When we last met...
In his address to the Rotary Club of San Juan, District Governor Jesus A. Vivas offered enthusiasm and shared his vision. The following is the speech he gave, for those who may have missed it:
Dear fellow Rotarians and friends, it is a privilege to be here today in my official visit as Governor of Rotary district 7000.
In my meeting today with Raymond and the Board of Directors, I had the opportunity to discuss and interchange some ideas and could appreciate the work the club have planned for this rotary year. I’m convinced that if you do what you have planned, this year will be full of rotary work but also full of joy and satisfaction for a job well done.
At the International Assembly held this year in San Diego, California, president Ravi Ravindran told us the following: “Rotary is a way to bring out the best part of ourselves, and let it guide our lives. Too often, we spend our days in pursuit of the goals that should matter least. We focus our attention on our own achievements and our own gain, we devote our energy to the accumulation of material things. Yet at the end of our lives no one will remember us for the cars we drove, the clothes we wore, the titles we carried, or the offices we sat. In the end we will not be rebembered for how much we acquired, but by how much we gave away”. Close the quote. We must think about these words and reflect about their true meaning in our lives, what really matters and how we want to be remembered.
Membership
Let’s talk about membership. As of June 30, 2015, the district membership was 951. The lowest I can recall in the past 25 years. It is my opinion that we need to refocus on strengthening our clubs, creating a quality product that our customers - both Rotarians and the communities we serve - enjoy and appreciate and build our brand as the prime deliverer of high quality experience and services to these same customers.
How do we do it? It will require all members working closely together as a team under a membership and strategic plan, this may require some changes in the way we are doing things now. We should emphasize Rotarian engagement, retention and Rotarian satisfaction with their club and personal Rotary experiences.
Every one of us must become passionate about our excellent organization and sell its benefits to a fast-changing world and increasingly demanding customer base.
Citing the words of Past RI President Carlo Ravizza (1999-2000) concerning membership in his presentation to the International Assembly; he said” Do we need more members in Rotary....of course we do. But, what we need most of all is more Rotary in the members we have!
That’s been true back in 1999 and is also true now in 2015. More than anything we need to remain relevant to our members and our communities and reinvent as needed, but remain true to our core Rotary values. It will take some time I know, but these are the important key factors that really matter in my opinion. If we can do that, then the numbers will improve by themselves.
In order to start working towards our membership, this next Saturday, August 15 we will have our first Membership Seminar at the Guayama Rotary Club. The attendance of your membership committee is of utmost importance to the success of this seminar.
Internationally
We are participating with district 7020 of Zone 34 in a matching grant to built water wells in Haiti. Also for the first time, we are part of a Global Grant including all 29 districts of Zone 34 to provide health services to 40,000 men, women and children during a three days visit in Ghana, Africa. This will addresses Ghana’s most pressing health challenges, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria as well as diabetes and hypertension. An important component is immunizing children against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. The grant’s total is 109K and will start October 7 of this year.
My goal is that every club contributes to The Rotary Foundation and become an Every Rotarian, Every Year club. The Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY) initiative encourages all Rotary club members to contribute at least $100 every year to help support The Rotary Foundation goals. (Check actual status of SJRC) I know of your commitment with The Rotary Foundation and I’m sure you will continue your support.
I want to mention the Rotary Global Rewards program. This is a new program that offers discounts on car rentals, hotels, dining, and entertainment. Anyone can view the offers and discounts on Rotary Global Rewards. But only Rotary club members who are registered in My Rotary accounts can redeem them. You can access and redeem rewards from your computer, Smartphone, or tablet. So start using this singular initiative of Rotary
Locally
We will continue supporting the Red de Albergues de Violencia Domestica de PR. At the “Rotarian Weekend” to be held at Costa Bahia Hotel in Guayanilla from October 30th to November 1st, we will donate first necessity items collected from the clubs. The cost of the “Rotarian Weekend” will be only $389 including double occupancy. This is an “all inclusive” offer. The theme will be Octoberfest. This information was sent to all Rotarians, if you don’t have it or have any doubt please talk to Juanita. This is a very good an affordable way for a Rotarian get-together. Also, at the district’s conference in collaboration with FERNI, I want with the clubs contributions, to donate a wheel chair to a physically challenged child. The cost of the wheel chair is around $4.5K and we need to raise $3K.
We are participating in the third Souns project covering early Head Starts centers in San Juan, Santurce, Cataño Caguas, Juncos, Vega Alta and Mayaguez. Rotarian Brenda
Erickson, from Peachtree Rotary Club in Atlanta is in charge of training the local Head Start teachers, so they can continue with the project. This is a train the trainer approach. Rotarians Maria Elena Perez and Juanita Morris from this club have been helping Brenda. This project will teach reading to 3,375 children per year between the ages of 3-4 years old. Rotarians from Peachtree Rotary Club will be visiting this year the Head start centers. That’s a good opportunity for the San Juan RC to invite them and show them our traditional hospitality. Juanita will keep you posted.
In November 21st and 22nd all of the 31 clubs comprising District 7000 will participate in their communities with “Comparte tu Compra”. During these two days Rotarians will collect food in supermarkets to donate them to a needed family in Thanksgiving. Some clubs do this at different times during the year. The purpose is to unite in these two days all the Rotarians doing a civic activity which will enhance our public image. Clubs will be identified with a 3’ x 5’ banner with the name of the club and Rotarians will distribute Rotary information. The cost of the banner is only $35.00.
Youth
In the last 3 years our Interact and Rotaract clubs numbers have increased and the RYLA program is exceeding our expectations. Our youth are an amazing asset and we need to continue and find ways for them to stay as part of our organization, whether they became immediately a Rotarian or not. We can’t stop now, we should continue our efforts to enhance their experience and support their programs. If we do that, I am confident we will have a stronger more effective District 7000.
Be a Gift to the World! Rotary President “Ravi” Ravindran could not have chosen a better theme. These simple words affirm what Rotary is all about and encourages us to continue our good work. They remind us that each of us have gifts to share: our time, energy, talent, enthusiasm, knowledge, passion, wisdom, humor, strength & empathy.
What gift do you bring to Rotary? How can you make a difference? One person can make a difference - share your gift with the World!
I am confident if we do what we have to do we will have a vibrant District 7000 for years to come.
Our success depends on each of us. Integrity, passion and commitment are what it takes, and together we will exceed our expectations.The time is now! It may never come again….join me and together “Be a Gift to the World
The time is now! It may never come again….join me and together “Be a Gift to the World.