Issue 9: NOVEMBER 2019.
As our District
Conference has now finished, I have to give a tremendous thank you to the
District Conference Team – also I wish to thank the Rotarians for registering
and participating. The general feedback I am getting from several sources is,
that everyone enjoyed the speakers and realised that they had a lot to offer,
therefore some Rotarians made contact and will follow up in the near future.
What an inspiration everyone was, many thanks for your
kind words and congratulations – but these must go to the Conference Team,
Rotarians from GN&B Rotary and the Speakers for the major role they played
in making it the success you felt it was. No matter the number of Rotarians,
the impact locally and internationally made by your service, will be
phenomenal.
For those of you who have read my biography on the
District website, you will understand my passion for the 3 sectors which our
conference speakers were drawn from. Engineering;
Education and Entrepreneurship – these define my life journey and the many
influencies on me as I have gone through life. They also fitted extremely well
within our Rotary Foundation ‘6 areas of
Focus’.
Each day, I am still being enthused and inspired by the
Rotarians around me, the internet has made it very easy to identify new
products and services available to us. We in Rotary must learn to embrace the
technological developments and also consider innovative ways in which we can
promote Rotary and the ‘Service Above
Self’ that we as Rotarians can provide to our communities, locally and to
society as a whole.
I am aware that there has been a ‘task group’ set up,
to target various ideas and options to try and increase the number of new
Rotarians, if you are aware of some who have recently stepped down, or if you
know of any partners who have not been invited to join Rotary, please appeal to
them to support the district again for a year or two, so that we can continue
to have a presence in the West of Scotland.
I shall continue to strive to engage the ‘international
student’ cohort, who are based in the ‘Halls of Residence’ in and around
Partick and the University of Glasgow, thereafter I shall move on to the
University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian, the City centre colleges will
follow that, then the college campuses in and around Glasgow and Greater
Glasgow, finishing with the University of The West of Scotland and the college
campuses around the rest of the district – your input will be required to
identify where these are.
I am aware that other districts are looking to the
innovative ideas that we are considering to strive and engage new Rotarians,
please encourage their input and support, it is only through building greater
networks, will we have the opportunity to grow.
Time to get your ‘thinking cap’ on – learn to ‘think differently’ folks, seek out the
potential opportunities for consideration. I will be looking for links to those
influencers involved with the various ‘professional
institutions’ who wish to provide opportunities for personal development
and growth, to their registered professionals.
Rotary has a superb ‘incubation’ opportunity around the world, for a massive range of ‘entrepreneurial start up businesses’
which wish to develop products and services within the Rotary Foundation – ‘6 areas of focus’; indeed – Scotland has
recently been given the title of the most entrepreneurial friendly country in
the world, due to the development opportunities and support. We in Rotary provide
opportunities for ‘young folk’ to be creative – let us continue that provision
to youths and adults alike, thereby we may be able to engage them, rather than
lose them..
Any investment by our Rotary Foundation, will generate
multiple opportunities; as well as enabling partner organisations and funders
to follow our lead, to bring new solutions to the issues within the ‘6 areas of focus’. Thereafter the
provision can be expanded to consider the needs which are promoted through the 17 areas of focus, outlined by the United Nations.
Nov is ‘Rotary Foundation’ month – The Rotary Foundation is our own
Charity.
District Council is on the 13th November – in the Glynhill Hotel.
Dec is ‘Disease Prevention and Treatment’ month – a wonderful opportunity
to engage
and encourage ‘Young Entrepreneurs’.
You
will also have to identify your ‘New
Officers’ for the Rotary year – 2020
/ 2021
either at the end of
November or at the start of December – at
the latest.
I think I have given you enough material to keep your
creative minds working overtime, please search inside yourself and consider if –
you can / will share this journey of ‘thinking differently’ with me, I
need your skills; expertise; ideas; and your very valuable time – to enable us
to grow Rotary in the West of Scotland. – ARE
YOU WITH ME?
Yours in Rotary Service
DG Jimmy