Ethiopia, Rotary Art Expo, Rotary International Convention and a Changing Rotary.

Last Week



David Bradshaw gave us his talk on Ethiopia.  It was very interesting and he obviously had a very enjoyable time. He talked about the size of the country and the need for a guide though a surprising number of people spoke English which helped.  Here he is delivering his talk in an unusually serious pose.  he brought  long his assistance, Marietjie, to show the pictures.


Rotary Art Expo
It seems to have been very successful.  David Bradshaw had his talk rather squeezed by a lot of discussion about the Art Expo which was almost all learning curve, putting out fires etc for the committee.  I also got the impression that it required much more work on their behalf than they anticipated and that should have been spread throughout the club more next year.
Congratulations to all of them.

We seem to have achieved a lot more publicity than in the past both on radio and in print.

Here's just one example:

.

One aspect of the Art Expo that tends to be forgotten are the many workshops in which the general public may participate.  Here's just one example:

Rotary Convention, Hamburg 

Last week The Ramble pictured Juanette McCrindle at the Convention promoting our club and our Cervical Cancer Project.  This is what she had to say about it in an email to the club:

I am happy to announce that I had three meetings with Bad Bedekese. And one in Helgoland. Then the conference. 

So at least 5 make ups and if we get more than one for the Convention please add them to the list.

There were so many interesting topics and stands it was overwhelming.  Listening to the Minister of Cooperation and Development talk about climate change, over population, ending polio and the importance of Rotary was interesting and at the same time really daunting. 

Rotaractors talking about how Rotary saved, changed and impacted their lives. One chap escaped the DRC and opened the first Rotaract Club in a refugee camp in Uganda.  Rotary saved one girl from going down the same path as her parents, drugs, alcohol and abuse.  

Rotary has impacted communities and individuals in significant ways and at these international conferences you feel the gratefulness of these people, you feel the inspiration and you are inspired. 

One break out session I chose to attend was that on the psychological impact on refugees... I could relate to this from two sides, a psychological side and as a new immigrant having stood in a queue with many refugees one morning from 02:00hrs, just to get a place in the queue that would allow you to be served.  The difference is I am privileged and most of the people in the queue are not. I have a support system, money, a home, transportation etc. 

The talk on cervical cancer was delivered by highly expert doctors and experienced practitioners in the field.  The statistics were mind blowing and it seems that the aim is to eradicate the HP Virus in the near future..through Rotary.

The Bill Gates Foundation has agreed to donate millions of US$ if the Rotary Foundation matches it.

I have met people from with different exhibits like the most simplistic water pump I have ever seen.. yet extremely effective.  

I have a sample of reusable sanitary pads (also a good project for our club). Healthy food, water filters, and so on and so on... 

In my limited experience it was one of the most invigorating conferences.  

Our going RI President Barry Rassin is a phenomenal leader and spoke extremely well.  Incoming RI President Mark Maloney is a highly qualified lawyer and seems to also be able to move a crowd as well, both men are movers and shakers and have the network to get things done. 

They both emphasized the importance of increasing female membership and if I am not wrong it is the first time that there are females on the board of directors and it is the first year that there is an overall increase of women in various positions within the various committees. They are  supported by strong partners. 

The opening and closing ceremonies were really fantastic, speeches were short and to the point, the entertainment was remarkable, yet not overbearing. All in all a great time. 

I have been fortunate to attend the RI Conventions in Los Angeles, Bangkok, Sydney, Seoul and Germany. Of them all, this one has touched me the most, perhaps that is a good thing considering this is the start of my life in Germany. 

The meetings and outings with the Bremen clubs were interesting and they made an incredible effort to make us feel welcome. 

Okay I have rambled enough, I hope you enjoyed my brief run down.

Thank you and best regards to all of you.

This Week

It's Discon, our District 9400 annual conference.  President Jean and a number of other Rotarians will be there so our usual Social Meeting is scheduled.

