Monthly messages
February 2012
My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary,
This November, I had the opportunity to speak at the Rotary institute in Kolkata, India. The focus of this institute was on peace and the ways in which we in Rotary could work to build peace. When I received the invitation, I began to think about what I might say, knowing that with all that Rotarians do in this area, my main challenge would be keeping within the time limit!
But just before I arrived in Kolkata, I spoke at a water conference in Tel Aviv. It was a wonderful event at which Rotarians and non-Rotarians from all over the world came together to discuss the many challenges of keeping an ever-growing population supplied with an increasingly scarce resource. Before I could begin to talk about Rotary’s contribution, however, I had to explain what Rotary is and what we do – because even in that very educated audience of scientists and entrepreneurs and executives, there were many people who had simply never heard of Rotary.
As I left that event, I began to think again about what to say in Kolkata, because so much of what we do in Rotary to build peace depends on public awareness of who we are. Why have we been so successful in our work to eradicate polio? Because Rotary is able to go where no government and few other nongovernmental organizations can – into homes, into schools, and into communities, with the trust and confidence of the people we serve.
When we in Rotary work for peace, we don’t do it by negotiating treaties or demonstrating in the streets. Instead, we build peace by example – by working together, whatever our nationality or background, and putting others’ needs above our own. We build peace by dealing with the problems that disrupt people’s ability to live normal, peaceful lives – whether those problems are a lack of water, or sanitation, or safe, affordable housing; whether they stem from a shortage of education or health care, or a need to build productive and positive connections between communities. In everything we do, we rely on our good name.
This is why all of us have a responsibility to be sure that our good name is indeed known. We need to not just work through Rotary, but talk about Rotary – letting the world know about the work we are doing, the differences we are making, and the benchmarks we are setting. Our Rotary work speaks to our belief that a better, more peaceful world is possible, and we need to be sure that our voices are heard.
January 2012
My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary,
At Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C., stands a memorial to the Seabees, formally known as the U.S. Naval Construction Force. An inscription reads, “With willing hearts and skillful hands, the difficult we do at once; the impossible takes a bit longer.”
In Rotary, we already have our own mottoes. If we didn’t, I might be given to nominate those two lines. The power of combined effort, as Paul Harris once wrote, knows no limitation. When we work together, the impossible becomes possible.
I thought of this when I read, a few months ago, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, the premier medical journal in the United States. Titled “The Polio Endgame,” it outlined a strategy for a post-polio era, including managing post-eradication risks.
Thirty years ago, such an article could never have been published. Today, it is a testament to the power of dedication, of persistence, and of combined effort. The impossible has, indeed, become possible. A post-polio world, once the stuff of dreams, will soon be here.
My friends, the day that polio will be eradicated is close at hand. We have to be ready for it with a powerful Rotary – a Rotary of enthusiasm and confidence, of bold vision and clear ambitions. It is time for us to prepare by taking an honest look at our clubs. Are our projects meaningful, sustainable, and relevant? Are our meetings productive and enjoyable? Are our clubs welcoming to new members, and are our schedules and events friendly to young families? And once people join us, do we welcome them properly, involve them enough? Do we make them a part of the family of Rotary quickly enough?
The figures tell us that while enough new individuals join Rotary every year and everywhere, too many exit Rotary, on an ongoing basis. What unfulfilled hope do they leave with? What expectations are we not meeting? Can we do more and better?
Now is the time to focus our energies on our clubs, and on the way people see them. It is time to show our communities that the Rotary of today is not the Rotary of their preconceptions. Rotary is a way to connect, to do more, to be more – it is a way to take our idealism and our vision, and turn them into reality.
December 2011
My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary,
In late August, Binota and I were in Ghana, where Rotary Foundation Trustee Vice Chair Sam Okudzeto and enthusiastic local Rotarians took us to the ribbon-cutting for a water project in a little village, Abutia Teti, about 60 miles from Accra. We arrived at about 11 a.m., and the whole village seemed to be there. Everyone had been waiting since early morning to welcome us. In the past, the women had to walk over 3 miles to carry pails of water from a river. Now they had a supply of safe, clean water from tube wells in the village itself. It was a simple but effective project in which Rotary and USAID had worked together. But what struck us most that day was family: The men, the women, the children were all there together, dancing, singing, and welcoming us. It made me think about how everywhere around the world, people come together in families, and families join together as communities.
And this made me happy that the first of our emphases in this Rotary year is the family, because the family is where everything begins. It is where life begins, it is where our day begins, and it is where our Rotary service must begin. Because it is the family, and not the individual, that is the building block of the community – and of Rotary.
