VOL. 02-2017/18
AUGUST 2017
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Service is what Rotarians do. Membership & We change the lives of others New Club Development in need. Your membership in Rotary gives you the opportunity, structure, knowhow and Fellowship resources to provide service benefits to others. of being The benefit a rotarian a Rotarian receives by helping someone Opportunity else is extraordinary and life affecting. c rvi Se
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M O R E T H A N M E M B E R S H I P - R O TA R Y I S PA R T N E R S H I P
Barry Rassin selected to be Mark Daniel Maloney selected 2018-19 Rotary President to be 2019-20 Rotary President Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19. He will be declared the president-elec t on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested. As president, Rassin aims to strengthen our public image and our use of digital tools to maximize Rotary’s reach. “Those who know what good Rotary clubs do will want to be a part of it, and we must find new models for membership that allow all interested in our mission to participate,” he says. “With Rotary more in the public eye, we will attract more individuals who want to be part of and support a membership organization that accomplishes so much good around the world.” Rassin earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System, where he continues to serve as an adviser. He is a lifetime member of the American Hospital Association and has served on several boards, including the Quality Council of the Bahamas, Health Education Council, and Employer’s Confederation. A Rotarian since 1980, Rassin has served Rotary as director and is vice chair of The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. He was an RI training leader and the aide to 2015-16 RI President K.R. Ravindran.
Mark Daniel Maloney, of the Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, USA, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2019-20. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested. “The clubs are where Rotary happens,” says Maloney, an attorney. He aims to support and strengthen clubs at the community level, preserve Rotary’s culture as a serviceoriented membership organization, and test new regional approaches for growth. “With the eradication of polio, recognition for Rotary will be great and the opportunities will be many,” he says.“We have the potential to become the global powerhouse for doing good.” Maloney is a principal in the law firm of Blackburn, Maloney, and Schuppert LLC, with a focus on taxation, estate planning, and agricultural law. He represents large farming operations in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States, and has chaired the American Bar Association’s Committee on Agriculture in the section of taxation. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Alabama State Bar Association, and the Alabama Law Institute. He has been active in Decatur’s religious community, chairing his church’s finance council and a local Catholic school board. He has also served as president of the Community Foundation of Greater Decatur, chair of Morgan County Meals on Wheels, and director of the United Way of Morgan County and the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce. A Rotarian since 1980, Maloney has served as an RI director; Foundation trustee and vice chair; and aide to 2003-04 RI President Jonathan Majiyagbe. He also has participated in the Council on Legislation as chair, vice chair, parliamentarian, and trainer. He was an adviser to the 2004 Osaka Convention Committee and chaired the 2014 Sydney Convention Committee. Prior to serving as a district governor, Maloney led a Group Study Exchange to Nigeria.
Rassin received Rotary's highest honor, the Service Above Self Award, as well as other humanitarian awards for his work leading Rotary’s relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. He and his wife, Esther, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation.
He also served as Future Vision Committee vice chair; regional Rotary Foundation coordinator; Foundation training institute moderator; Foundation permanent fund national adviser; member of the Peace Centers Committee; and adviser to the Foundation’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Schools Target Challenge Committee.
Rassin’s nomination follows Sam F. Owori’s death in July, just two weeks into his term as Rotary International president-elect.
Maloney’s wife, Gay, is an attorney in the same law firm, and a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Decatur Daybreak, Alabama, USA. Both Mark and Gay are Paul Harris Fellows, Major Donors, and Bequest Society members.
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | August 2017
District Governor’s Message Dear Rotarians,
Rotary International President & District Governor
August is Membership Development month. Membership will be our priority. Not only increasing clubs but increasing the membership in the clubs. Let us organize ourselves and our clubs and reach out to our friends, families and our colleagues, and invite them to this great organization we belong to. Invite the leaders, philanthropists and people who truly want to serve humanity to join our mission of Rotary: Making a Difference Please remember, the job of membership is not done when we bring in a new member. It’s not done until that member is engaged in Rotary, is inspired by Rotary, and uses the power of Rotary service to change lives and is making a difference.
