Newsletter for July 2023 - Rotary Club of D6330 Passport

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Rotary International President, Gordon McInally (Scotland) District 6330 Governor, Sonja Glass (Meaford, Ontario) Club President, Sue Storie (2023-24)

District website: https://rotary6330.org/

The Calendar below shows Rotary’s monthly themes.

ROTARY CALENDAR and THEMES

Month

Theme

July Transition month/New beginnings

August Membership and New Club Development

September Basic Education and Literacy

October Economic and Community Development

November Rotary Foundation

December Disease Prevention and Treatment

January Vocational Service

February Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution

March Water and Sanitation

April Maternal and Child Health

May Youth Service

June Rotary Fellowships

Click the flags below to listen to the respective national anthems.

MONTH OF TRANSITION – NEW LEADERSHIP

Month of July

New Rotary International President – Gordon R. McInally (Scotland)

New DG 6330 – Sonja Glass (RC of Meaford) 2023-2024 Theme – Create Hope in the World

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING ONLINE

Wednesday, July 5 at 7:00 p.m.

HAPPY CHATS ONLINE – JOIN US!

Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

AUGUST MONTHLY MEETING ONLINE

Wednesday, August 2 DG Sonja Glass – Guest speaker

Rotary Anthem

Right click here to open the link and listen to the Rotary Anthem!

IMPORTANT ROTARY INFORMATION

2023-24 RI PRESIDENTIAL THEME

INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, 2023-24

Gordon R. McInally

Scotland

Rotary International President, 2023-24

My Call to Action

Even as we face new and serious challenges, Rotary takes care of its members and those we serve, works, to build lasting peace, and embeds belonging and inclusion in everything we do. That is why I am asking everyone in Rotary to Create Hope in the World.

This year, we’re prioritizing projects to support mental health. This effort is deeply personal to me. I know what it’s like to see someone suffer in silence. I have also witnessed the power of personal connections, the value of discussing emotional and mental well-being, and the lifesaving impact of preventive care and treatment.

Research shows that performing acts of kindness is an effective step any of us can take to protect our wellbeing. And by building peace within, we become more capable of bringing peace to the world.

Building peace is the essence of Rotary. Many of our service projects foster the conditions for Positive Peace. We work tirelessly to overcome barriers and create new connections. This year, we’ll promote virtual international exchanges for members to strengthen those vital connections. Peace isn’t a dream, and it’s not passive. It’s the result of working hard, earning trust, and having open conversations that may be difficult. Peace must be waged persistently – and bravely. Everything we do across our areas of focus has the potential to foster the hope that can make peace possible.

The spirit of connection and purpose should inspire every Rotary member. When club leaders focus on offering an excellent club experience, we retain more members and attract more prospective members. We must make our clubs as welcoming and as engaging as we can.

Our goal is to create a sense of belonging, from our club meetings to our service activities. We need to continue creating inclusive, welcoming environments where everyone can be their authentic selves. All people of action need to be able to imagine a place for themselves in Rotary – it’s up to us to ensure they can do so.

Over the next year, I will be putting a focus on continuing our journey in diversity, equity, and inclusion

ensuring that Rotary reflects the communities we service and continues to take significant steps toward accessing the full range of human talents and experiences, so that we can better serve humanity. And we will continue to empower women and girls by helping them unlock the potential already within them.

As we begin this journey together, I take inspiration from Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, who in the 18th century spoke of all the world becoming kin, promoting “sense and worth, over all the earth.” This has long been my call to action, and I share it now with you.

Let us build peace within and spread it freely. Let us create belonging and imagine the future of Rotary afresh. Let us work together joyously and Create Hope in the World

R. Gordon R. McInally President, Rotary International

Plan to donate today to The Rotary Foundation (TRF) – the engine that runs Rotary!

A SUCCESSFUL ROTARY CLUB

A successful Rotary Club typically has several key characteristics, including:

1. Engaged Members: A successful Rotary Club has active and engaged members who are committed to serving their community and participating in club activities. This includes attending meetings regularly, volunteering for service projects, and contributing to fundraising efforts.

