Let’s create history
We are at the mid-point of this Rotary year. While we look back at the last six months with gratefulness that the pandemic showed some signs of letting up, the next six months offer us an opportunity to make some dreams real. Membership in Rotary is an opportunity. Fellowship and service are the two main arms of our organisation. While membership is primarily an internal metric, service to the community is our external face. Many of us join for the fellowship and networking opportunities. However, we grow to appreciate the positives of engaging ourselves in meaningful service projects.
Most districts in our zones will have their district conferences in the next few weeks. It will certainly give us an opportunity to network and make friends. The conference will also give us the opportunity to learn from one another, know more about our organisation and most importantly to realise the power of collective charity. We can all do our bit. Soon we will realise that these little drops have made an ocean — an ocean of possibilities.
Most of us are justifiably proud of our association with the eradication of polio, an impossible dream when it was conceived over 35 years ago. This has largely been due to the tireless efforts of several Rotarians of the past and their selfless contributions to The Rotary Foundation. While we can be proud of that, it is an undeniable fact that a majority of the Rotarians today may have had little or no role in it personally.
We may not have been a major part of our history. However, we can play a big part in creating history. We can think of big ideas, plan, contribute and execute the same.
The contributions of Rotarians around the world selflessly to TRF make it possible for us to execute substantial and significant projects. I urge all Rotarians to ask themselves if they have played a role in that. If not, there is no better time than now to do so. Let us not let go an opportunity to contribute to TRF and become a true stakeholder. An optimist says a glass is half full, a pessimist says it’s half empty, a Rotarian says, “I have an opportunity to add to it and make it full”.
A S Venkatesh
RI Director, 2021–23