Ian H. S. Riseley RI President 2017-18
The challenge for us is making sure that every Rotarian can have that experience of Rotary service, that moment of realizing what Rotary is, what doors it opens, and the power it has for making a difference. For this we have to make sure that Rotarians are engaged and that each one of us is doing the most we can. If we really want to make Rotary vibrant and effective in our district, then we must make sure that every single Rotarian has a meaningful role to play, that they are all making a contribution, and that their contributions are valued. This is our Membership Challenge, so let us work together to achieve it. A note: MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR will be held on August 30, at Hotel Marriott Karachi. With warm regards, Your teammate in Service,
Ovais Ahmed Kohari District Governor 2017-18 Ovais Ahmed Kohari District Governor Rotarians are men with hands extended in service, willing to reach out to enrich the lives of others. ~ PRIP Clem Renouf
G O V E R N O R ’ S M O N T H LY L E T T E R VOL. 02-2017/18
AUGUST 2017
Editor
KISHWAR T. ALLAWALA Associate Editor
SADIA ZAIDI Layout Concept & Design
ABBAS LAVINGIA Please submit articles to: Editor: Kishwar Tariq Allawala; Penthouse 1, 143-M/2, PECHS, Karachi 75400; cellular: +92 333 2291708; eMail: gml.d3271@gmail.com Associate Editor: Sadia Zaidi; eMail: Zaidi.Sadia@gmail.com District Chair Publication: Abbas Lavingia, 503 Alamode Apartments, Block 8, Clifton, Karachi 75600, Pakistan; line: +92 21 32635257; cellular 0300/0321/345 8239019; eMail: abbas@lavingia.net District Secretary: Ali Hafeez Azmat; 4-C, Mohammad Ali Housing Society, Saeed Hai Road, Karachi 75350; line: +92 21 35214418; cellular: +92 333 2298098; eMail: ali.h.azmat@gmail.com District Governor: Ovais Ahmed Kohari; 17 M. A. Jinnah Road, opp. KGA Ground, Karachi; line: +92 21 32250703, 32257213; cellular: +92 331 2713271; eMail: ovais.kohari@hotmail.com News Media Coordinator: Jawaid Babar; cellular: +92 300 3313252 Send stories, queries, tips and photographs by mail or e-mail (high resolution digital images prefered). We assume no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Published monthly by District Governor 3271, Pakistan. Circulation restricted to rotarians only. Concept, layout and printing by: Capricorn Printers; eMail: abbas@lavingia.net Drop Mail You are welcome to make contributions to the GML however, the editorial board reserves the right to edit or reject the material for reasons of suitability, accuracy or space. Please send your articles, club activity and attendance report to: RotarySecretariat3271@gmail.com If you have old file photographs of any memorable events related to Rotary at district or international level, you are welcome to share with the GML team.
The greatest resource which a nation can have is the resource of peace; it counts for more than arable lands, more than mines of untold riches. ~ Paul Harris
Editorial Au g u s t i s M e m b e r s h i p Development and Extension Month, a time when we can all do a little more to keep the Rotary wheel turning. Let’s each of us think of someone we feel will be a committed member. Then let’s tell that person about Rotary and invite him to our club meetings. With every person we bring into our club, the good that Rotary can accomplish increases manifold. Let us grow by getting many more willing hands to serve. We must invite people who are worthy and have a genuine desire to serve. With the entry of worthy and willing people Rotary will grow inwardly in values and high ethical standards.
www.rotary3271.org
ON THE COVER Celebrate Membership Month August is Membership Month, which means it’s time to celebrate your Rotary club, your members, and the good you do in your community and around the world. There are many ways to join in the celebration, but here are a few activities to get you started: Say it loud, say it proud!, Watch and share, Exchange ideas, We Are Rotary, it’s Now or Never, Making a difference, What does Rotary mean to you? and many more ways ...