2. Strong Leadership: A successful Rotary Club is led by dedicated and capable leaders who are committed to the club's mission and goals. They provide direction and guidance to the members and ensure that the club operates effectively and efficiently.

3. Meaningful Service Projects: A successful Rotary Club engages in meaningful service projects that make a positive impact on the community. These projects should align with the club's mission and goals and be well-planned and executed.

4. Active Partnerships: A successful Rotary Club partners with other organizations and community groups to expand its reach and impact. This includes collaborating with local businesses, schools, and government agencies to identify and address community needs.

5. Effective Communication: A successful Rotary Club communicates effectively with its members, partners, and the broader community. This includes regular meetings, newsletters, social media updates, and other forms of outreach.

6. Strong Financial Management: A successful Rotary Club has strong financial management practices, including careful budgeting, fundraising, and financial reporting. This ensures that the club is financially stable and able to support its service projects and other activities.

7. Regular support of The Rotary Foundation

Overall, a successful Rotary Club is one that is committed to its mission, engages its members and partners, and makes a positive impact on the community it serves.

JULY FOCUS on TRANSITIONS/NEW BEGINNINGS through THE ROTARY FOUNDATION (TRF)

TRF Trustee Chair's Message – July 2023

Audacious goals

I love Rotary for many reasons, perhaps most of all for the impact we make when we work together. There is really no other group like us.

In the last five years, The Rotary Foundation has helped 100 million beneficiaries. That is staggering.

But the need is great. There are countless more we could be reaching and supporting right now if we had the resources. We could reach twice as many in the next five years. And your fellow Rotaractors and Rotarians are ready to help. They’re hungry for more grants to help more people who need us.

That’s why, this year, The Rotary Foundation Trustees have set an ambitious goal of giving of $500 million, our highest ever.

This breaks down to $150 million for the Annual Fund to help fund grants and $50 million for polio eradication, to be matched 2 to 1 by $100 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For the Endowment Fund and our future, we are targeting $y0 million in outright giving and $80 million in commitments, totally $140

million. And we want to collect $60 million in other contributions, such as direct giving, cash for global grants, and Disaster Response Fund donations.

To make this happen, we need all of you – each and every Rotarians and Rotaractor.

Did you know that over 80 percent of Rotary members make no contributions to PolioPlus, or that over 60 percent make no donation at all to The Rotary Foundation? For an organization of 1.4 million members, that means that nearly 1 million of us are not contributing each year.

Imagine the tremendous difference it would make if each of those 1 million could contribute just $25 a year. That would be $25 million we wouldn’t need to raise from our best donors.

We can all give something. That’s why I am asking each of you to set a goal to give what you can to The Rotary Foundation this year.

Never have we set such an audacious goal, but I believe that you, who make up Rotary, always respond to a challenge, especially when you see the difference we can make with those funds. We are part of an audacious organization, one that dreams big and makes our dreams a reality.

Let’s think bigger and differently this year, so we can meet our goal and do more to Create Hope in the World. In this way, we will make the Rotary year ahead an unforgettable one, not just for ourselves, but most importantly, for those whose lives we will soon touch.

BARRY RASSIN Foundation Trustee Chair

SERVICE ABOVE SELF – THE OBJECT OF ROTARY

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

FIRST – The developmenbt of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.

SECOND – High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society.

THIRD – The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life.

FOURTH – The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

ROTARY FOUNDATION INTERACTIVE CROSSWORD 2023

Month of July

Try your hand at an interactive crossword with Rotary Foundation information.

You may have to look up a few of these, but let’s hope not

The crossword deals with Rotary grants, a little history, and some things that Rotarians should be aware of.

Plus, it’s fun to complete!

Click here to open the online Interactive Crossword.

If you have difficulties with the answers, click the in the top right corner.

Then, you can choose Reveal Current Answer. No prizes. Just fun!

Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.

With your help, we can make lives better in your community and around the world. Our mission

The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.

What impact can one donation have?

• For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.

• $50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.

• $500 can launch an antibullying campaign and create a safe environment for children.

DONATE NOW

How do you want to get involved in the causes you’re most passionate about?

The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.

