25
a year. That would be $25 million we wouldn't need
to raise from our best donors.
We can all give something. That's why I am asking
each of you to set a goal to give what you can to
The Rotary Foundation this year.
Never have we set such an audacious goal, but I believe
that you, who make up Rotary, always respond to a
challenge, especially when you see the difference
we can make with those funds. We are part of an audacious
organization, one that dreams big and makes our dreams
a reality.
Let's think bigger and differently this year, so we
can meet our goal and do more to Create Hope
in the World. In this way, we will make the Rotary
year ahead an unforgettable one, not just for ourselves,
but most importantly, for those whose lives we will
soon touch.
http://www.endpolio.org/donate.
Barry Rassin
Trustee Chair 2022-23
Copyright © 2003-04
Rotary eClub NY1 * Updated 2023
Design & Maintenance of this site by TechnoTouch
e-Strategists
|