Kishwar Tariq Allawala Editor
all you need to know about
MEMBERSHIP Impact starts with our members - people like you who want to be part of making the world a better place. At club meetings in communities across the globe, our members come together to strengthen their connections to friends and neighbors and their commitment to improving lives. Who can join? We’re looking for people who want to give back to their communities. Rotary clubs also welcome Rotaractors, Rotary Peace Fellows, and other members of the family of Rotary who qualify for membership. The good you do comes back to you. Rotary and Rotaract members are all about forging friendships, making business contacts, building skills, and serving the community.
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | August 2017
About Polio ... A Rotary delegation comprising of PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, DG Ovais Kohari (RI District 3271), DG Faiza Qamar (RI District 3272) and National Polio Chair PDG Aziz Memon, called on the President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain at Aiwan e Sadr, Islamabad, on 17th August.
A Rotary delegation comprising PRIP Kalyan M. Banerjee, NPPC Chair Aziz Memon, DG Ovais Ahmed Kohari and DG Faiza Qamar called on President of Pakistan H. E. Mamnoon Hussain at Aiwan e Sadr, Islamabad on 17th of August, 2017.
PRIP Kalyan Banerjee made a special trip to Pakistan to meet with the President of Pakistan to discuss and endorse the polio eradication campaign in Pakistan. Thanking the President for sparing his time, PRIP Kalyan said that Pakistan has come a long way in the eradication of polio. This would not have been possible without the ownership and commitment of the Federal and Provincial Governments and the President’s personal involvement. National Polio Chair PDG Aziz Memon pointed out that the main concern today is that the polio program should not be derailed as it had been in the last election. Dr Rana Safdar, Coordinator NEOC, assured that the polio program will continue and will receive full support of all political parties. The polio chair also mentioned that Quetta Block needs special attention and there will need to be strong vigilance with the transient population crossing the Pak-Afghan border. Additionally, Karachi is a very volatile city, and though there has not been a case since the last two years, it cannot be lost sight of, nor can the guard be let down. A sprawling metropolis of approximately 23 million people with an ethnic fusion of communities from across the country, Karachi needs continuous monitoring. PRIP Kalyan Banerjee praised Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq for her commendable speech at the Rotary International Convention at Atlanta. DG Ovais Kohari and DG Faiza Qamar also spoke about Rotary’s commitment and their full support for polio eradication in their respective districts.
PRIP presenting a 'Bas Relief' replica to the President of Pakistan
Dr Rana Safdar praised Rotary for its role and unflinching support for polio eradication. He lauded Rotary International for funding polio partners for their work in Pakistan and providing social mobilization advocacy material for polio teams. He also praised PDG Aziz Memon for his efforts in the polio eradication initiative, saying that the government is thankful to him and to RI for their deep rooted commitment, the result of which is that Pakistan has made such commendable progress. The President of Pakistan reaffirmed his full support and assured all that polio eradication is a national agenda of the government and all political parties, and progress will continue till the target of zero is reached. At the end, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee presented “Bas Relief” replica of the PolioPlus statue, an executive glass paperweight with the PolioPlus logo and two books “Rotary and the Gift of a Polio Free World - Making the Promise”, Volume 1 & 2, to the President of Pakistan.
President of Pakistan with Rotarians & Dr. Safdar
PDG Aziz Memon National Polio Chair
In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity. ~ PRIP Leslie Pidgeon
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | August 2017
Membership Development The obvious maxim: There would be “No Rotary without Rotarians” The founding fathers, four wise men in Chicago 1905 - Paul Harris and his three friends, realised this basic fact not very long after they started meeting in their offices. The circle had to be widened to make it attractive - and ever more so - enjoyable! After all, the fundamental premise was fellowship leading to perhaps friendship and better still “Networking!” This simple concept caught on fast - small groups expanding into clubs started coming up in the US. In quick succession Rotary became International with the first Club in Canada. Another wise man - Arch Klumph felt that fellowship and networking was fine -but for the young movement to flourish had to have a deeper and more meaningful purpose “Doing good in the world!” This added object of “Serving Mankind in Need” caught the imagination of men and women of goodwill not only in the Americas but Europe and Asia as well.
