Recently, Nick and I spent time in Guatemala, where we met wonderful fellow Rotary members and families who unofficially adopted me as “Tía Jennifer.” On the third day, after visiting Patzún in the mountainous western highlands, we set out for Lake Atitlán, which we needed to reach by nightfall. If we took a back road we could get there faster. Locals told us it had just been repaved and assured us, “You’ll have no problem.”
At first, it was a breeze. We wound through misty-green coffee and corn fields covering the hillside like a patchwork quilt. But at a river crossing, we found a bridge washed away. The only way to continue would be to ford the river in our small bus. There were a few tense moments, but we decided to give it a try and, thankfully, we made it across safely.
This adventure reminds me of two important truths in Rotary. One, we rely on local, on-the-ground expertise to do what we do best. And two, sometimes you have to take uncomfortable chances to reach important goals.
Every day, I am honored to learn from our Rotary family. Every lesson is an opportunity to grow, and each story adds a chapter to our collective Imagine Rotary year.
Message Foundation Trustee Chair_ Sep 2022
Ian H.S. Riseley Trustee Chair 2022-23
One of my favorite books, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, muses on the creation of the universe and how a tiny speck of it we call Earth went from being a fiery ball with seas of molten rock to the lush green-and-blue home we know today. Bryson’s argument is that it is a miracle that we — our planet and our species — have survived. “We enjoy not only the privilege of existence,” Bryson writes, “but also the singular ability to appreciate it and even, in a multitude of ways, to make it better.”
We are fortunate to be able to read his words or any others. And we are fortunate to be part of an organization that is making our world a better place by helping those who can’t read them. There are an estimated 773 million illiterate adults — most of them women — who can’t read these words or write their own name. They are at a clear disadvantage in life, with limited opportunities to work. And this situation isn’t their fault.
Rotary has not forgotten them. In September, let’s celebrate Basic Education and Literacy Month by looking at the long-term impact Rotary and The Rotary Foundation are making and how we are finding ways to lend a hand in the effort.
Last year alone, The Rotary Foundation approved 104 global grants totaling $6.3 million for basic education and literacy projects, according to preliminary figures. This is on top of decades of work in our clubs and districts. As an Australian, I’m especially proud of the work of Dick Walker, a past district governor from Queensland, who used a Foundation matching grant to develop the concentrated language encounter method that has been adopted by educational leaders around the world.
At the community level, our clubs are well known for book drives that have changed the lives of so many children. But when we gather many clubs and districts together and work on large-scale Rotary Foundation projects, we have the potential to impact entire communities for generations.
The opportunities for Rotary to make a difference in literacy are boundless. Once basic reading and writing is achieved, it opens a path to other types of literacy, such as numerical literacy, digital literacy, and financial literacy.
Let’s not squander our opportunity to improve our corner of the universe. I encourage you to think big about literacy and education and change the world — this month and beyond.
