We are Rotary’s FUTURE
I spend a lot of time reading widely on different topics, and the current global COVID-19 pandemic has taken it to a whole new level.
While the true heroes of the present time, our medical personnel, continue to be at the forefront of ensuring that everyone is safe, we must support their cause by staying at home and practicing social discipline. The need to follow global health advice and government restrictions has many of us behind closed doors or contained in particular environs. For me, working from home and limited social involvements has enhanced my interest in reading. From exploring articles on the pandemic itself to reading about loon balloons. From reading about the success stories of community service projects by Rotary and Rotaract clubs in the Islands of Oceania to the joy of fellowship in clubs in South America. We have all been drawn to new interests if not sleeping.
Movement has been suspended but time continues to wither away. Days continue to draw closer to the end of the Rotary year of connecting people; a year that has laid the foundation for a better engaged and rejuvenated Rotaract. The growth of Rotaract in recent times has been quite impressive in all corners of the world and it wasn’t a surprise when the 2019 Council of Legislation voted to elevate Rotaract to become a membership option in Rotary International. This progress was taken a step further when in October, the Rotary Board of Directors scrapped off the age cap in Rotaract and eliminated key barriers that have in the past impeded the growth of our clubs globally.
The message is clear.
In the words of RI President, Mark Maloney, ‘Rotaract is a vision of what Rotary must become’.
An open, flexible, fun and accommodating home for young professionals. An avenue to grow the reach of our projects and Rotary’s membership. Rotaract is a flame that will reignite the enthusiasm and impact of Rotary clubs; a 115-year success story.
Due to our expanded horizon, for the second time in history, RI President-Elect Holger Knaack invited a select group of 60 Rotaractors to attend the RI International Assembly, where I was honored to join Rotary’s top brass in San Diego, CA. The International Assembly is Rotary’s biggest annual training event that brings together all the Governors-Elect of the 527 districts in a bid to prepare them to take their districts to the next level when they take up office. This year’s edition took place from January 19th to 25th. This is a step in the right direction aimed at bringing the young and exciting to the decision-making table and ensuring they are better listened to, their ideas are taken to thought and implementation set rolling.
The week-long training saw us delve into key areas of leadership and our future as an organization. Importance was placed on strategic planning, membership engagement, tactical public image promotion and rethinking social and community projects. With Elevate Rotaract, the emphasis is drawn for Rotary to embrace diversity in our membership demographics, innovation and the nature of our projects. It is time to think differently, act differently and create impact differently. That is why we need to be excited about opening new doors of opportunities.
The next Rotary year promises to be one that will be remembered for years to come. All the great steps that have been set up formally come to play on July 1st, which begs the question; How prepared are you as a Rotaractor and as a Rotaract club? It’s one thing to be given the opportunity to fly and a whole different thing to know how you make your first flight. The need to reimagine the impossible calls for us to change how we run our affairs. There has never been a better time to invest in strategic planning and strategic positioning; a time to collaborate with our existing partners and reach out to new ones. ‘We must capture this moment to grow Rotary, making it stronger, more adaptable and even more aligned with Rotary’s core values. Rotary isn’t a club to join, rather an invitation to endless opportunities’
What Rotaract and Rotary will become lies in our hands, choices, confidence, and enthusiasm. We are the future. Be excited.
Article By: Kennedy Gayah- The District Rotaract Representative-Elect of District 9212