Rotary came to Pakistan in 1927 in Lahore followed by Karachi and Hyderabad - the rest is history! Today we have two Districts 3271 and 3272 with a total of 1500 members in 79 clubs. However, in a population of 200 million is this sufficient considering the needs of the community mired in poverty, disease, illiteracy, lack of clean drinking water etc? This stark reality, my fellow Rotarians, is the challenge. We need many more Hands, many more Rotarians for Rotary to make a Difference! So how do we go about attracting service minded men and women in Rotary? Last year good progress was made under the leadership of IPDG Saleem Rao and his team. They worked very hard indeed resulting in more Rotarians and more new clubs. Thats great - full marks to Saleem and his team! A new Rotary year has started and with it a new leader, DG Ovais Ahmed Kohari. He has appointed me as membership chair with the task of not only maintaining the momentum built up last year but also to carry it further. To meet this challenge together with co-chair Farooq Dadi we are trying different strategies. To date, we have formed seven informal groups each led by an Assistant Governor with the President and Membership Chair. The feedback from both the AGs and club leaders of the seven meetings held so far has been positive and encouraging.
If you have the love of your fellow men in your hearts, my friends, you are a potential Rotarian. ~ Paul Harris
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | August 2017
In addition co-chair is organizing joint meetings of 4-5 clubs with a well known personality as a guest speaker. Smaller clubs have especially welcomed this new initiative but more needs to be done. I do believe that Promotion of Public Image of Rotary is vitally important. Better knowledge and awareness go hand in hand with attracting new members. We plan to work in tandem with Public Promotion Chair and his team to achieve better results. Knowledge of newer concept of Satellite and eClubs needs to be improved to help sponsor new small clubs .We also plan to tap a potential pool of former Rotarians, Rotary Alumni and Rotaractors. The challenge is there - however, I firmly believe that with the active support of the District Leadership, clubs and each and every Rotarian, we can set the pace for attracting service minded men and women looking for a suitable platform to lend a hand and serve humanity and make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate in our community. Nothing is impossible. With total commitment and dedication together we will Inshallah meet the challenge. PDG Akhtar K Alavi District Chair Membership Attraction & Engagement
The Benefits of being a Rotarian Join Rotary and a world of possibilities opens up for you. The enormous sense of achievement you'll experience in helping your local community and other communities around the world will be matched only by the fun you'll have doing it. As a large and diverse organisation, Rotary provides individuals with the power to help those in need. There are countless opportunities to make a difference to those less fortunate than ourselves. Friendship In an increasingly complex world, Rotary maintains a simple philosophy - make friends in your own community and throughout the world. Giving back to the community Through Rotary, service to local and overseas communities is well organised and rewarding. If you like helping others, here is your chance to do something worthwhile and make a real difference. Business development Networking opportunities are endless. Rotary consists of a cross-section from every business community and its members come from all walks of life. Rotarians help each other and collectively help others. Personal growth and development Membership of Rotary develops leadership, public speaking, social, business, personal and vocational skills as well as improving cultural awareness. Continued learning Clubs organise programmes and weekly meetings to keep members informed about what is going on in the community, the country, and the world. Each meeting provides an opportunity to listen to different speakers on a variety of current topics. Travel opportunities Every Rotarian is welcome - even encouraged - to attend any of the 33,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical regions. This bond creates an instant friendship wherever you are in the world. Many a Rotarian in need of a local doctor, lawyer, hotel, dentist, or other expertise while travelling has found assistance through Rotary.