An extract from Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko's Report 

A Changing Rotary for a Changing World 

Rotary’s long-term membership strategy aims to attract a diverse set of new leaders who share our commitment and vision for creating lasting change while also making the club experience more engaging so even more of our current members stay. 

The first step to strengthening Rotary is to adapt to today’s realities and challenges, so we remain relevant to current and prospective members. 

Many clubs are implementing innovative ways to involve members and the community in Rotary. Whether they do it by creating new membership types, starting new clubs that accommodate busy schedules and different interests, or thoughtfully reexamining the style and frequency of their meetings, these clubs are discovering the value of changing to meet the diverse needs of today’s business, community, and civic leaders. To explore and find your own innovative solutions visit rotary.org/flexibility for examples, FAQ, and other resources. 

The manage membership leads program helps Rotarians connect with prospective members, relocating members, and those referred by current Rotarians. We received more than 15,000 membership inquiries this year, which resulted in about four new members joining Rotary each day.

 Small changes, big impact: The Rotary Club of Maidenhead Bridge in Berkshire, England, doubled its membership and engaged with the community by finding ways to welcome families and young professionals into the club’s activities. The club meets every two weeks at a coffee shop, and members are encouraged to bring their children. Club members also focus on service, logging almost 2,000 volunteer hours per year. In addition to bringing in new members, they are teaching future generations about the importance of volunteer service. 

Rotary Art Expo, Ethiopia and an Amazing Young Persons Music Competition in the UK.

Last Week
It was a Social Meeting simply because of the opening of the Arts Festival the evening before.
Here is President Jean haranguing the mob and urging them to buy!

Members of our Interact Club at Highlands North were on hand to help and as always they were smart and polite.

It's a great pleasure having them there but we only have a picture of two of them as the others were busy handing out refreshments and helping generally.



At the opening a presentation was made to the winner of the GTC Portrait Award, Rika de Klerk. This has become an annual event.

The Leeuwkop Art Group with their mentor Rotarian Joan Sainsbury.  Portraits by them are on sale at the Rotary Art Expo and the money raised is for the benefit of those at Leeuwkop.

Rotary International Convention

It's underway in Hamburg and Juanette McCrindle is there promoting the Rotary Club of Rosebank and in particular our Cervical Cancer Project.  Here she is at the HEWRAG House of Friendship drumming up support for us.


This Week
Well, the Art Exhibition continues so everyone will be doing shifts at the Rosebank Mall but we do have a speaker.  One of our members, David Bradshaw, who is in the travel industry will be talking to us about his recent trip to Ethiopia.

There are a total of 9 UNESCO World Heritage attractions in Ethiopia, 8 cultural sites and one natural conservation area, the Simien National Park, home to a range of native endangered animals such as the Gelada baboon and the Ethiopian wolf. The most impressive Ethiopian World Heritage sites are scattered along the central length of the country, from the ancient ruins of Axum in the north to the Omo Valley archaeological sites in the south.

 A National Young Musicians Competition is organised each year by Rotary GBI.

The Rotary Young Musician competition provides a platform for young musical talent to shine.

The Mayor Of Chelmsford, Yvonne Spence, who is also a member of Rotary, opened this year’s national final.

She said: “I have been very proud to be a Rotarian as Mayor of Chelmsford.

“My duties have meant I have seen the full range of our youth activities within the community.

“The National Young Musician Final in Chelmsford was a real highlight of my year as I welcomed competitors their families and supporters from every part of Great Britain.

“Their talent and commitment was so impressive.”

In total, fifteen finalists battled it out all in hope for first place.

After introducing themselves, each participant gave a background to the piece they were performing.

James Devour, judge, said: “They were all excellent and it was a very hard decision.

“I was honoured to have judged this year’s competition.”

The Young Musician competition offers young people experience on stage, an opportunity to showcase their talent and the ability to receive feedback from experienced musicians.

Recognise Debbie Hodge?  See below.

Organiser Peter Dowse said: “The submissions once again were excellent and of a continuing higher standard.

