Rotary International President-Elect Unveils Theme, Logo For 2024-25
The Magic of Rotary. That’s the presidential theme for the Rotary year starting July 1, 2024.
Rotarians create that magic with every project completed, every dollar donated, and every new member of Rotary, Rotary International President-Elect Stephanie Urchick said.
The theme was influenced by an experience in the Dominican Republic years ago when Urchick was helping to install water filters. There were two young boys who watched as dirty water entered a filter in one end and emerged clean out the other end.
“I’ll never forget the first time we stopped the water flow. One of the boys grabbed my sleeve and said, “Show me the magic again,’’ she said. “Obviously, the water filter wasn’t magic. We worked hard to transport those filters, install them, and work with recipients in the area to maintain them. But those boys knew that easy access to clean water would change their lives. Knowing that I played a small part in that certainly changed my life.’’
The Magic of Rotary can encourage whatever drives your Rotary club. You can grow The Magic of Rotary if you’re adding new members to our family. You can unlock The Magic of Rotary if you’re unlocking the power of women and girls. You can advance The Magic of Rotary if you’re fundraising to help change the world, said Urchick, a member of the Rotary Club of McMurray, Pennsylvania, USA.
“When our year as Rotary president and district governors has come to an end, it’s up to us to make sure there’s a whole line of people behind us, ready to keep the magic going,’’ she said.
Clubs and districts should use their logo in lockup with the theme logo. The full-colour theme logo is the preferred version for use. The theme logo should not be altered in any way and there shouldn’t be any adding, removing, or resizing any elements or colours of the existing logo.
Peacebuilding will be one of her top priorities during her presidential tenure and thanks to a $15.5 million gift from the Otto and Fran Walter Foundation, Rotary can continue supporting peacebuilders in more regions with the next peace center in Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, Turkey.
The first class of fellows will arrive in Istanbul in early 2025. To mark this occasion, Rotary members, Rotary Peace Fellows, Positive Peace Activators, and others will be invited to attend a Rotary presidential peace conference planned for February 2025.
The theme of the conference on peace will be Healing in a Divided World, focusing on Rotary’s peace efforts and providing opportunities to learn together.
The Rotary Peace Fellowship, a product of The Rotary Foundation that began more than 20 years ago, is one of the programmes to help peace and development professionals end and prevent conflict,’’
“Members who want to spread hope for peace in their community can plant a Peace Pole in the local park, playground, or any community space,’’ she said. “One of my favourite tools for peacebuilding is The Four-Way Test. We would live in a better world if every Rotary member truly lived The Four-Way Test instead of simply reciting it.’’