"Rotary International's masterpiece is The Rotary Foundation. It transforms our dreams into splendid realities ... it is the most generous expression of Rotarian generosity a generosity that not only brings benefits but also brings help and cooperation to solve the problems that affect mankind. The Rotary Foundation achieves the best that mankind can possibly achieve."

--Paulo Costa, 1990-91 President of Rotary International

"The Rotary Foundation is not [designed] to build monuments of brick and stone. If we work upon marble, it will perish; it we work with brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples they will crumble into dust. But if we work upon immortal minds, it we imbue them with the full meaning of the spirit of Rotary ... we are engraving on those tablets something that will brighten all eternity."

-- Arch C. Klumph, 1916-17 President of Rotary International

"The five [Rotarians] who chose me to become a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar are gone ... but they're not. They never will be. Because along the way, I will in my own way share with others and have what those five men ... did in 1956 when they said, "Bill Moyers, you can matter."

-- Bill Moyers, journalist and commentator.

To make a contribution, go to rotary.org/donate.

DISTRICT 6330 -2023-24 DISTRICT GOVERNOR

Congratulations to our Rotary District 6330 Governor for 2023-2024, Sonja Glass!

As you may know, Sonja has been a valued member of the Rotary Club of Meaford for 5 years. Sonja has brought energy, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness towards reinvigorating community activities and to strengthening the bonds throughout the Meaford community.

We are so honoured that you have been selected for this position Sonja, and we are sure that you will be a productive and energetic governor. Very well deserved!

POLIOPLUS SOCIETY

Our District 6330 proudly joins The Rotary Foundation and fellow districts across the world to announce the new Polio Plus Society and invite all of our members to join.

This simple act of generosity by our fellow Rotarians around the world will bring the life saving polio immunization to countless children until the day that the world has been rid of the virus. We are truly This Close, and we need your help to complete the job.

The Polio Plus Society is an organization of like-minded individuals who have committed to contribute $100 US or more each and every year to Polio Plus until the world has been declared free of the Wild Polio Virus. This is our commitment to fulfill the promise Rotary made in 1985 to immunize all the children of the world.

It’s easy and rewarding to become a member. Download, complete and submit the Polio Plus Society Pledge Form and email to the Polio Chair at katherine.hahn@rotarystratford.com Complete your contribution commitment in one of three ways:

Contribute with your credit card online at: https://www.endpolio.org/donate

- OR -

Write a for cheque for $100 or cheque for the US $100 equivalent (or more!) to The Rotary Foundation with "Polio Plus" in the memo line and give it to your club's Rotary Foundation Chair for submission.

- OR -

Enroll in Rotary’s recurring giving program, Rotary Direct, which makes giving easy, fast, and secure. You can schedule a monthly, quarterly, or annual donation that empowers Rotarians to change lives in communities around the world. https://my.rotary.org/en/rotary-direct

YES, all donations will be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Anyone can join the society, not only Rotarians. Everyone will be recognized with a special pin, an End Polio Now bracelet, a Society Certificate, and a great feeling in their heart.

With your help, we will reach every last child and achieve a polio free world. Please reach out to Katherine and sign up today!

U.N. INTERNATIONAL DATES TO NOTE (plus links)

11 July

World Population Day

Since the middle of the 20th century, the world has experienced unprecedented population growth. The world’s population more than tripled in size between 1950 and 2020. The growth rate of the world’s population reached a peak between 1965 and 1970, when human numbers were increasing by an average of 2.1% per year. During the period from 2000 to 2020, even though the global population grew at an average annual rate of 1.2%, 48 countries or areas grew at least twice as fast: these included 33 countries or areas in Africa and 12 in Asia.

15 July

World Youth Skills Day

18 July

Nelson Mandela International Day

25 July

World Drowning Prevention Day

An estimated 236,000 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected.

28 July

World Hepatitis Day

The date of 28 July was chosen because it is the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus.

Low coverage of testing and treatment is the most important gap to be addressed in order to achieve the global elimination goals by 2030.

30 July

International Day of Friendship

World Day Against Human Trafficking

To #EndHumanTrafficking,we cannot allow this crime to bemet with increasing indifference andimpunity.We must strengthen resilience against exploitationand the underlying socio-economic andcultural issues that are conducive totrafficking. We mustsensitize everyoneto the topic of humantraffickingandthuspushattention towards those who can make adifferencein terms ofchangingpolicy andnationalresourcemanagement to strengthenprevention measures, improve identification ofvictims, increase support ofsurvivors and end impunity.