It is well that there is nothing in Rotary so sacred that it cannot be set aside in favor of things better. ~ Paul Harris
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | August 2017
Reminiscences of the Rotary Club of Karachi - 1970 - 1979 Greetings from
Overseas
I have just completed 55 years as a Rotarian; and have nothing but happy memories of my few years as a member of the Rotary Club of Karachi. They were also very fruitful and satisfying from the point of view of the service projects we were able to implement and complete. Apart from being the oldest and second largest Club in the Province of Sind, its membership reflected the elite of the business and professional community of the city. I joined the Club in early 1970. The Club’s membership then stood at about 120; and I was honored and privileged to have been warmly and affectionately received by such stalwarts as PDG Kassim Dada, PDG M. Amin, and Rotarians Ahmed Jaffer, Zain Alavi, Razzaq Kohari (grandfather of DG Ovais Kohari), Yusuf Mandviwalla, Fakhruddin Millwala, R. S. Rustomji, Hashim Sayeed, Dr. M. A. Shah and Anver Tapal.
Bilal M. Raschid Recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award (1997)
Having just served as President of the Rotary Club of Rangoon, in Burma, the Karachi Club’s senior leadership quickly got me involved in various capacities, more specially in the International and Community Service committees. Here I was again privileged to get to know, and develop a very close relationship with many of the service oriented Rotarians such as Byram Avari, Nariman Irani, Abdul Haiy Khan (who later served as DG), D. M. Dehradunwala, and Mohammed Hussain Dhalla. I am particularly happy and proud that with the active participation and support and guidance of the above mentioned Rotarians, the Club was able to do some very worthwhile community service. To mention just two, we completed a massive polio immunization project in a low-income working class community in the northern suburbs of Karachi ten years before Rotary International started its PolioPlus program. Another massive project, initiated by PDG Kassim Dada and executed by us was the distribution of thousands of books to libraries of schools. These books were brought free of charge from California, by the U.S. Navy. And the numerous crates of books were airlifted from the Naval vessel by helicopter, and received in a public ceremony by the Mayor of the City and community leaders. This gave the Club a good deal of publicity and exposure in the local newspapers and was a PR coup.
Bilal Raschid with his parents, Anne & M.A. Raschid and PDG Haiy Khan
I was also honored to be selected and appointed the GSE Team Leader by then DG Ahmed Shafi; and led a very fine team of young Pakistani business and professional men to then Rotary District 638 in Northern Michigan and Southern Canada in mid 1978. The DG of that multi-national District told me at the end of our tour of the very good impression of Pakistan that my team members had left with them. This made DG Ahmed Shafi very proud and happy. The Rotary Annes of the Club were also quite active then; and most of them were members of the Inner-Wheel Club. These ladies befriended my wife, Tin Tin Nu Raschid (Tin Lay to her close friends), who became the first woman DG in Northern Virginia in 1996-97. This made her life, in a city where we had no friends or relatives, a most happy one. She later served as President of the Inner-Wheel Club, and helped me in forming the first ever Rotaract Club in Pakistan, where Kishwar Dada and Tariq Allawala were the backbone, among others. This gave them the skills to later become leaders in then Rotary District 3270, with Tariq becoming a District Governor.
PP Bilal Raschid with Rotarians - PDG Haiy Khan and Edda Khan, DM Dehradunwala, Behram Avari, Frainy & Nariman Irani
I am happy that the Club has continued its great tradition of service to the community, and I wish it well. Bilal M. Raschid
Each Rotarian is a connecting link between the idealism of Rotary and his trade or profession. ~ Paul Harris
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | August 2017
Congratulations to District Governor
Ovais Ahmed Kohari Bilal and I have known Ovais for three generations, as his Dada was our Kohari Cha Cha, at the Rotary Club of Karachi. When his father, Anis Kohari, became a member of the Karachi East Club, we became very close friends with him and Fauzia.
