Time to green Rotary
Two developments in our organisation in recent times have a far-reaching impact on the path it will take in the coming years. One is the change in the status of Rotaract and the other is the inclusion of Environment as our seventh area of focus.
Rotarians in our region have to quickly understand the implications of the change in the policy towards Rotaract so that we fully leverage this to Rotary’s benefit. While Rotaract is another membership type, now with far greater autonomy, we still have to help them assimilate this change to ensure that we collectively move in the right direction. They will need our help to ensure sustainable growth, applying for global grants and executing service projects which are larger than the ones they may have previously handled. A point worth remembering is that in our region the membership in Rotaract is predominantly institution-based and the transition needs to be handled carefully. Rotarians will have to consciously mentor Rotaract members without being intrusive. The onus is on Rotary leadership across our districts to ensure this.
The second development is about the Environment. This has got the imagination of Rotarians and during my travel to various districts, I have been noticing a lot of interest in advocating judicious use of our natural resources such as water, soil and air. We need to take giant strides in this area. It is also a fact that the younger generation are more invested in this and are keen to play a role. Rotary is all about member engagement and this affords us the opportunity to attract, engage and retain younger members. This cannot happen by chance. We should plan, involve these younger members and execute projects. We would thereby be addressing a variety of important aspects such as membership diversity, member engagement and retention. In short, it’s a great opportunity.
As can be seen, both the factors mentioned above have a connection that together will guarantee Rotary’s future. All we need to do is to Imagine a new Rotary!
A S Venkatesh
RI Director, 2021–23
