seemed as a setback in not getting other members to co-operate fully was actually just the push they needed to try something new and to stretch their limits. Rotary actually teaches teamwork. With that attitude, anything is possible in a club. As the tasks mentioned above can be normally done by the President, the purpose of the club is not to make it a one-person show. It is supposed to be a club with others in it — to do good. Doing all the administrative tasks of the club well singlehandedly does not make the President a popular person. He or she fails to see their limitations and find out what they are really good at. The one simple advice for the all-in-alls is that for any big achievement you need devoted people with you. Resistance or debate is not dissent in a club. In a club, people will criticise the President if he or she persists with their opinion and style of functioning. However, if they are able to show that the group can succeed together in a chosen mission then the others will follow. If the leader is trying to do something new, first of all they should believe in it. Otherwise, they should not do it because they will not be able to stick to it. The Club Leadership Plan as envisaged by Rotary International basically teaches teamwork. It is not just a succession plan. To implement that plan and to make it work, the club leaders have to care more than others for the club. They need to risk more than the others and
52 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2013
Membership Development.
dream more than what the others think is practical. They need to expect more than what others think is possible. Regardless of what the leader does within the club, the single most important fact is that they have to show their skills in leadership. That skill will be attained only when they involve all the members in all the club activities. This skill can be learned and once mastered, can transform their life and the world around them in the process. Rtn. T.K. Balakrishnan