Imagine Rotary
A new Rotary year has begun with a new world leader Jennifer Jones. We salute outgoing president Shekhar Mehta who set new records in membership growth and retention. His appeal ‘Each one, bring one’ has created wonders in strengthening the organisation with a massive addition of nearly 10,000 members. The ‘empower girls’ mission was a huge success and is now a slogan for Rotarians across the world.
We now have a deserving woman from Canada to lead us all, after the long years it took Rotary to choose a woman leader, as envisaged in the DEI policy. These are learning lessons for our organisation and we should welcome them with open arms.
Jones became a leader not because of her gender but because she exhibits focused leadership and dedicated service. Her partner Nick Krayacich, now a DGN, shows us how a partner’s role can be ideal and encouraging.
Jones wants Rotarians to widen their horizons and enhance Rotary’s public image through the media without losing focus on serving humanity.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is her unique mantra. Sometime ago we were talking of classifications with the concept of covering all sections of our communities. She expands it further with DEI.
Let us work together with bigger and better goals, along with the Innerwheel members, Rotaractors, Interactors and all those who want to join us in our mission of serving humanity! Women’s empowerment and projects aiming at the girl child’s development, especially in the rural, remote areas, are the need of the hour and let us pledge to work largely in these areas this year.
As we work on Rotary’s areas of focus, let us respect the seventh area of focus — Supporting the environment. Preserving Planet Earth is the priority. Every Rotarian should work with passion and dedication as creating a healthy environment and a green cityscape will only help us survive.
President Jones and Nick were given a warm welcome in India when they visited Pune, Kochi, Chennai, Varanasi and Delhi to interact with highly performing Rotarians and their families. She shared her dreams, guided the governors and motivated the club presidents. I am sure her visit will have a huge impact on Rotary India.
She wants all of us to Imagine Rotary as an organisation that can transform the world through our dedicated service to humanity.
Let us all pledge to be with her as soldiers in this mission. Let us close the windows of our mind that relate to the past and open a new window with DEI.
Cheers!
Dr Mahesh Kotbagi
RI Director, 2021–23
