RI President 2023-24 Gordon R.
McInally
Rotary Club of South Queensferry
Lothian, Scotland,
Dear Fellow Rotarians, Rotaractors, and friends
August 2023
At the 2023 Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, I asked
all Rotary members to become champions in our effort to illuminate
mental health needs near and far. This includes helping one another
feel more supported, advocating for mental health services, and
building bridges with experts in the field to expand access to treatment.
It’s an important task and a big ask. But it’s also
something that should feel familiar to every Rotary member —
because everything we do is in the spirit of caring, giving, friendship,
and compassion, and has been from the beginning of our organization.
We’ve grown into an amazing global network of 1.4 million
interconnected community leaders — leaders who share a deep
commitment to doing good in the world. But what makes Rotary powerful
isn’t just what we do for the communities we serve. We also
support and empower each other, by creating a safe space for our
members to bring their whole, authentic selves. We show each other
comfort and care.
These connections are deeply meaningful. The U.S. surgeon general
recently declared loneliness a public health epidemic. Dr. Vivek
Murthy said, “We must prioritize building social connection
the same way we have prioritized other critical public health issues
such as tobacco, obesity, and substance use disorders.” I
am proud of what Rotary has done across generations to build those
kinds of social connections — and this magazine focused on
loneliness and what Rotary can do about it in its January 2023 issue.
Our worldwide community and our foundational value prioritizing
Service Above Self makes Rotary a powerful global advocate for mental
health. A recently published study by Ohio State University found
performing acts of kindness was the only one of three mental health
interventions tested that helped people feel more connected to others.
Study co-author David Cregg said, “Performing acts of kindness
seems to be one of the best ways to promote those connections.”
This research suggests what we’ve known all along —
that doing good helps transform not just the communities we serve,
but it also transforms us. As we put a greater focus on mental health,
let’s not think of this effort as something new to Rotary,
but rather as something we can do better and as a result have a
greater impact on ourselves and the people we serve.
We are not starting this effort from scratch. The Rotary Action
Group on Mental Health Initiatives has been focused on these kinds
of issues for several years — and we will be looking to members
of that group for leadership as we continue to build awareness.
Mental health care fits comfortably within several of our areas
of focus. As of May, there are 41 global grant-supported projects
with a mental health focus. Many of them have tremendous promise,
and we will be highlighting them in the months ahead.
So let’s work together to erase the stigma associated with
emotional well-being, raise awareness of mental health needs, and
improve access to preventive and interventional mental health services.
Together, we will Create Hope in the World.
.
Gordon R. McInally
President 2023-24
Trustee Chair's Message - August
2023
Barry Rassin
Trustee Chair 2023-24
Rotary Club of East Nassau,
New Providence, Bahamas,
Trustee chair's
message
BIO
August 2023
This year, I urge all of you to think bigabout The
Rotary Foundation. To reach our goals and make the
impact we know we can make, we must think outside
the box and embrace innovation. We must make bold
plans to expand our reach today, tomorrow, and in
the future.
Start by thinking big about Foundation-supported projects.
If your club hasn’t engaged in a Rotary Foundation
district grant or global grant, make this the year
you do. Collaborating with your Rotary counterparts
in another district on one of Rotary’s seven
areas of focus can make a lasting impact beyond your
wildest dreams. Explore Rotary Showcase at rotary.org/showcase or
arrange a meeting between your club and your district
Rotary Foundation chair to start a conversation.
Let’s also think big about our polio fundraising
this year. Begin planning your World Polio Day fundraiser
now for 24 October if you haven’t already. Let’s
see how Rotaract and Rotary clubs can make this year’s
fundraisers our best ever.
Thinking big about the Foundation also means remembering
that through it, our impact goes beyond the current
Rotary year. We see this through not only the emphasis
on sustainability in our grant projects but also in
initiatives such as Programs of Scale. The third Programs
of Scale recipient will take on a big challenge: combating
cervical cancer and enhancing women’s health
in Egypt through awareness-raising and improved access
to preventive care.
The success of the Programs of Scale grant model lies
in our approach of closely collaborating with partners
to amplify proven methods. Each year, The Rotary Foundation
awards $2 million to a member-led program that has
demonstrated success and has the potential to reach
more people through scaling up over a three- to five-year
period.
Our Programs of Scale are the epitome of thinking
big: Through them, we aim to establish sustainable
partnerships and cost-effective programs that deliver
tangible benefits beyond the funding period. This
way, Rotary and its Foundation can reach and assist
more people in more places.
Lastly, let’s remember that our efforts to make
the world a better place should extend beyond our
time on earth. As we strive to reach $2.025 billion
by 2025 for Rotary’s Endowment, consider how
you can leave a legacy by making a gift or a commitment
to a Rotary endowment. This will ensure that Rotary’s
future generations will have greater financial resources
to create positive change, just as so many are doing
now, in so many ways.
http://www.endpolio.org/donate.
Barry Rassin
Trustee Chair 2023-24
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