“Thanks again to districts for endorsing this competition in your area – it is great to see the impact.

“This is my final year, and I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this coordination. It was a pleasure.”

District Governor Lesley Sulley and Rotary GBI President Debbie Hodge spoke to the friends and family of finalists whilst the contestants awaited the judge’s decisions.

All entrants were presented with a certificate and then Debbie handed out the trophies.

A Business Meeting, the Art's Festival's Hidden Agenda and Rotary's Strategic Plan.

Last Week
 It was a Business Meeting and as we don't usually have photos of members on the blog I thought it would be a good idea to show how seriously they take these meetings.

James Croswell is updating us on the Cervical Cancer Project and announced the acquisition of a container to convert into offices etc for the Baragwanath Palliative Care Project.

Much time was also spent on the Arts Festival which opens on Thursday.

I include a video of the Four Way Test that was seen by our incoming DG.  It is rumoured that he would like this to be the way every club presents it each week.  The District 9400 Glee Club will be performing at Discon with the intention that everyone else will be able to join in and then take it back to their clubs.

This Week
It's a Social Meeting, partly because of the Arts Festival.
Obviously it is our major fundraiser but because of the changes to the nature of the festival we must see it as a Rotary Exhibition which gives us the opportunity to talk about Rotary in general and our own club and its projects in particular.

The Arts Expo Hanging Team

No, they are not preparing the the gallows.  They are helping they are allocating space for the artists and assisting in hanging the paintings.

Let's really make an effort to recruit members but not only for our club but for the club which suits the potential member such as New Dawn or Morningside for breakfast or one of the many evening clubs which maybe close to where the person lives.

Rotary's new Strategic Plan will give us some ideas.

Rotary's Strategic Plan
Rotary's strategic plan sets the framework for our future, ensuring that we continue to be known as a respected, dynamic organization that advances communities worldwide.

As we stand on the cusp of eliminating polio, it time for us to create a new path toward bringing more people together, increasing our impact and creating even more lasting change around the world.

Rotary leadership is developing a strategic plan that will help guide our organization from Rotary year 2020 and beyond. Our current plan guides our work through Rotary 30 June 2019.

Dr. Francis “Tusu” Tusubira, Rotary Club of Kampala-North, Uganda introduces the new Rotary Strategic Plan.

 In June Rotary's Board of Directors and Trustees approved four key priorities and objectives to serve as the foundation for the next strategic plan:

Increase our impact Rotary strives to change the lives of others for the better. Our members invest volunteer and financial resources in a broad range of service activities, but we will do a better job of measuring the results and outcomes of our work. So that Rotary can continue to attract members, partners, and donors, we'll focus our programs and produce evidence of lasting impact.

Related objectives:

• Eradicate polio and leverage the legacy
• Focus our programs and offerings
• Improve our ability to achieve and measure impact

Expand our reach People are seeking ways to make a difference in the world and connect with others. How do we help them find what they're looking for in Rotary? By creating unique opportunities for more people and organizations to get involved. Clubs will always be important. But to extend our global reach, we'll expand our current structure with innovative models that welcome more participants into Rotary and give them meaningful ways to unite and take action.

Related objectives:

• Grow and diversify our membership and participation
• Create new channels into Rotary
• Increase Rotary's openness and appeal
• Build awareness of our impact and brand

Enhance participant engagement Because we recognize the challenges our clubs face in today's changing world, Rotary will support our clubs' efforts to deliver an experience that engages and retains members. When we help clubs focus on the experience and value they give their members, we give Rotarians and other participants the opportunity to serve together, connect with one another, and have a more satisfying experience with Rotary.

Related objectives:

• Support clubs to better engage their members
• Develop a participant-centered approach to deliver value
• Offer new opportunities for personal and professional connection
• Provide leadership development and skills training

Increase our ability to adapt To achieve our vision and keep pace with changing global trends, our structure and culture must evolve. We'll ensure that our operating and governance structures are efficient, flexible, and effective in delivering services to all of our participants.