Tin Tin Nu Raschid with PRIP John Germ
Bilal and I could not have formed the Rotaract Club (the first one ever in Pakistan), if Ovais, Sikander Dada, Tariq and Kishwar Allawalla and Murtaza Mandiwalla had not become Charter members. Kishwar’s parents, PDG Kassim Dada and Hanifa Bhabhi opened their house to us. PDG Haiy Khan and Edda are very close friends of ours, along with Byram and Feroza Avari, Nariman and Dolly Irani, DM and Shireen Dehradunwalla, and Yousuf and Zainab Mandviwalla. My grateful thanks are due to the Inner Wheel club members. When we migrated to Pakistan in 1969, they welcomed me very warmly, and I immediately became a member; while Bilal was waiting to join Rotary as his classification was not open! These friends elected me to be their President in 1973 (I became President of the Inner Wheel club of Karachi). I took part in many District Conferences, starting with a minor role of presenting “Why I am pleased my husband is a Rotarian”, to taking care of the ladies’ programs. The fashion show Hiam Nana and I organized and staged, got a lot of compliments. When I became the Executive Director of the Pakistan American Cultural Center (the first Pakistani and first woman to hold this position), and toured my centers all over Pakistan, I spoke about the Inner Wheel Club in various towns. Hence, I was able to form the Inner Wheel Clubs of Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad and Lahore. At that time there was only the Karachi club in the whole of Pakistan. The friendship and assistance we have received from Rotarians are enormous, and we will forever cherish, appreciate and remember them.
At Rotary Meetings in Karachi
The jobs that Bilal and I got were through the kindnesses of Rotarians. One Rotarian asked me to be the Master of Ceremonies at the ladies night every time. Another Rotarian noticed it, and I got the connection to PACC; and the third and fourth Rotarians appointed me to the position of Executive Director of PACC! They all came and supported me whenever I had fundraisers for Inner Wheel and the Rotaract club, with dance performance by Naheed Siddiqui, etc., or I had my handmade miniature flower exhibition and sales. When Bilal and I went back on a visit to Karachi in 1999, after 20 years in the U.S., the Rotary Clubs had a joint Dinner to honor us. We had so many friends who wanted to invite us that we had to request them to give us combined parties. Now our visit to Karachi is long overdue, and we will visit again after another 20 years in 2019, if we are still alive and kicking, Insha Allah! Finally, I would like to request Ovais to enjoy his year as the District Governor. It is such a unique experience which you will never get again. I was so focused on my goals that I did not enjoy my year as District Governor as much as I should have, and deeply regret it. A huge “Shukriya” to all our dear friends. Please keep in touch with me at tintinraschid@gmail.com.
With Rotary friends - Jusbanis, Dadas and Anis Kohari
Khuda Hafiz Tin Tin Nu Raschid District Governor 1996-97
Rotary must make haste even to keep up; but we must do more, we must lead. ~ Paul Harris
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | August 2017
Archives
Service to Humaity
{Hud 11:117} “For never would God destroy a community for wrong (beliefs alone) so long as its people behave righteously (towards one another)” {Al-Qasas 28:59} “Yet, withal, God would never destroy a community without having raised in its midst an apostle who would convey unto them God’s messages; and never would God destroy a community unless its people are wont to do wrong to one another.” On this point, a Hadith (saying of Prophet Muhammad) will not be out of place. “The Almighty may forgive a man for his carelessness in the performance of HIS RIGHTS but the RIGHTS OF MAN violated by any individual will not be forgiven by Him.” There are well over 45 verses in the Quran which emphasize and re-emphasize in no uncertain manner, that the real purpose of man’s life on earth is doing good deeds unto others. Let me quote a few of them in chronological order of their revelation:
PDG Mohamed Akbar (Address to RCK Karachi on 8th October, 2005)
Service to humanity has not received sufficient importance in the lives of most of us. Let us make service to humanity as the main mission of the rest of our lives!
10 B.H. {103:1-3} “Consider the flight of time! Verily, man is bound to lose himself unless he be of those who attain faith and do good works, and enjoin upon one another the keeping to truth, and to enjoin upon one another patience in adversity.” 6 B.H. {19:96-97} Verily those who attain faith and do righteous deeds the MOST GRACIOUS will endow them with love; and only to this end have We made this (Quran) easy to understand in thine own tongue…”
In fact, a critical study of the Holy Quran carried out by me during the past 24 years, has convinced me that the real purpose of man’s life is selfless service to his fellow men.