It is one of my great priorities to encourage the involvement of families in Rotary service. I feel incredibly strongly that Rotary should never, ever come between the Rotarian and the family. Rotary service should be something that brings the family closer together. For myself, if I cannot bring Binota with me to a Rotary event, it’s simple – I don’t go! Rotary is not just for me; it is for both of us. This is why I encourage districts to welcome families at district conferences, to involve spouses and children in service projects, and to plan meeting times with families in mind. The more that families are involved in Rotary, the more Rotary will thrive – today and tomorrow.
What is Rotary about? It’s about so many things, but at its core, Rotary is about these words:
Love your neighbor as yourself. Rotary is about love, and that love has to start with us – and with those closest to us.
November 2011
My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary,
In 1885, the London Times ran a series of editorials honoring the 100th birthday of Sir Moses Montefiore, the British financier and philanthropist knighted by Queen Victoria. The editorials commented on his honesty, his generosity, and his willingness to come to the aid of anyone in need. One story was particularly telling.
Someone once asked Sir Moses, one of the wealthiest men of his era, how much he was worth. In the face of such an ill-mannered inquiry, he merely paused for a moment’s reflection before naming a figure – one that fell far short of his questioner’s expectations. Naturally, it was met with an objection; surely he must be worth 10 times as much! Sir Moses merely smiled. “Young man,” he replied, “you didn’t ask me how much I own. You asked me how much I am worth. So I calculated how much I have given to charity this year, and that is the number I gave you. You see, in life we are worth only what we are willing to share with others.”
When we calculate our own worth, do we think about it in terms of what we have, or how we use it? When we say that all human beings are of equal worth, do our actions follow our words?
I believe that being a Rotarian means looking at all of our resources differently. What is the most good that we could choose to do with what we have? What are the choices that will ultimately leave us the richest?
In Rotary, we are all aware of the great needs in so many parts of our world. And we all know how much we can do to help through our Rotary Foundation. We can change lives, we can restore hope, we can build futures – if we choose to.
In life, everything is a choice. We can choose to close our eyes to the needs of others, to keep what we have for ourselves, to declare the problems of others to be theirs alone. Or we can choose to look past distance, past color, past language and dress and culture, and see that people everywhere are just like us – and then refuse to walk away.
October 2011
My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary,
In the pages of this month’s magazine, you will be introduced to the marvelous city of Bangkok, Thailand, which will play host to our 2012 Rotary International Convention. Please consider this my personal invitation to join me, my family, and our fellow Rotarians at what promises to be an incredible event in one of the world’s most fascinating locations.
Thailand is a spectacular destination, truly the Land of a Thousand Smiles. I would particularly urge Rotarians who have never visited Thailand before to consider this as your chance. You’ll be surrounded by gracious Rotarian hosts and friends, old and new, from around the world. Bangkok is a fantastic gateway for those wishing to explore Southeast Asia, and a wonderful experience on its own. For those who hail from countries closer by, take the opportunity to visit a major cultural capital, with all it has to offer – including shopping, dining, and sightseeing. Indeed, Bangkok will give you a wonderful value for your time and money.
But the very best reason to visit Bangkok, of course, will be the 2012 RI Convention itself, 6-9 May – the highlight of the Rotary calendar.
All through the year, we reach out to Rotary communities around the globe. At the convention, we have the chance to see all those communities represented in one place – to hear all the languages, see all the people, and learn about all the projects of the past year. Nothing brings home the internationality of Rotary like a Rotary convention – and nothing else has the same power to inspire.
I firmly believe that every Rotary event should be a family event, and this is why Binota and I plan to bring our children and our grandchildren. Why not do the same, and make the Rotary convention part of your family’s vacation next year? With so many wonderful events and activities to choose from, there is something for everyone, and plenty of opportunity to draw our families closer to our Rotary service.
Every year, I go to the convention excited to see old friends and make new ones, to celebrate our successes and learn from our experiences. And every year, I leave with a sense of pride in Rotary, eager to begin another year of service.
Bangkok promises to be the best convention yet. I urge you to register now at www.rotary.org/convention, and to begin planning your trip to our 103rd international convention!
September 2011
My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary,
We have a color for the 2011-12 Rotary year, and that color is green. Why green? Because green is the color of spring, of new life, of bright leaves bursting forth from spreading branches. And there is no doubt that it is time to “green” Rotary – to lift our deepening pallor of gray and replace it with brighter shades of green.