Summary of new polioviruses this week:

• Afghanistan: one WPV1 case

• Benin: one cVDPV2 case

• Madagascar: three cVDPV1 cases and one cVDPV1 positive environmental sample

• Mali: one cVDPV2 case

For

more information, click here - http://polioeradication.org/polio-today/polio-now/this-week/

Click here to learn the difference between Wild Polio Virus (WPV) and Vaccine-derived Polio Virus. (VDPV)

We are THIS close

Only Afghanistan and Pakistan are polio endemic.

Outbreak countries are those that have stopped indigenous wild poliovirus but are experiencing re-infection either through the importation of wild or vaccine-derived poliovirus from another country, or the emergence and circulation of vaccine-derived poliovirus.

To stop these outbreaks, it is necessary to fully implement international outbreak response guidelines.

Endemic countries, which have never stopped the transmission of indigenous wild poliovirus, can also be affected by outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus.

All countries remain at risk of polio until the disease has been completely eradicated from the world. Until then, the best way for countries to minimise the risk and consequences of polio infection is to maintain strong population immunity levels through high vaccination coverage, and strong disease surveillance in order to rapidly detect and respond to polio.

The Vaccines

The development of effective vaccines to prevent paralytic polio was one of the major medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative uses two types of vaccine to stop polio transmission

inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV).

If enough people in a community are immunized against polio, the virus will be deprived of susceptible hosts and will die out. High levels of vaccination coverage must be maintained to stop transmission and prevent outbreaks occurring. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is constantly assessing the optimal use of the different types of vaccine to prevent paralytic polio and stop poliovirus transmission in different areas of the world.

Click here to view a short video explaining the two vaccines.

The brave women at all levels of the polio program bring us closer to a world without polio and a world with equitable opportunities for all women and girls.

In the latest “Women Leaders in Polio” series, two women are featured - ; Thongbotho Mphoyakgosi and Raquelina Mazuze - who are making great contributions in the fight against the disease.

After completing her bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science, Thongbotho Mphoyakgosi cut her teeth in a HIV drug resistance lab in Botswana, where she tested blood samples to determine whether a patient with HIV had a mutated form of the virus which did not respond to antiretroviral therapy.

“Once you are in the lab you realize it’s not just a job, it’s more like a calling,” she says. “Someone sends samples to you, and you are the first one to see results and ask, ‘how is this going to impact the patient, the community as a whole, and then the country as a whole?’”

In 2019, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mphoyakgosi was transferred to the National Health Laboratory and when the pandemic hit, she was one of the first national experts to be trained by World Health Organization on how to test for COVID-19.

This period was a career highlight for Mphoyakgosi. “COVID-19 taught us a lot. When we get outbreaks now, we have learnt from COVID what can be done better,” she says.

• Click here to read more about her story

• Click here to view a short video about this remarkable woman

Following the recent outbreak of Wild poliovirus type 1 in the country, she has been helping to prepare her community for a forthcoming vaccination drive, which aims to protect nearly 4 million children in the four most at-risk provinces.

Having been involved in the health sector for decades, Raquelina Mazuze also spends her days encouraging other older people around her to stay active, eat healthily and to keep serving their community, just as she does.

According to the World Bank, people aged 65 and above represent only 3% of the total population in Mozambique. But Raquelina sees her age and many years of experience as an asset rather than a hindrance.

¨I am not afraid of getting old,” she says. “I feel proud because I am active, and my experience is key when it comes to contributing to the health of the people in my community. ¨

Raquelina doesn’t let her age restrict her ambitions either. “I want to go back to school and further my education,” she says. “I will keep moving forward. I will do whatever I am supposed to do. No one can take that away from me.”

Click here to read more about her story.

Originally posted on WHO AFRO.

The vast machinery of the global polio eradication programme is much like the inner workings of a clock – a network of interconnected people, organizations and programmes that together are more powerful than the sum of their parts. Collaboration is foundational to eradication, and every eradicator plays a part in edging the programme closer to its goals.

