New year new beginnings

One of the unique features of Rotary is the change of guard in all clubs across the globe on July 1 every year. While some may argue that this hampers a club from thinking big and setting long-term goals, those inside are keenly aware that this change in leadership provides scope for fresh thinking while building on the successes of the past. In addition, leadership development is one of the basic tenets of our organisation and this provides ample scope for the same.

At the club, this beginning of a new Rotary year, with a new team taking charge, is also probably the best time to look back, review and reassess our goals and the strategies for achieving the same. Success stories of the past have to be cherished, celebrated and built upon. Mistakes of the past have to be reviewed dispassionately and the learnings from those are to be remembered.

I commend every club for the work they did in the last year amidst huge challenges and uncertainties. It was indeed heartening to see the passion and commitment that so many Rotarians demonstrated in the year that went by.

The time has come to pass the baton. A new year is a good time to plan something that has never been done before. This is the time of the year when members are most likely to be in a receptive state of mind to accept, adopt and approve new ideas. Let us make use of this opportunity. Let us look around our community and imagine what could be improved. Let us be empathetic to the less fortunate. Let us imagine the things one could do to make this diverse society an equitable and an inclusive one. Let this imagination lead us into hitherto untried areas. Let us take the less travelled road. While the journey would be enjoyable, it is also likely to herald unprecedented successes.

The time is now to Imagine Rotary!

A S Venkatesh
RI Director, 2021–23