Learning and Training
One of Rotary’s strengths has been the emphasis on learning and development continuously at every level. All district governors for the next Rotary year underwent an intensive training at the International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, and I am sure they would have planned to transfer that to the clubs in their respective districts in the coming months.
Every district has separate training programmes for assistant governors, district officers, presidents and club office- bearers. Some delegates have asked me the purpose of such training events year after year. I look at these events as learning opportunities rather than training events. Rotary as an organisation has been evolving over the years, and adapting itself to the changing needs, without sacrificing our core values. Adaptability is one of the key components of our action plan. This was in ample evidence during the recent pandemic. Be it membership models, club types, grant models, use of technology… the list is long. All this has ensured that we continue to stay relevant and focused on growth.
This would also mean that all those Rotarians who have volunteered to take up various assignments at different levels need to keep themselves up to date on these developments so that they can discharge their responsibilities better. If someone feels that these training programmes haven’t been as impactful, the issue would more likely be in the implementation rather than intent.
I urge the leadership of our organisation at club and district levels to lay proper emphasis on these training events that will be conducted over the next few months ahead of and in preparation for the next Rotary year. They give us an opportunity to learn about recent developments, share best practices and be inspired. A proper training would also ensure that we speak in one voice. Our future is dependent on how well we make use of these training events to educate, inform and inspire Rotarians at different levels so that we create more engaged Rotarians.
Let us create better informed and more learned Rotarians!
A S Venkatesh
RI Director, 2021–23