But in some cases, individual eradicators develop capacities or practices that enable programmatic leaps. Dr Humayun Asghar is one of those outsize drivers of progress. His initiatives around early laboratory testing of stool samples of children with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), his efforts to create a cross-regional network of labs, and his efforts to set up a large pioneering network of environmental surveillance sites in Egypt are innovations that today power the programme’s surveillance capacity.

We know where the virus is, even in the absence of paralytic polio cases, largely thanks to his work.

In 1988, when Dr Humayun joined the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad, polio was paralysing more than 1000 children worldwide every day and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was just being set up. Dr Humayun spotted an opportunity to stop the spread of poliovirus by tracking it – which meant identifying which children with AFP were infected with poliovirus and which children were experiencing paralysis for other reasons.

In 1991, Dr Humayun began to contact pediatricians and, later, vaccinators, to collect stool samples from children who presented with AFP to test them for poliovirus infection. In a nod to the doctors’ and vaccinators’ contribution, Dr Humayun shared the results immediately with the reporting individual, regardless of their location.

But in some cases, individual eradicators develop capacities or practices that enable programmatic leaps. Dr Humayun Asghar is one of those outsize drivers of progress. His initiatives around early laboratory testing of stool samples of children with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), his efforts to create a cross-regional network of labs, and his efforts to set up a large pioneering network of environmental surveillance sites in Egypt are innovations that today power the programme’s surveillance capacity. We know where the virus is, even in the absence of paralytic polio cases, largely thanks to his work.

In 1988, when Dr Humayun joined the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad, polio was paralysing more than 1000 children worldwide every day and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was just being set up.

Dr Humayun spotted an opportunity to stop the spread of poliovirus by tracking it – which meant identifying which children with AFP were infected with poliovirus and which children were experiencing paralysis for other reasons.

In 1991, Dr Humayun began to contact pediatricians and, later, vaccinators, to collect stool samples from children who presented with AFP to test them for poliovirus infection. In a nod to the doctors’ and vaccinators’ contribution, Dr Humayun shared the results immediately with the reporting individual, regardless of their location.

Click here to read more

WASH Rotary Action Group supports and ensures sustainable long-lasting clean water, sanitation, and hygiene programs to communities in need.

…continued next page

AN ALARMING SITUATION

Most of us, faced with the prospect of a trip to the hospital, anticipate safe treatment and (hopefully) a swift recovery. But in Sub-Saharan Africa, you could well face the possibility of contracting a disease or an infection.

In the most serious cases, departure can be in a coffin.

Ron Denham, Chair Emeritus, recently wrote an article for District 9211 on why Rotary Club's need to take up the challenge of improving the situation of WASH in Health Care Facilities.

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) in Health Care Facilities (HCF): Rotary Clubs Next Challenge

By Ron Denham, Chair Emeritus, WASH Rotary Action Group

An Alarming Situation

Most of us, faced with the prospect of a trip to the hospital, anticipate safe treatment and (hopefully) a swift recovery. But in Sub-Saharan Africa, you could well face the possibility of contracting a disease or an infection. In the most serious cases, departure can be in a coffin.

Lack of water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management and cleaning services poses a threat to every patient. In this dangerous Covid-19 era, it exacerbates the spread of infection and undermines every effort to improve maternal and child health.

Data released by the WHO and UNICEF show that an estimated 900 million people must use health care facilities (HCFs) lacking any water service; 1.5 billion use facilities with no adequate sanitation service. Many more use HCFs lacking hand hygiene service and safe waste management

To illustrate:

Water:

• In the least developed countries, only 55% of HCFs had basic water service

• 14% of HCFs accessed water supply from off the premises

• 12% had NO water service

• 896 million people had NO water service at their HCF

Sanitation

• In sub-Saharan Africa, only 23% of HCFs had basic sanitation.

• 21% of HCFs globally had no sanitation service

• 40% of HCFs in Central and Southern Asia lacked any sanitation service.

• More than 1.5 billion people had NO sanitation service at their HCF

Hygiene

• 16% of HCFs globally had NO hygiene service no handwashing facilities with soap

• More than half of HCFs lacked hygiene service available at point of care.

