AKS members recognised

Twenty Rotarians were inducted into the prestigious Arch Klumph Society (AKS) in recognition of their extraordinary generosity to TRF. PRIP K R Ravindran, thanking the donors, said that Rotary measures success not in wealth, but in the lives transformed through service.

He praised the inductees as those “who have chosen legacy instead of luxury, compassion against convenience,” embodying the spirit of Arch Klumph, the quiet visionary whose dream became The Rotary Foundation.

He traced the Foundation’s beginnings to “a moment easily overlooked.” In 1917, at the Atlanta Convention, Klumph proposed the creation of an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world. There were no headlines, no thunderous applause.” Yet those softly spoken words would one day change the world.

The journey was slow and often discouraging. The Foundation took 11 years even to gain its name and trustees, and many more years before it made its first charitable grant, $500 to the National Society for Crippled Children (today’s Easterseals in the US). “Even that $500 did not come from the Rotary Foundation. It came anonymously from Paul Harris himself, routed through the Foundation.”

From the first recorded contribution of $26.5 from RC Kansas City, the Foundation has grown into “a global human powerhouse,” touching millions of lives through water, healthcare, literacy and peace.

Ravindran recalled a million- dollar dinner in San Diego, an event he had originally planned to skip. As the pledges rolled onto the screen, he watched in amazement: “It hit a million dollars… and it didn’t stop. It went on to $16.2 million.” But the true miracle came moments later. As he stepped down from the podium, a donor approached quietly and said he wished to double the entire amount, but anonymously. “$34 million in one night! True giving does not always have to be in the spotlight. It only needs a soul and a good heart,” he said.

He also spoke about his own unexpected journey to becoming a Major Donor. While on a flight with PRIP Rajendra Saboo, he was suddenly asked by Saboo to become a Major Donor. Assuming it was a small sum, he casually agreed, until Saboo held his hand and added, “$25,000.” Trapped “at 34,000 feet with no escape,” he attempted to delay the decision by saying he would consult his wife.

At the time, he neither intended nor could afford such a gift. But days later, after surviving a frightening accident, he and his wife Vanathy reflected: “If anything had happened, we would have spent whatever little we had to make me whole.” That moment changed his mind. “Generosity begins not from abundance, but out of gratitude,” he said.

He emphasised that Rotary’s giving is powerful not just because it is heartfelt, but because it is disciplined. “The spirit of the Foundation is not charity alone, but charity with structure, with accountability, with enduring impact.” Through the Foundation, he said, “your giving becomes a strategy… a kindness that is bound to change things that last for ages.”

To the AKS inductees, he said, “It is not your wealth, but your will. It is not your privilege, but your purpose. It is not your status; it is your stewardship. May your example inspire others. May your giving outlast you, and your legacy be written not in wealth, but in the lives you have touched, the hopes you have restored, and the future you have transformed.”

Ravindran noted that there were 1,796 AKS members across the world. The South Asia region now has 251 AKS members, and RID 3141 has the highest number of AKS members in the world. “These numbers are not just statistics. They are signatures of hope. Your success is measured not by what you keep, but by what you have given to the world.”