DISCURSOS - Rotary International

Rotarians will go out of their way to make you feel welcome and comfortable. What a family we
belong to! We can call almost anywhere in the world home.
Let us remember that in reaching our goal of service, none of us can effectively do so alone;
there are others who are just as committed and passionate as we are. We must help and rely on
one another. This is the sense in which Rotary is like a family. This extended family includes not
only Rotarians but their spouses and other family members and former Rotarians who provide
critical support to Rotary’s service efforts.
Our partners in service — Rotaract, Interact, and Rotary Community Corps — are also part of this
wide Rotary family dedicated to improving life in their communities and throughout the world.
Like most families, the Rotary family provides a haven where we can gather the strength and encouragement
to face the challenges of the world. The poet and writer Goethe said, “Treat people
as if they were what they ought to be and you will help them to become what they are capable
of being.” A club can always create supportive beneficial synergy with these extended family
members.
And there are others, too, who can come under our umbrella of service. Each year, thousands
of young men and women participate in Rotary’s educational and New Generations programs,
which enable them to develop new skills, serve their communities, and foster international understanding.
Very often, we do not employ the experience gained by these young people to its
full potential. The experience does not have to end when the program is over. As alumni, they
are part of an extended network of people who share a common bond. They will always belong
to the family of Rotary, and it behooves us to keep them involved with the idea and resources of
Rotarians and alumni. They should stay connected with Rotary, and the transition to becoming
Rotarians should be an easy walk-through for these natural prospects.
During my visit to Brazil, a young Zimbabwean on a Youth Exchange program was our interpreter,
using her recently acquired skills of translating Portuguese into English. My wife kept in contact
with her, and we met again in London and were excited to learn of her interest in becoming a
Rotarian. Rotary brought us together; Rotary is teaching her to serve.
And as we cast our net to find synergies with like-minded people, it is desirable that we cultivate
new relationships with individuals and organizations such as Rotarian Action Groups and networking
groups that share Rotary’s goals. In very significant ways, they complement the delivery
efforts of Rotary service and are important fibers in the fabric of the Rotary tapestry.
Under the Future Vision Plan of the Rotary Foundation, new strategic partnerships are being
developed. A strategic partnership is a relationship between The Rotary Foundation and another
international organization that has a unique or specialized knowledge or expertise in one or more
of the areas of focus. These relationships, too, will produce mutually beneficial project portfolios
that fulfill the goals of the partners and enhance service opportunities for Rotarians. In time,
these partners, too, may become members of the family of Rotary.
It is clear, then, that the concept of the family of Rotary, if properly harnessed, can be an effective
tool for improving our membership drive. Everybody knows the now-familiar refrain of the need
to bring younger people into Rotary. Throughout the Rotary world, our younger members tell us
that they don’t like to feel that Rotary time competes with family time. If we support opportunities
to include families in fellowship and service events, then there is no conflict, as the family
member who is involved in Rotary will better understand why the club member makes time for
Rotary.
In such an atmosphere of family and caring, the death of a Rotarian should not be the end of
Rotary’s relationship with his or her family — certainly there are ample opportunities to include a
deceased Rotarian’s family in Rotary-sponsored events. The late President Glenn Estess, discussing
the subject of the family of Rotary in 2005, stated:
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