Home District fetes RIDE
Madurai (South India) recently hosted the who’s who of Rotary India to celebrate the appointment of Basker C as the incoming RI Director. The Rotarians of D 3000, under the leadership of DG R Theenachandran, had organised a grand reception which held more significance as the RIDE, a member of RC Karur, belongs to the District which also observes its silver jubilee year. DGE M Muruganandham and DGN P Gopalakrishnan were also present.
The guest list included PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta, PRIDs Panduranga Setty, Ashok Mahajan, Y P Das, Shekhar Mehta and P T Prabhakar and over 200 RI officers of Zones 4, 5 and 6. RI President K R Ravindran and RI Director Manoj Desai conveyed their wishes through a video presentation and the chief guest PRIP Saboo felicitated Basker and spouse Mala with a memento. He recalled the then RI President Stanley E McCaffrey’s advice to him when he took over as RID in 1981, “Your concern should not be what the image of your country is at the moment, but what will it be when you leave the RI Board,” and to Basker, he added, “two years will fly. I pray that God shows you the right path because you have the courage to tread that path.”
Past RI Directors also complimented Basker. Setty assured him of his support in his endeavours as Director, and so did Mahajan. Trustee Gupta, remembering his efficient management of the 2013 Zone Institute at Singapore as Institute Chair said that he had “the capabilities to take Rotary to another level. You are going to the RI Board at a time when the stock of India is high and we are considered to be the future of Rotary.”
Das said that Basker has exemplified himself; be it the Singapore Institute or as the Rotary Coordinator, he has shown that he can achieve what he sets out to do, and wished him greater success and glory in his new role.
Mehta and Prabhakar also congratulated Basker and wished him success in his endeavours.
Basker acknowledged his new role and said, “This position has been bestowed upon me with trust that I will deliver the goods what is required to make India No:1 in the world map of Rotary International. And I seek your support.” He thanked his Rotarian father who introduced him to Rotary, his home club and District which encouraged him to excel in leadership, and all the RI leaders of Zone V who elected him to the post.
He outlined his plans for 2017–19, saying, “We need to strengthen the clubs. Every club in India will have the most disciplined practices, towards which governors of 2017–18 will set new trends and hence, be known as ‘Trendsetters’ and those of 2018–19 will promise more and do more and be known as ‘Miracle chasers.’