Overall, in Rotary, only 11 percent of our members are under the age of 40, while 68 percent are over 50 and 39 percent are over 60. It’s not too hard to see where this will lead us in 10, 20, and 30 years down the line, if we don’t do something about it now. It is not enough to simply bring in new members. We need to bring in younger members, who will breathe new life and new vigor into our organization.
How can we be more attractive to younger members, who are so different in so many ways from the young professionals of a generation or two ago? We have to come to them where they are – and for most young people, where they are is on the Internet, on Facebook, on Twitter and e-mail, and on their smartphones. A club that doesn’t have a presence on the Internet simply doesn’t exist as far as they are concerned. A club’s website is its public face – and it has to be a good one.
More than anything, I believe we need to bring back the idea of the family of Rotary. We need to look at all of Rotary as one family: Rotarians, their families, and also Rotaractors, Interactors, Youth Exchange students and alumni, Foundation alumni, and so on. And we need to consider retention as an idea that applies not just to Rotarians, but to the entire family of Rotary.
Too often, we look outward to find new members, and we do not see our own young generation, waiting to be called upon. We must look to them to find the capable and enthusiastic new members who will be the club presidents, the district governors, and the RI senior leaders of tomorrow.
We owe it to our Rotary family – past, present, and future – to make sure that our generation of Rotarians is not the last. We must, in a very real sense, reach within – to embrace our Rotary family, so that we can better embrace all of humanity.
August 2011
My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary,
There is an old saying in India: “When you help your neighbor’s boat across the water, you find that your own has reached the shore.” By helping others, we often find that we have helped ourselves as well.
Each of us came to Rotary to serve – and found the joys and satisfactions of friendship and fellowship. In August, the month we dedicate to membership and development, we focus on spreading the message of Rotary. By serving well, without hiding our Rotary light under the proverbial bushel, we find ourselves closer to our own goal: a stronger, more vibrant Rotary for generations to come.
Public image and membership go hand in hand. Too many people – intelligent, educated, involved people – simply have no idea what Rotary is. This is something we need to confront. We have heard again and again about communities where, despite all the good work that Rotary clubs do, many people are unaware that those clubs even exist. This is not the way forward for our organization.
Serving well is the essential first step – but it is only the beginning. We have to raise our profile with all the tools that are available to us, and there are more tools today than there ever were. We have to use social media such as Twitter and Facebook, and we have to be sure our clubs have an online presence. Having a website is not enough; it must be up to date, it must be appealing, it must reflect the work we are doing. And it must offer a way for prospective members, once they see what we do and become interested, to take the next step.
Rotary has so much to offer. It is up to us to let others know what a fantastic organization we have, and to show people how they can integrate Rotary into their lives. Service does require time, and time is something nobody has enough of these days. So we need to ensure that all the time we spend with Rotary is worthwhile – that it is rewarding and never wasted. When we reach within ourselves and our clubs, when we learn what we are capable of and harness that power, we will elevate our communities as never before – and elevate Rotary as well.
Kalyan Banerjee
President, Rotary International
July 2011
My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary!
All of us in Rotary are looking to change the world – why else would we be Rotarians? We believe that our world can be happier, healthier, and more peaceful, and that we can create that better world through our service.
In 2011-12, I will ask Rotarians to Reach Within to Embrace Humanity . I will ask you to search first within yourselves, to understand that all of us, everywhere, have the same dreams, the same hopes, the same aspirations, and similar dilemmas. When we understand, and truly feel, that others’ needs are the same as our own, we begin to understand how important our work is. In the year ahead, we will have three emphases in our Rotary service.
Our first emphasis in this Rotary year will be the family. The family and the home are at the core of all our work – all our service begins here. And through the family, we approach all of our community and indeed, all of humanity, as an extended family, in which all members care for each other. In times of joy and in times of need, no one is ever alone.
Our second emphasis will be continuity – finding the things we do well and taking them to the next level. We must build on our successes, expand on them, and strive to do even more. Of course, our greatest obligation is to PolioPlus, where success is now so close.
And our third emphasis will be change. We must understand that true change can only begin with each of us, and start within us. We cannot share peace with others if we do not have it to give. We cannot look after the whole world without first looking after those closest to us: our families, our clubs, and our communities.
Mohandas K. Gandhi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” In Rotary, we endeavor to live ethically and honestly, to share friendship and fellowship, to see equal worth in every human being. We are not interested in the lowest common denominator, for Rotary is anything but common. Instead, we work to elevate ourselves, elevate others, and thereby embrace the world.
Together, we will Reach Within to Embrace Humanity . And in peace, harmony, and friendship, we will bring change – and a more joyful world.
Kalyan Banerjee
President, Rotary International