Related objectives

• Build a culture of research, innovation, and willingness to take risks
• Streamline governance, structure and processes
• Review governance to foster more diverse perspectives in decision-making

What's next

In the coming year, we will craft strategies and tactics for achieving these new priorities and objectives.

Resources and reference

• 2017 strategic plan survey results
• Research methodology and findings brief

Medical Ethics, a Business Meeting & RI President Nominee for 2020-21

Last Week

Professor Peter Cleaton-Jones spoke to us on the ethics of medical research and showed how it had developed subsequent to experiments on adults and children in the Nazi concentration camps creating a need for a code of conduct.  He took us through the development and changes in an ethical approach to medical research through the years and how new methodologies create a need for an extension to the original concept that followed the Nuremberg Trials.

He used as his benchmark the Oxford English Dictionary definition you see here.  I found that particularly interesting as I have always tended to follow Plato which is more positive in saying that Happiness or Well being is the highest form of moral thought and conduct and the Virtues are the skills used to attain it or acquire it.....enough of philosophy for today but I thought it an interesting juxtaposition to the picture.

This Week
It's a Business Meeting.  If you look at President Jean's column you will see the hard work that is being done towards making some of our new projects a reality.  We will obviously hear more about this as well as the ever closer Art Expo which will make them financially possible.

Holger Knaack, a member of the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany, has been selected to serve as president of Rotary International in 2020-21.

The Nominating Committee’s decision follows the resignation last month of President-nominee Sushil Gupta due to health reasons. Knaack will officially become president-nominee if no other

candidates challenge him by 31 May.

To build a stronger membership, Knaack says Rotary must focus on increasing the number of female members and transitioning Rotaractors into Rotarians.

Knaack believes that the People of Action campaign offers new public awareness possibilities for Rotary. “This campaign conveys our global image while still respecting differences in regions and cultures,” he says.

A Rotary member since 1992, Knaack has served Rotary as treasurer, director, moderator, member and chair of several committees, representative for the Council on Legislation, zone coordinator, training leader, and district governor.

He is an endowment/major gifts adviser and co-chair of the Host Organization Committee for the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg.

Knaack is the CEO of Knaack KG, a real estate company. He was previously a partner and general manager of Knaack Enterprises, a 125-year-old family business.

He is a founding member of the Civic Foundation of the City of Ratzeburg and served as president of the Golf-Club Gut Grambek. Knaack is also the founder and chair of the Karl Adam Foundation.

Knaack and his wife, Susanne, are Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation and members of the Bequest Society.

The members of the Nominating Committee for the 2020-21 President of Rotary International are Kazuhiko Ozawa, Rotary Club of Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan; Manoj D. Desai, Rotary Club of Baroda Metro, Gujarat, India; Shekhar Mehta, Rotary Club of Calcutta-Mahanagar, West Bengal, India; John G. Thorne, Rotary Club of North Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; Guiller E. Tumangan, Rotary Club of Makati West, Makati City, Philippines; Juin Park, Rotary Club of Suncheon, Jeonranam, Korea; Elio Cerini, Rotary Club of Milano Duomo, Italy; Gideon M. Peiper, Rotary Club of Ramat Hasharon, Israel; Per Høyen, Rotary Club of Aarup, Denmark; Paul Knijff, Rotary Club of Weesp (Vechtstreek-Noord), Netherlands; Sam Okudzeto, Rotary Club of Accra, Ghana; José Ubiracy Silva, Rotary Club of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil; Bradford R. Howard, Rotary Club of Oakland Uptown, California, USA; Michael D. McCullough, Rotary Club of Trenton, Michigan, USA; Karen K. Wentz, Rotary Club of Maryville, Tennessee, USA; Michael K. McGovern, Rotary Club of South Portland-Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA; and John C. Smarge, Rotary Club of Naples, Florida, USA.

