Edmonton Strathcona Rotary Club
 
What will this year look like?
Graham Gilchrist
President 2022-2023
 
My Fellow Rotarians,
 
It was not lost on me in Houston that in order for Jennifer Jones to be RI President in 2022-2023, it took a Court in 1983 and finally, the old men in our Council of Legislation in 1989 to allow a woman to be a member.
You will hear more in the coming days.
President Jones is asking us to Imagine Rotary.
A Club with younger thinkers.
Clubs with a more diverse perspective regardless of geography, gender or age.
She has set a goal of more members under 40 and, where needed, more women members.
Those in Rotaract will be Rotarians in their own right.
I will be asking each of you to look around the table you are at, shuffle your chairs and make room for that next Rotarian.
Welcome that Rotarian and celebrate what they bring to the table.
Most importantly, never ask that they change to fit us.
Ask what do we need to do to fit them.
 
Our Challenge for this Rotary year is four-fold.
Rotary has set forth these challenges, and I will not reinvent its wheel.
Instead, I will re-phrase their challenges in the form of a question and ask of you to take action.
  1. What will we do to increase our Club’s impact on our community?
  2. How will we expand our Club’s reach into our community?
  3. What will we do to enhance our Club’s and our community’s participation and engagement?
  4. What is interfering with our Club’s ability to adapt to change?
We met earlier this year to examine what you as members told us were priorities.
From that, we now have a three-year plan.
It tells us which communities are essential and what impacts we will strive to create for those in the community.
 
I will ask the Board to pay attention to things important and external to the Club.
Are we as a Club achieving the outcomes our members asking us as leaders to achieve?
Internally I will be asking you as Club Leaders to put into action your Club’s plan.
I want you to take prudent risks.
You will get a budget to accomplish your tasks. Spend it well.
I expect you to coordinate with your fellow leaders and ensure more than one Club outcome is achieved. It makes no sense to do things alone or separately.
 
As we put plans into motion for 2022-2023, This is my charge to you as Club Leaders.
To those of you who in Community and International - Lead our efforts investing in our community.
To those of you who in Membership - Keep and maintain the health of our membership.
To those of you who in Volunteer Engagement (Service) - Get us back out into the community.
To those of you who in Fundraising (Treasurer, Casino, Flags, Foundation, Community, and International) - Raise the funds and make partnerships so we accomplish our outcomes.
To those of you who in all our Committees - Ensure our good work makes a difference in the lives of those in the communities we engage in.
To all Leaders - Include our spouses, partners, and families when we plan events and projects.
To my fellow Directors – Be soft on the people but ask hard questions, challenge assumptions, and don’t accept the status quo.
To my fellow Rotarians – Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
 
I close with this reminder.
The Speaker of the Alberta Legislature regularly reminds his colleagues.
May they never lead the province wrongly through love of power, desire to please, or unworthy ideas but, laying aside all private interests and prejudices, keep in mind their responsibility to seek to improve the condition of all.
I ask you to rise and as we adjourn, please say with me our 4-Way Test.
"Of the things we think, say or do:
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?"