Rotary International President Elect Mark Maloney, a member of RC Decatur, Alabama, USA, unveiled the 2019–20 presidential theme, “Rotary Connects the World” ,to incoming district governors at the International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA.
“The first emphasis is to grow Rotary — grow our service, grow the impact of our projects, but most importantly, grow our membership so that we can achieve more,” Maloney said.
He urged leaders to offer alternative meeting experiences and service opportunities to make it easier for busy professionals and people with many family obligations to serve in leadership roles. “We need to foster a culture where Rotary does not compete with the family, but rather complements it,” Maloney said. “That means taking real, practical steps to change the existing culture: being realistic in our expectations, considerate in our scheduling and welcoming of children at Rotary events on every level.”
He said many of the barriers that prevent people from serving as leaders in Rotary are based on expectations that are no longer relevant. “It is time to adapt, to change our culture, and to convey the message that you can be a great district governor without visiting every club individually, and a great president without doing everything yourself.”