The Art Expo, Professor Peter Cleaton-Jones and a Fantastic Book Sale

Last Week
There was a swop of speakers  that ended up not being a swop so we had no speaker last week but we had a very pleasant meeting chatting away anyway!

It is good to see that James and Charlotte Croswell attended the Rotary Leadership Institute Course on Saturday.  I hope that more members of our club avail themselves of the opportunity.

Rotary Art Expo
These are actually a series of Rotary Days that give us the opportunity to promote Rotary and our club in particular.  We may pride ourselves on how successful our club is and how we have been able to maintain our membership which means that we are one of the larger clubs in District 9400 but just add 10 years to our ages and that's what we have to worry about.  It's important that our younger members really do there best to promote Rotary at the Art Expo.

This Week
I am going to repeat what I said last week.....

Our speaker is Peter Cleaton-Jones who will be talking to us on health issues. He is a qualified dentist, medical practitioner and scientist. 

His main academic career was in dental research and anaesthesia; from 1977 to 2006 he was Professor of Experimental Odontology Director of the Dental Research Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand which was a joint Medical Research Council / University research entity between 1977 and 2004. 
On retiring in 2006 he was appointed a Professor Emeritus for life. Peter has been active in training researchers shown by 95 successfully supervised master and doctoral degrees and as co-presenter (with Prof E Grossman) of a 50 hour research training course which was attended by 1834 participants between 1978 and 2010. 
He has spent time in research entities in Denmark, England and Switzerland; in England he was a visiting professor in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Leeds 2004-2010. Since 1974 he has served continuously on the Wits’ Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical), on the Medical Research Council’s Ethics Committee (1990-2002, Chair 1998-2002) and the Human Sciences Research Council Ethics Committee (2003-present, on request from the HSRC he formed the committee in 2003 and was Chair until 2005). 
From 2006-2014 he was an Honorary Adjunct Professor in the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics; in 2015 his title was changed to Honorary Professor. 

Secondhand Treasures Book Sale raises $95,000

When five trucks arrived at a secondary school in the city of Venlo in the Netherlands, members of the Rotary Club of Venlo-Maas en Peel were ready.

The trucks were filled with items to be sold at the club’s 33rd annual book and record sale. The seven-day event in early January raised $95,000 that will go toward projects that improve the lives of children in Brazil, Malawi, Peru, and Sri Lanka.

In partnership with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the club mustered about 200 volunteers, including people who are not Rotary members, who made sure the event went off without a hitch. About 10,000 book and record aficionados from throughout the Netherlands, and from other countries including Germany and Belgium, attended the sale and took home 60,000 books and 15,000 records.

The club members work throughout the year to organize the fair. The club has drop-off points for book and record donations, and volunteers sort through them twice a week.

The items are categorized by genre, and a coordinator responsible for each category makes the final decision on what will be included in the sale. Most books sell for between 50 cents and $2.50, but those that are new or special can cost between $3 and $50.

Sometimes the club receives a donation of something unique. A few years ago, a dossier of documents related to the history of the city of Papendrecht brought in $8,000. The oldest of the documents, which the city bought, dated to 1328.

“The city of Papendrecht organized a special exhibition with these documents,” says club member Peter Elbers, noting that the documents contained previously unknown information about the city’s history.

After 33 years, Elbers has some tips on how to organize a successful book and record fair. Most important, he says, is to plan from the start to make it an annual event.

“Don’t try to organize such a fair only once,” he says. “When people recognize the quality of what you are selling, they will come back.”

A reliable volunteer workforce is also a must. Club member Jaap Verhofstad brought his children to help set up and break down the fair. “My children have had a few hours of fun helping out at the fair during the sale,” he says. “Our 11-year-old twins are too young for the heavy work — but in a few years we will have two more strong men.”

Lambano Paediatric Hospice, Rotary District 9400 Blanket Drive, Wheelchairs, Call Back the Past, Professor Peter Cleaton-Jones and Rotary in Action.

