RI Home

RI PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
________________________________________________________

MARCH 2010

My fellow Rotarians,

Preparations for our convention in Montréal, Québec, Canada,
20-23 June, are well underway, and we are fast approaching the
31 March deadline for lower registration fees. I can think of many
reasons to attend a Rotary International Convention – interesting
speakers, exciting entertainment, and a chance to visit a fascinating
city, to name a few. Yet as compelling as these incentives may be,
they are not why I have attended almost every convention since my
first one in 1984. The main reason I look forward to this annual event
is the opportunity it affords to reunite with my Rotary friends and
meet so many new ones.

In many ways, our convention is Rotary at its best: Rotarians coming
together to enjoy congenial fellowship while discussing the more
serious business of service. We will, no doubt, be inspired by our
speakers, including Greg Mortenson, author of the best-selling book
Three Cups of Tea; Jo Luck, CEO of Heifer International; and country
music singer Dolly Parton, who will be talking about her other great
interests, children's literacy and the Imagination Library. And we
will learn about many facets of Rotary and our Rotary Foundation
in the various workshops planned. In between these events, we
can build new Rotary friendships over coffee in the House of
Friendship or dinner at one of Montréal's celebrated restaurants.

It has been said many times that you cannot truly appreciate the
internationality of Rotary until you attend a convention. In Montréal
this June, we expect to welcome Rotarians from more than 100
countries. We may be speaking dozens of different languages, but
I know that all of us will be eager to communicate as best we
can – with words, smiles, and laughter – effectively bridging any
cultural or linguistic differences.

The convention is a time to celebrate the achievements of the
past year, but it is also a time to plan for the future. In Rotary,
we do not look at all that we have accomplished and say,
"That's enough." No, we use our successes as a springboard to
do more. I encourage you to join June and me in Montréal and to
use this opportunity to identify new service partners, get innovative
project ideas, and renew your enthusiasm for Rotary. Much work
remains to be done – both in this Rotary year and the next. The
Future of Rotary Is in Your Hands, and a Rotary convention is the
ideal place to come together and formulate your plans.

Back to Top         Back to RI Home