DISCURSOS - Rotary International
DISCURSOS - Rotary International
DISCURSOS - Rotary International
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Foundation Goals for 2013-14<br />
Dong Kurn Lee<br />
<strong>Rotary</strong> Foundation Chair-elect<br />
Good morning!<br />
It is a great pleasure to be here at this <strong>Rotary</strong> <strong>International</strong> Assembly.<br />
Every <strong>International</strong> Assembly is wonderful. But this is an assembly unlike any other, because in<br />
a few months, we will embark together on a new adventure: the full rollout of Future Vision. It is<br />
a new grant model, and a new way of thinking about our <strong>Rotary</strong> service. It will be a new era for<br />
<strong>Rotary</strong> — and a time of transition that will require unprecedented levels of involvement and cooperation<br />
by and among <strong>Rotary</strong> leaders, at the club, district, and international level.<br />
For the first time, we have with us at this <strong>International</strong> Assembly not only the district governorselect<br />
but the district <strong>Rotary</strong> Foundation chairs and chairs-elect as well. We have taken this unprecedented<br />
step to emphasize how very important it will be that district governors and district<br />
Foundation chairs begin this year with a shared understanding and shared priorities for their<br />
districts.<br />
While our district governors-elect are preparing to enter a new office, many of our district Foundation<br />
chairs are beginning their second or third year of service. Many of you are also from pilot<br />
districts. All of you have received training on our <strong>Rotary</strong> Foundation and Future Vision. Many of<br />
you are already very knowledgeable, and all of you will learn much more before July 1. But as we<br />
say in Korean, 아는 길도 물어가라: Even if you know the way, ask again.<br />
There is so much to learn, and there are so many changes. When you return to your districts, your<br />
Rotarians will come to you with many questions about our Foundation. I ask you to answer every<br />
one honestly — even when the honest answer is, “I don’t know.” And whenever this is your response,<br />
it should be followed with, “But I’ll find out the answer for you.” This is the best way to<br />
build trust and a district that has confidence in your leadership.<br />
Here in San Diego, I hope many of your own questions will be answered. But most important is<br />
learning how to find the answers to the questions you will face after you leave: learning about the<br />
resources that will be available to you, and to your districts, so that you can do the most possible<br />
with Future Vision.<br />
This year, you and I and the Rotarians in your districts will work together to Engage <strong>Rotary</strong>,<br />
Change Lives. And we will work together toward the four goals of our <strong>Rotary</strong> Foundation, which I<br />
am here to tell you about today.<br />
The first goal will be no surprise to anyone: It is the complete eradication of polio. This is our<br />
No. 1 goal as an organization and will remain so until it is met.<br />
In the years since PolioPlus was launched, we have immunized over 2 billion children and have<br />
seen a more than 99 percent decrease in cases of polio. These last few years, we have made<br />
enormous progress. But we have not yet reached our goal of a polio-free world.<br />
Until the wonderful moment when the world is declared polio-free, we must continue the fight<br />
with everything we have. We have to keep up the momentum, keep up the energy, and keep up<br />
the awareness. Every Rotarian needs to understand what polio is and why we are committed<br />
totally to its eradication. Without this understanding, one might easily wonder why we are not<br />
<strong>International</strong> Assembly Speeches 2013 51