DISCURSOS - Rotary International

Rotary has protected 2 billion children from polio and helped take it from a global scourge to a
disease on the brink of eradication. Soon, the world will be polio-free because of what we have
done.
Rotarians give their time in their own communities to teach children to read, and their donations
provide books to young people who might otherwise have none. What better way to kindle a
dream? A book can be a window into another world.
Through Youth Exchange, we show new generations how wide the world can be. By giving young
people the opportunity to experience other cultures — to gain perspective and make new connections
— we foster peace and compassion. And in our Rotaract and Interact clubs, we cultivate
a passion for service.
With each child we help, with each young person we mentor, we are changing a life, we are
nurturing potential. Who knows what these children will grow up to do because of Rotary? Who
knows how our gifts will echo into the future? We cannot know this. But we know that the things
we do today will have a positive impact throughout their lives in the future.
Yes, New Generations Service is an integral part of Rotary. But just as future generations depend
on Rotary, Rotary depends on them. We must continue to grow, to create new Rotarians. After
all, it is the next generation of Rotarians that will continue our good work. And while we have
much to offer — our commitment, our wisdom, our experience — there is much we can learn
from them as well.
Many of the qualities we most need and value in Rotary are qualities associated with youth, like
enthusiasm and a positive spirit. Young people have a natural optimism. They look for ways to accomplish
things, not for excuses why they won’t work.
This is an attitude many Rotarians can relate to, for we aim high in Rotary. We did not merely decide
to immunize a few children against polio; we committed to eradicating the disease entirely.
I believe that setting our goals high only motivates us to work that much harder and reach that
much farther.
Another quality of youth is flexibility, and in order to grow, Rotary must be flexible enough to
change with a changing world. We must be open to new ideas and new perspectives. Ask your
new members: What inspired you to join Rotary? What would you like to achieve? Ask everyone:
What can we do better?
I have always said that it is important to invite feedback and to listen to criticism. It may be tempting
to dismiss our critics, but often they can teach us something. As a businessman, I know that
you do not achieve success by ignoring your customers! If someone is telling you about a problem
in your club or district, this is something to take seriously.
If we demonstrate a willingness to listen and to engage with new members in our individual
Rotary clubs, we can create a sense of shared ownership and shared responsibility for Rotary’s
future.
We send thousands of young people on Youth Exchange programs every year. There are hundreds
of thousands of alumni in our Rotary community. How can we turn those alumni into members?
We can host alumni events. We can harness the power of social media. We can start up new
Interact and Rotaract clubs and cultivate connections between Interactors and Rotaractors. We
can take the time to introduce a new generation to Service Above Self.
14 International Assembly Speeches 2013