How RY 2024/25 became the “Magic of Rotary” year
During the incoming district governors meeting at the Rotary International Assembly on 8 January, the then Rotary International President-elect Stephanie Urchick announced that the 2024-25 presidential theme would be The Magic of Rotary and called on members to recognize and amplify the organization’s power to save lives.She said, “Don’t misunderstand me – we are not going to end polio or bring peace to the world by waving a wand and saying some funny words.” “It’s up to you. You create the magic with every project completed, every dollar donated, and every new member.”
The new RI President Urchick, a Rotary Club of McMurray, Pennsylvania, USA member, said she saw the magic of Rotary on display while helping install water filters in the Dominican Republic. Two boys looked on as dirty water entered the filter, then ran out clean at the other end. “One of the boys grabbed my sleeve and said, ‘Show me the magic again,’” she said. “Obviously, the water filter wasn’t magic. We worked hard to transport those filters, install them, and work with community leaders in the area to maintain them. But those boys knew easy access to clean water would change their lives. Knowing I played a small part in that certainly changed my life.”
She wants us to change the world by embracing The Magic of Rotary, which is at its best when we foster a sense of inclusion and belonging in our clubs, which the RC Kampala South has embarked on more intentionally to get her members more involved and participate in various activities over the last month and into this one.