Last Week



 Stewart Mutokonya from Lambano came to talk to us about the new Paediatric Hospice that they building in Kensington to replace their current hospice.  I wrote a lot about it last week so I won't repeat what I had written previously.
Stewart is very articulate and his talk stimulated a lot of questions.  Unfortunately the Rotary Blanket Drive meant that a number of members were busy trying to raise money for blankets outside Pick 'n Pay on William Nicol Drive.

Our efforts for the Rotary District 9400 Blanket Drive took place from last Friday to Sunday this week......I don't know the results yet.

Cesare Vidulich organised a wheelchair for the local Lions Club
and they not only photographed it but also thanked us.  It's very good thing that we are able to assist another service organisation.

We have also provided two wheelchairs for Lambano Paediatric Hospice, specifically to assist with moving children from room to room.

Mark Franklin passed this photograph around for us to see...who is that distinguished looking Rotarian with dark hair I wonder?

This Week
Our speaker is Peter Cleaton-Jones who will be talking to us on health issues. He is a qualified dentist, medical practitioner and scientist. 

His main academic career was in dental research and anaesthesia; from 1977 to 2006 he was Professor of Experimental Odontology Director of the Dental Research Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand which was a joint Medical Research Council / University research entity between 1977 and 2004. 
On retiring in 2006 he was appointed a Professor Emeritus for life. Peter has been active in training researchers shown by 95 successfully supervised master and doctoral degrees and as co-presenter (with Prof E Grossman) of a 50 hour research training course which was attended by 1834 participants between 1978 and 2010. 
He has spent time in research entities in Denmark, England and Switzerland; in England he was a visiting professor in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Leeds 2004-2010. Since 1974 he has served continuously on the Wits’ Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical), on the Medical Research Council’s Ethics Committee (1990-2002, Chair 1998-2002) and the Human Sciences Research Council Ethics Committee (2003-present, on request from the HSRC he formed the committee in 2003 and was Chair until 2005). 
From 2006-2014 he was an Honorary Adjunct Professor in the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics; in 2015 his title was changed to Honorary Professor. 

Rotary in Action

Art Expo, Blanket Drive, Lambano & Rotary Club of Geneve International

Last Week

It was a Business Meeting and quite a lot of time was spent discussing our up and coming Art Exhibition at the end of the month.

Roger Lloyd is chairing the committee and obviously he and the committee have been working very hard to put things together and Joan Sainsbury has, as usual, been working very hard with the artists.

The most important thing is that we, as club members, provide as much support as is required.  Because the nature of the exhibition has changed President Jean is effectively turning the exhibition into 10 Rotary Days.  We no longer have to concentrate on selling the paintings but rather on selling Rotary, not just for our own club but for others as well because not everyone who is interested in Rotary is able or even wants to come to a Friday lunch at Wanderers.

There has been some discussion on asking other clubs to participate for their own Rotary Days and I think that is a very good idea because we need to grow Rotary and not to be parochial about it.  I think it's an excellent idea that we showcase other clubs and what they do and when they meet because it does give the public more of an idea what Rotary stands for and gives them an idea as to how different clubs become involved.

The Rotary Blanket Drive
It starts on Friday until Sunday and the club, as usual, is supporting this extremely well.  We will be at Pick 'n Pay Centre on William Nicol.  We have always done extremely well in the past but we know we don't have the huge corporate input this year.




This Week

The Inner Wheel International President, who is Australian, visited South Africa recently and Bedfordview Inner Wheel Club took her to visit Lambano....which I had never heard of.

I just happened to pick up my wife's folder, she is a member and was astounded at who they were and what they had planned.  They started as a shelter for abandoned HIV/AIDS babies in 2001.  Of course most of them died so very quickly they established a paediatric hospice which currently can accommodate 18 children and is accredited by the Hospice Palliative Care Association of SA and is monitored and evaluated by them on an ongoing basis in every aspect from financial, governance and quality assurance.  They are looking to build a much bigger Hospice that will be able to take in children financed by Medical Aid who will then effectively subsidise the current children and their successors who are there at no cost to themselves.