And, data from the Republic of Tanzania, including Zanzibar, and Uganda confirm these impressions:

Only 44% of HCFs have functioning toilets. Only 68 % have access to a water supply but that is often unreliable and inconsistent.

42% of facilities with delivery rooms have no handwashing facilities with soap and water. Truly a grim picture.

Added to these shortcomings, more than half of HCFs lacked any waste management services.

Implications of poor WASH Service

According to a recent study, 15% of patients in developing countries suffered from an infection contracted in a health care facility. The risk of water-, food- and hand-borne infection is aggravated by poor hygienic conditions.

Lack of hand-washing facilities and poor management of human and medical waste can trigger a relentless cycle of disease.

Click here to read more about what needs to be – and can be – done to improve this situation.

Click here to view a short video about Shelterbox and its response to the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

2023 marks 23 years of ShelterBox!

That’s over 20 years of disaster relief in 98 different countries, supporting 2.5 million people to get back on their feet after hurricanes, earthquakes, conflicts, droughts, cyclones, and more.

We’ve changed and grown a lot in that time, but our core focus has remained the same: helping families rebuild after disaster.

Click here to read about how Shelterbox came to be.

ROTARY’S CORE VALUES

WHAT IS ROTARY?

Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 118 years, Rotary's people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.

Learn more about our structure and our foundation and our strategic vision

Do you need a make-up? missed meetings? To learn about other Rotary clubs?

The Passport Club members are encouraged to join local (and other) clubs to learn more about Rotary, get to know other Rotarians, gain a new perspective and appreciation for Rotary and Rotarians. Here is a list of online clubs where you can earn a make-up along with learning a whole lot more about Rotary! Why not visit them all?

• Rotary E-Club of Canada One – Rotary On Demand, Where you want, When you want!

• Rotary Club of One World

• Rotary E-Club of World Peace

Click here to attend this week’s posted meeting of E-Club of Canada One. These meetings are posted online and available 24/7!

Club President for 2023-24 – Sue Storie

Continue to stay tuned, engaged, and plan to participate!

NEWS & INFORMATION IMPORTANT TO ROTARIANS

INTRODUCING GORDON R. MCINALLY OF SCOTLAND SELECTED TO BE 2023-24 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

By Ryan Hyland

Gordon R. McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, Lothian, Scotland, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2023-24.

Gordon R. McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, Lothian, Scotland, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2023-24. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested.

McInally lauded Rotary’s ability to adapt technologically during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the approach should continue and be combined with the best of our past practices as Rotary seeks to grow and increase engagement.

“We have learned there is a willingness within communities to care for one another,” he says, “and we must ensure that we encourage people who have recently embraced the concept of volunteering to join us to allow them to continue giving service.”

McInally says that senior leaders’ ability to communicate directly with club members online will be one positive legacy of the changes Rotary has had to make. But, he adds, “face-to-face meetings remain important, as they encourage greater interaction.”

The best way to increase membership is engagement, according to McInally. To better support clubs, he says, Rotary International, regional leaders, and district teams all need to engage with them. Engagement through social media will reinforce Rotary’s brand and showcase the opportunities that come with it. And, he says, engagement with governments, corporations, and other organizations will lead to meaningful partnerships. With better engagement, McInally says, “We will grow Rotary both by way of membership and in our ability to provide meaningful service.”

He adds, “Membership is the lifeblood of our organization. I would encourage the use of the flexibility now available to establish new-style clubs that would appeal to a different demographic.”

McInally, a graduate of dental surgery at the University of Dundee, owned and operated his own dental practice in Edinburgh. He was the chair of the East of Scotland branch of the British Paedodontic Society and has held various academic positions. He has also served as a Presbytery elder, chair of Queensferry Parish Congregational Board, and commissioner to the church’s general assembly.

A Rotary member since 1984, McInally has been president and vice president of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland. He has also served Rotary International as a director and as member or chair of several committees. He is currently an adviser to the 2022 Houston Convention Committee and chair of the Operations Review Committee.

McInally and his wife, Heather, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation. They are also members of the Bequest Society.

To learn more about McInally, read his interview and vision statement, which outline his goals for Rotary.