Diversity is setting the right mix,Inclusion is making the mix work. การอยู่ร่วมกันอย่างมีความสุข (Inclusion) คือ สภาพแวดล้อมที่ทำให้รู้สึกเป็นส่วนหนึ่ง (Sense of belonging) ที่รู้สึกว่าเขามีคุณค่า ได้รับการยอมรับ ได้รับการส่งเสริมให้มีส่วนร่วม แต่บางสโมสรไปทำความรู้สึก sense of belonging เลยไปว่าเป็นเจ้าของสโมสร ใครจะทำอะไรก็ต้องผ่านการเห็นชอบของฉันเสียก่อน ฉันคือข้อสรุปทุกอย่างของสโมสร อย่างนี้มันก็เกินปุยมุ้ยไปหน่อยนะจ๊ะ เพราะเรายังต้องให้เกียรติรับฟังความคิดเห็นของสมาชิกผู้อื่นด้วย เพื่อให้เกิดความเท่าเทียมกันในสโมสร(Equity)
ความแตกต่าง(Diversity)เป็นข้อเท็จจริง ที่เราเห็นหรือรับรู้กันอยู่แล้ว ในขณะที่ความเท่าเทียมกัน(Equity)เป็นทางเลือกที่เราสามารถนำมาปฏิบัติได้ แต่การอยู่ร่วมกันอย่างมีความสุข(Inclusion)คือสิ่งที่เราต้องลงมือทำ และในเมื่อเราที่เรียกตัวเองว่า”คนทำจริง”(People of Action) เราจึงควรเริ่มต้นและสร้างวัฒนธรรม DEI (Diversity,Equity,Inclusion)ให้เกิดขึ้นในสโมสรโรตารีของเราตั้งแต่วันนี้ เพื่อความเป็นหนึ่งเดียวคือ โรตารี
ขอเชิญชวน สโมสรโรทาแรคท์เทอร์ ร่วมส่งโครงการขอทุนสนับสนุน District Grant จากมูลนิธิ ทุนสูงสุดสโมสรล่ะไม่เกิน $500 หมดเขต 31 สิงหาคมนี้
13 สิงหาคม 2565 สมาชิกสโมสรโรตารีควนลัง-หาดใหญ่ จำนวน 10 ท่าน ได้เข้าร่วมฉลองงานสถาปนา นายกสโมสร วี-กี และคณะกรรมการบริหาร ปี 2565-2566 ของสโมสรคู่มิตร สโมสรโรตารีศรีปิตาลิง ภาค 3300 มาเลเซีย ซึ่งเรามีความสัมพันธ์กันมายาวนานกว่า 12 ปี 10 Members of RC.of Khuanlang-Hatyai attended the celebration Installation of President Vi-Kee and The Board of Directors RY.2022-2023 of RC.of Sri Petaling which we have strong relationships for more than 12 years
Message from District Governor 3330, DG.La-or Chinda
Dear Rotarians and Rotaractors,
We are entering the second month of “Imagine Rotary” with a better situation of Covid-19 pandemic, I am grateful to see members of clubs actively start their operations.
August is the month of Membership and New Club Development. We are aware of the importance of increasing and retaining membership which is one out of three pillars in Rotary operations: Memberships, Rotary Foundation, and Rotary Public Image. We need to operate 3 pillars effectively and duly to enable increase and retain membership.
RIP Jennifer Jones continues to emphasize PRIP’s guideline: One Rotary brings One. Nevertheless, many clubs have not input their goals in Rotary Club Central, I ask for your cooperation to set your goals so you can plan and operate for achieving accordingly.
I would remind you to pay first annual RI fee (1st July 2022 Invoice) and annual district fee within 29th August 2022.
As one of the main responsibilities of District Governor, I shall officially visit clubs in the southern area starting from 15th August. I would ask for your cooperation to prepare yourself according to the provided recommendations.
Wishing you all good health so you can joyfully dedicate yourself to IMAGINE ROTARY.
ดิฉันเชื่อว่าเราทุกคนมีความตั้งใจและมุ่งมั่นที่จะพัฒนา DEI ทั่วทั้งโรตารี นี่เป็นรากฐานมาจากประเพณีที่หยั่งลึกที่สุดขององค์กรของเรา และแน่ใจว่าเราจะยังคงตื่นตัวและเกี่ยวข้องกับเรื่องนี้ไปอีกหลายทศวรรษข้างหน้า
ความมุ่งมั่นอย่างเต็มที่ของโรตารีเกี่ยวกับ DEI และการทำให้บรรลุเป้าหมายเรื่องสมาชิกภาพที่ยิ่งใหญ่ของเราอาจดูไม่น่าเป็นไปได้เหมือนการไปดวงจันทร์ แต่ดิฉันรู้ว่าเมื่อคนทำจริงมุ่งมั่นที่จะทำเพื่อเป้าหมายอันยิ่งใหญ่แล้ว เราก็จะทำให้มันคุ้มค่ากับพลังทั้งหมดของเราที่ลงไป
เจนนิเฟอร์ โจนส์
ประธานโรตารีสากล
Aug 22 Presidents Message
Hed: It starts with an invitation
We’ve all taken our own path to become a member of Rotary. Some of you joined because your father was a Rotarian. Some of us signed up because an employer tapped us on the shoulder and asked us to attend a meeting. Others became members only after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling made it possible. Yet each of us entered through one mechanism — an invitation.