They have the land already as well as funding from overseas to build the premises which will be in Kensington.  What they do need is the office equipment and medical equipment as well as the necessary beds, cots etc.

Stewart Mutokonya will be talking to us
 and I hope Evelyn Makanda as well

We are heavily involved with our Cervical Cancer Project so obviously I couldn't make the suggestion to our club but Northcliff have taken it under their wing and we do have some involvement because Richard Moloney will look at the requested medical equipment and the costings when that becomes available....it is currently being revised.  This is the way Rotary should work, to use the  expertise from other clubs where necessary.

Now-a-days HIV/AIDS babies do not die so Lambano has had to expand its activities into have houses with house mothers as they now have young people in matric...something they never anticipated!

Back to the Hospice.  This will be the first purpose built paediatric hospice in the country, possibly even on the continent and Lambano see it as just being the first because there is such a huge need and the long-term plan is to have one in every province.

Rotary Club of Genève International, Switzerland
Chartered: 2015
Original membership: 31
Membership: 53

Bucking conventions: In Geneva, a cosmopolitan city that is home to tens of thousands of expatriates, a club for English speakers was an apt idea. As the European seat of the United Nations, the city hosts 179 permanent missions, along with the offices of hundreds of nongovernmental organizations and multinational corporations. The Rotary Club of Genève International reflects this diversity, with members representing more than a dozen nationalities.

Rotaractors are integrated into the life of the Rotary club

Club innovation: The club is committed to bringing young people into Rotary through Rotaract and Interact. As one of their first actions, members drafted a plan to establish an English-speaking Rotaract club, followed by an Interact club — a goal it met within two years. Rotarians and Rotaractors work together on projects, and mentoring is central to the club’s culture.

The Rotary Club of Genève International wasted no time in getting to work in 2015: Members including Walter Gyger, a retired diplomat and RI’s principal representative to the UN Office at Geneva, worked their connections to organize a fundraising gala to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The event was a joint effort with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

With a number of former Rotaractors among its members, the club decided to focus on young people. “We call it engaging the next generation instead of working the pipeline,” says Royston Flude, who led the youth outreach initiative. Thanks to that effort, the Rotaract Club at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies was chartered in 2016 and, the next year, an Interact club was established on the La Châtaigneraie campus of the International School of Geneva. 

“It is absolutely crucial to create a cascade into Rotary,” Flude says. When the club took on the ambitious task of running events for the 2017 Rotary Day at the United Nations in Geneva, the Rotaractors stepped up as active partners. The gathering drew 1,200 attendees representing more than 80 nationalities, Gyger says, adding that “because of the involvement of the Rotaractors, about one-third of participants were younger than 35.”

The Rotary club has a robust mentoring program for Rotaractors. “You have people going through large career jumps, especially those just coming from universities to their first management job,” Flude says. “We’ve held career fairs and events on interviewing techniques. Rotary is providing mentoring — not just in career enhancement, but in life.” 

The club encourages Rotaractors and Interactors to attend its meetings, always mindful of practical matters such as expenses. “The InterContinental isn’t the cheapest place,” Flude says of the luxury hotel where the club meets, so the Rotarians fund meals for Rotaract and Interact members. More important, the Rotarians never underestimate their younger cohort: “We park ego,” Flude says.

A case in point is the club’s involvement in the Classroom to Boardroom entrepreneurship program, offered through the International School of Geneva. “Students create a quasi-business and go to an international organization such as the World Bank or International Committee of the Red Cross, and over a week, they offer solutions,” Flude says. “The Interactors showed these organizations how they could digitize the marketing and appeal to young people.”

Rotary benefits when young people get involved in its programs, Flude says. “When you get someone who is an Interactor, immediately you’re connected to the parents, the grandparents, and a community in the classroom and the school. For every Interactor you get on board, you probably get a connection with four to 10 people. It’s a brilliant opportunity.”