RI PRESIDENT-ELECT ANNOUNCES 2023-24 PRESIDENTIAL THEME

By Etelka Lehoczky

Rotary International President-elect R. Gordon R. McInally called for members to capture the world's attention and lead the way toward possibilities far beyond our current expectations.

McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland, revealed the 2023-24 presidential theme, Create Hope in the World, during the Rotary International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, USA, on 9 January. He urged members to promote peace in troubled nations, help those affected by conflict, and maintain the momentum of initiatives begun by past leaders.

"The goal is to restore hope to help the world heal from destructive conflicts and, in turn, to help us achieve lasting change for ourselves," McInally said at Rotary's annual training event for incoming district governors.

McInally spoke about a woman he met in Ban Taling Chan, Thailand, where Rotary members helped build houses, a meeting hall, and childcare and health care facilities following the tsunami that devastated South Asia in late 2004. The woman had lost her husband, her daughter, and her son in the tsunami, as well as her livelihood. But she still had a gift to offer McInally: a beautiful seashell.

"She went on to tell me that Rotary... had restored her optimism. We gave her hope," McInally said.

"This is how Rotary brings lasting change to the world," he added, "one restored or newly created hope at a time."

Promoting peace

A significant way to bring hope to the world is to put a greater emphasis on peace, McInally said. He cited the action Rotary members have taken in the past year to support the people of Ukraine after the invasion by Russia. Rotary has made humanitarian relief a priority, attracting more Ukrainian members in the process. But McInally noted that true relief won't come without peace not just in Ukraine, but in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, and dozens of other places around the globe.

"Peace is the soil where hope takes root," McInally said.

McInally also emphasized the power of continuity, calling for Rotary members to continue the work of some past leaders. He pledged to maintain the Empowering Girls initiative launched by 2021-22 President Shekhar Mehta and uphold the emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout Rotary. He also noted recent events that underscore the importance of Rotary's continuing focus on polio. In the past year, polio cases have emerged in many areas around the world, making it more crucial than ever for Rotary members to lead the fight against the disease.

To do that, McInally said, Rotary must continue to raise at least US$50 million each year to receive the full 2to-1 funding match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Only about 1 in 12 members currently gives to the polio eradication campaign, with fewer than 1 in 5 clubs donating each year.

McInally asked the district governors-elect for support creating a new sense of urgency in their clubs to help realize Rotary's vision of a polio-free world. "This is the time for us to go beyond what's necessary year to year and make sure we provide every resource necessary to succeed as quickly as possible," he added.

Focusing on mental health

In addition, McInally said, Rotary members should offer hope to those affected by mental health challenges a crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people have lost family members, many more have found their social networks uprooted, and young people especially have had their educational and developmental paths interrupted. As a result, more people around the world are facing mental health issues. And yet, seeking assistance is often perceived as a sign of weakness.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," McInally said. "Reaching out for help is courageous and continuing on a path toward wellness is even more so."

He added that Rotary will work to improve mental health services in the next year and beyond. Rotary should be known as an organization that takes care of its members as well as the people it serves, McInally said. "Any mental health professional will tell you that by helping others, we essentially help ourselves."

McInally ended his speech by describing his ideal balance of continuity and innovation. "Rotary helps create the conditions for peace, opportunity, and a future worth living," he said. "By continuing what we do best, by remaining open and willing to change, and by keeping our focus on building peace in the world and within ourselves, Rotary helps create a more peaceful world a more hopeful world."

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REFERENCES

Adams, Randal Speaking of Rotary. USA: E J Press

Dochterman, Cliff. The ABCs of Rotary Evanston, Illinois: Rotary International. (363-EN)

Forward, David C. A Century of Service. The Story of Rotary International. (912-EN)

Rotary Club of Hobart. The Rotary Book of Readings. Inspiration to Change the World.

Rotary International. Honoring Our Past: The Words and Wisdom of Paul Harris. Evanston, Illinois: 1996. (925-EN)

Rotary International. Rotary Basics Evanston, Illinois. (595-EN)

Rotary International News. Online.

Rotary Global History Fellowship <https://www.facebook.com/RotaryGlobalHistoryFellowship/ >

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