Friends,
Rotary is, at its heart, a family of members. This is where everything begins. When our membership is strong, our projects, contributions and service to communities becomes stronger and more impactful. I often picture Rotary as a magnificent chariot, the wheels of which are our members. Strong wheels make the chariot run smoothly; but if the wheels are weak, the journey slows down. That is why membership must always remain our first priority.
In the third month of this Rotary year, let’s embrace a simple but powerful idea: Say YES to 1:2:3. For every 1 Rotarian, let’s engage 2 Rotaractors and 3 Interactors with our clubs. When we inspire young people today, they will see Rotary as their natural next step tomorrow. This is how we ensure sustainability, create continuity, and keep our movement full of energy and life.
Let’s step back and look at the bigger picture. India today is the second largest Rotary country in the world. That is something to be proud of! But we can’t stop here; we have to move forward. If each of our 4,800+ clubs simply brings in one new member every alternate month, that is six members in a year. Multiply that, and together we will welcome 28,800 new Rotarians this year alone. This way, our four zones will cross a historic milestone — 2 lakh members by 2025–26 and, and 2.25 lakh by 2026–27. Such a powerful message to the Rotary world on the strength and unity of India’s Rotarians!
This RAG analysis will tell us where we stand today and help leaders to plan for the future.
- Red zone: clubs with fewer than 25 members
- Amber zone: clubs with 25–50 members
- Green zone: clubs with 50+ members
- Super Green: clubs with 75+ members
I urge every club president, district governor, regional and zonal leader to pledge to hand over the leadership baton to your successor after scaling at least one zone. When you show positive growth and better numbers, that is a clear, measurable and lasting legacy you can be proud of.
Also, while focusing on recruiting new members, we must also work equally hard on retaining existing members. Every club and district is responsible for making Rotary meaningful to its members. When people feel connected, when they see their contributions creating real change, they stay. When our youth experience the joy of service through Rotaract and Interact, they see Rotary as their future. And when our clubs remain strong and vibrant, our impact on society multiplies many times over.
So friends, let’s join hands and hearts to make this happen. Let’s keep the Rotary wheel strong, steady and turning true.
Say YES to 1:2:3. Say YES to growth. Say YES to Rotary.
M Muruganandam
RI Director, 2025–27