DG Newsletter
Rotary worldwide boasts over 1.2 million Rotarians but the Family of Rotary directly boasts many million more. Our partners and spouses are our closest Family of Rotary members. Many of us depend on them to support the work of our Clubs, often providing the service in implementing their community projects when our members are otherwise busy or by being there as a valued support.
A number of our smaller Clubs also have a “family of Rotary” group, members of the community, which they call upon from time to time to help those Clubs in their community service projects.
Irrespective of who they are, Clubs should duly honour and thank all their Friends or Family of Rotary group who have helped their Club. December and “Family of Rotary” month is a good time of the year to do this as we celebrate the Christmas spirit.
Last August I had an opportunity to visit the Rotary Club of Rustenberg Kloof in District 9400, South Africa, a club of nine members. It was their annual President’s Night, an occasion on which the Club thanked and recognised all those who, in response to a phone call or a simple ask, came to the aid of the Club in their larger service projects. One of these was to provide 175 lunches for a Kruger National Park tour – each lunch in an individually decorated box and much of the content of the boxes was made and cooked in the home kitchen of the Club members and several of their
volunteer supporters.
At the Club President’s dinner, several members of the “Family of Rotary” were inducted as Honorary Members of the Rotary Club of Rustenberg Kloof.
No matter what the nature of the recognition or honour, it’s important for any Rotary Club to duly acknowledge and thank family. Yet our Family of Rotary is much broader than a Rotarian’s immediate family and those members of the community who ‘lend a hand.’ It also includes our
Rotary Youth Exchange students especially those who will depart in January and our current Outbound students who will return in January after their
year of exchange. And it also includes their parents and their host parents of our current Inbound students.
As members of the Family of Rotary, let’s involve them all in the life of our Clubs on a regular basis.
Our new generations programmes including RYPEN, the Ian Murphy Memorial Debating competition and our many Science programmes all contribute to the Family of Rotary. Let’s also involve them in the life of our Clubs so we can broaden their knowledge of what we do.
December is also the time of Christmas and the spirit of Christmas, a time to reflect on our good fortune, the year just past and the year ahead. It is
also the time of giving and as we reflect on all that we have, consider those that do not. We should all consider how much good our Foundation could do in the world and what greater impact it could have if, at this time of giving – and receiving – we could all give something to our Foundation on behalf of someone in your immediate or larger family.
I wish all members and their families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as we all continue to Reach Within to Embrace Humanity.
Yours in Rotary
David Anderson
District Governor 2011-2012
Rotary District 9790
Ed. The full Newsletter can be accessed from our web page or by GOING TO http://www.rotary9790.org.au/1112/ftp/december.pdf