An invitation that unlocks our imaginations and allows us to know that everything and anything is possible. Each one of us has that same opportunity — the honor to extend an invitation.
It is awe-inspiring to imagine how we can look out across our communities and identify our future leaders. It’s often tempting to attract people who are exactly like us. It’s a special form of ingenuity to consider how people who are seemingly very different can, in fact, share our values and have some of those same talents, just waiting to be unleashed.
It’s time for Rotary to take our next step in advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) across our organization.
Embracing an experience where people feel included is more than just making our membership numbers more diverse. It’s about making our meetings and events places where we can speak openly and honestly with each other, where our members feel welcome and safe. This means removing barriers for entry and opening doors for inclusion. Our values remain our strength — and our commitment to excellence requires us to maintain high standards for our members as well.
I believe we are all committed and determined to advancing DEI across Rotary. This is rooted in the deepest traditions of our organization, and it will ensure that we remain vibrant and relevant for decades to come.
A few years ago, our Rotary Board set the ambitious goal of increasing the share of female members to 30 percent by 2023. We have less than a year to go, but I believe we can meet and exceed this target.
We need Rotary leaders to rise from every continent, culture, and creed. We need young members and young thinkers to take on larger roles and responsibilities. We need to listen to new Rotary members just as keenly, and with as much respect, as those with many years of membership.
During our recent convention in Houston, we heard from astronauts about their journeys into space. We reflected upon a time in the 1960s when U.S. President John F. Kennedy urged the world to dream, with his declaration that we would “go to the moon [and do] other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
Fully committing Rotary to DEI and meeting our ambitious membership targets may seem as unlikely as a moon shot. But I know that when people of action are committed to a big goal, we make it worth every ounce of our energy.
During my travels, Rotary often comes up in conversation. Most people associate us with local projects and fundraisers — which is great — but few know what a global force Rotary is. It’s easier to understand this aspect of Rotary through an example, such as how Rotary responded to the devastating bushfires in Australia in late 2019 and early 2020.
The result of extreme drought, global warming, and adverse weather conditions, the fires caused catastrophic damage. The need for help was obvious and substantial.
No stranger to forest fires themselves, Canadian Rotarians knew the best way to help was through The Rotary Foundation. They were soon joined by Rotary clubs and districts in other countries and Taiwan, resulting in three Foundation global grants totaling $280,000 to support the economic recovery of farmers affected by these fires.
One farmer wrote a letter of thanks on behalf of the remote communities we helped, saying they “were in disbelief that Rotary clubs from other countries would step up and help our relatively small farming region” and adding that “they were very grateful and honored to be considered worthy of such aid.”
Friends, this is the kind of impact your Foundation has every single day around the world and why it deserves the support of all Rotary members.
The most significant projects done in Rotary’s name are those accomplished through The Rotary Foundation. The list goes on and on. Think of the impact of our polio eradication efforts, our peace education programs, and our Programs of Scale grants. All these efforts to make the world a better place emanate from our Foundation.
The Foundation also impacts our club experience, membership, partnerships, and so much more. The more visibility and impact we have through Foundation projects, the more people want to be part of what we are doing as partners or as members. Everybody wins.
To me, Rotary and its Foundation are inseparable — you can’t have one without the other. They are two sides of the same coin. I love the friendship and fellowship and projects I experience as a member of the Rotary Club of Sandringham, Australia; but I am also thrilled to be part of a global movement that is changing the lives of countless people through The Rotary Foundation.
Remember that other side of the Rotary coin and support your Foundation. By doing so, you will also be supporting your fellow members who are bringing to life the projects our world truly needs.
