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District 7950
Governor
Joe Clancy
Welcomes You
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April 2013 (Rotary Magazine Month)--Message from President Sakuji Tanaka--
Dear fellow Rotarians,
Rotary is an international organization, and when I travel for Rotary, I usually speak in English. But it has been a long time since my last English exam, and when I am working in Evanston, I always have a Japanese interpreter. It is important to understand every word of the meetings, and it is important as well that the staff understand what I am saying.
It was a new experience for me to speak Japanese to a group, and then hear my words spoken in English. Even now, I find it interesting. I hear new ways of expressing myself in English, and I also have a small glimpse of what it must be like not to speak Japanese.
But perhaps the most interesting moment came early on in my year as president-elect, when I was in a meeting with Rotary staff members. To be sure that we could communicate well, I had with me a Japanese interpreter. I spoke in Japanese, and she interpreted what I said into English. We had a pleasant and productive meeting.
After it was over, one member of the staff came up to me and asked, “There is one word I heard you use many times in Japanese. I would like to know what it means. What is the word ichiban?” I told her thatichiban in Japanese does not convey any philosophy or complicated thought. It simply means to be the best.
But it made me think. Of all the words I had used in Japanese, of all the words she had heard over and over, this was the word she had heard the most. I did not realize I had used it so often. But for me, that one word, ichiban, is essential to how I feel about my job as a Rotarian, and as president of RI.
For me, Rotary service means being ichiban. It means doing your best, and being the best you can be. It means working as hard as you can – not for yourself, but for others. It means achieving as much as you can, to make other people’s lives better.
In the dictionary, ichiban means “best.” But in Rotary, “best” means something different. It means bringing Service Above Self into all of your thinking. It means looking at your own effort, not in terms of what it costs you, but in terms of what it can give. In this way, we are inspired to do so much more. It is our job to see to it that our Rotary service is ichiban – so that we do the most we can to build Peace Through Service.
Monthly messages of Foundation Trustee Chair Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
April 2013
When I was RI president, I said Rotary is a love story in which people come together in fellowship, and which results in doing good in the world. During my years in Rotary, I have witnessed over and over again how communities and individuals benefit because of Rotary activities. These activities, to a great extent, result from exchanges about community needs identified during club meetings.
The month of April is a perfect example of what Rotarians and Rotary clubs can do to help make a better world. This month we celebrate National Volunteer Week, the International Day of Mine Awareness, World Health Day, and Earth Day, and each of these recognitions ties in with one of our six areas of focus. This tells me that every Rotary club member has a part to play as an effective volunteer in these important observances.
Furthermore, we owe it to our community and the world to tell our story, to make the world aware of our efforts. One way to achieve this is by supporting your Rotary regional magazine, particularly in April, which is also Magazine Month.
So how does all this relate to our Rotary Foundation? Well, very few initiatives don’t require funding. Your Foundation is often able to help, whether it’s with a district grant or a much larger global grant. Your contributions to the Foundation provide a potential source of funding that can help a club’s members do good in the world.
My goal this year is to announce at the international convention in Lisbon, Portugal, that it is estimated that every Rotarian gave something in the 2012-13 year.
Can I count on you?.
POST
PETS
by Rona Mann
You'd think after 3 times I'd be used to it. But
you're never used to it. Above all, there's
that head spinning, trying to furiously process all the constant
information that's been thrown at you, albeit much too fast. There's
the tired, burning eyes, the smile you can no longer keep permanently in place, the mounds of never-ending handouts...paper and more paper, all making your bag seem heavier and
more unwieldy.....
Click here to read the rest of Rona Mann's experience POST PETS.
BEQUEST SOCIETY
Help secure the future of
Rotary's educational and humanitarian programs by including The Rotary
Foundation in your estate plans. To learn more and to bring education on
this topic to your club, contact Rotarian Gary Rayberg at 781-682-6209 ext 208
or e-mail to [email protected].
All Bequest Society members receive
recognition from the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation. Donors may elect to
receive an engraved crystal recognition piece and a Bequest Society pin. There
are several ways to leave a bequest to the Foundation and all amounts are greatly
appreciated.
To learn more contact Gary or click on this
link. Bequest Society.
Click here to Register
or here for more information. See you in May!
“We Are Rotary” is a new weekly radio show that broadcasts live from the AM790 (WPRV) studio in East Providence, Rhode Island each Thursday from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The show features guest Rotarians (local, national and international), call-ins from listeners, and lively conversation about the mission, membership and programs of Rotary International. The show is co-hosted by Rotarians David Clifton, 2007-08 district 7950 governor from the Sharon (Mass.) Rotary Club, and Betty Galligan, 2005-06 past president of the East Providence/Seekonk Rotary Club. Click below to tune in!