1 B.H. {18:46} “Wealth and children are an adornment of this world’s life: but good deeds the fruit whereof endures forever, are of far greater merit in thy God’s sight, and a far better source of hope…”
In support of my conviction, let me quote three Quranic verses:
0 B.H. {98:7} “(and) verily those who have attained faith and do righteous deeds, it is they who are the best of all creatures.”
{Al-Anaam 6:158} “…On the (judgment) day when thy God’s portents do appear, believing (in the existence of God) will be of no avail to any human being who did not believe before, or who, while believing, did no good work…”
0 B.H. {23:61-62} “(Verily, only those who stand in reverent awe of their God), it is they who vie with one another in doing good deeds, and it is they who outrun all others in attaining them! And (withal) God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: for with
US is a record that speaks the truth (about what men do and can do): and none shall be wronged. 2 A.H. {2:148} “For every community faces a direction of its own, of which He is the focal point. Vie, therefore, with one another in doing good deeds.” 2 A.H. {2:62} “Verily, those who have attained faith (in the Quran) as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians and Sabians – all who believe in God and Last Day, and do righteous deeds – shall have their reward from God; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve.” 6 A.H. {24:55} “God has promised those of you who have attained faith and do righteous deeds, that of a certainty. He will cause them to accede to power on earth, even as He caused (some of ) those who lived before them to accede to it …” 10 A.H. {15:48} “… unto each one of you have We appointed a (different) law and way of life. And if He had so willed He would surely have made you all one single community: but (He willed it otherwise) in order to test you by means of what He has vouchsafed unto you. Vie, then, with one another in doing good deeds…” Let me now turn for a moment to our Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.” We cannot render any kind of service unless we control our Self Greed which makes us turn a blind eye to the misery around us. Unfortunately, we let our Self to subjugate our humanitarian feelings. God says in Surah Al-Takathur (102) “You are obsessed by greed for more and more until you go down to your graves…and on the Judgment Day, you will most surely be called to account for what you did with the boon of life with which God had blessed you.” I wind up this expose with the following words of a mere mortal like you and me: “I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
There has never been a strike - breaker to compare with service - service by the employer, service by the employee. ~ Paul Harris
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | August 2017
District Vocational Training Initiative
District Governor’s Message
by Sohail P Ahmed Chair, District Vocational
August is Membership Development month. Membership will be our priority. Not only increasing Clubs but increasing the membership in the clubs. Let us organize ourselves and our clubs and reach out to our friends, families and our colleagues, and invite them to this great organization we belong. Invite the leaders, philanthropists and people who truly want to serve humanity to join our mission of Rotary: Making a Difference
Summary: meeting of Club Presidents It was decided that: - Each attendee will brief their clubs - Each club will select employer(s) requiring trained skilled workers - Clubs will sponsor trainees - Rtn Sohail Ahmed and district team will liaise with training institutions and oversee the initiative - Target: to commence with training 50-100 men/women at least - Training institutes are available in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur Looking for ward to keen participation by all clubs Dr. Aftab Imam District Rotary Coordinator
Dear Rotarians,
Please remember, the job of membership is not done when we bring in a new member. It’s not done until that member is engaged in Rotary, is inspired by Rotary, and uses the power of Rotary service to change lives and is making a difference. The challenge for us is making sure that every Rotarian can have that experience of Rotary service, that moment of realizing what Rotary is, what doors it opens, and the power it has for making difference. Augusta 14 - Rotarians celebrated
Pakistan Independence Day
For this we have to make sure that Rotarians are engaged and that each one of us is doing the most we can. If we really want to make Rotary vibrant and effective in our district, then we must make sure that every single Rotarian has a meaningful role to play, that they are all making a contribution, and that their contributions are valued. This is our Membership Challenge, so let us work together to achieve it. A note: MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR will be held on August 30, at Hotel Marriott Karachi. With warm regards, Your teammate in Service,
Ovais Ahmed Kohari District Governor Rotarians are men with hands extended in service, willing to reach out to enrich the lives of others. ~ PRIP Clem Renouf