| Welcome to Rotary year 2024-25! |
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Dear Rotary member,
For most of us in Rotary, what matters most is our personal club experience. When I joined Rotary, my club made me feel like I belonged. I couldn’t wait for the next meeting, and I found a new purpose in the service projects we completed together. To me, this sense of meaning and belonging defines Rotary. As president, I feel a special commitment to help every member in every Rotary and Rotaract club feel like an essential part of our family.
I’m writing today to thank you for being a member and making Rotary part of your life. And I want to share a tool that can further enhance your experience with Rotary — our Action Plan.
The Action Plan challenges us to find ways to increase the impact of Rotary service, expand our reach by bringing more people together to share our vision, adapt to a rapidly changing world, and enhance the experience that you and your fellow club members have in tangible, meaningful ways. |
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| Make Rotary simply irresistible |
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Keeping members engaged and connected is essential for Rotary’s future — and it begins with our clubs.
But great clubs don’t happen by chance. I encourage each of you to talk with your club leaders about what you want from your experience and then collaborate to create a welcoming, engaging environment for everyone. I also invite your club to conduct a member satisfaction survey. By understanding more about your fellow club members, you can discover new opportunities to help your club grow. |
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As members of Rotary, we also receive many benefits that enhance our experience beyond our club. From tools that strengthen service projects to professional development courses and mentorship opportunities, there are a lot of reasons to be a member.
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| Find strength in diversity |
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We know that most members are introduced to Rotary through friends, who may share the same values, background, or education. Let’s grow Rotary by inviting people from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives who also share our passion for community and service to join us and become people of action.
I challenge you to invite someone who might not share the same background as the typical member of your club or district to experience Rotary. If you need help expanding your club’s reach, you can find several tools and resources in My Rotary. |
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| Join the effort to end polio now |
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| Maintaining our membership and growing Rotary help us continue our fight to eradicate polio. You can support our efforts in many ways: |
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- Join or initiate a PolioPlus Society in your club or district. Donations are matched annually 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation up to US$50 million, generating a potential total of US$150 million toward polio eradication.
- Raise awareness in your community by planning events or projects that support the fight against polio.
- Visit endpolio.org to find the latest information and tools to help you share the story of our fight against polio and raise support.
Ending this disease forever remains our top humanitarian priority and needs our full commitment.
How can you take action? Donate to end polio. |
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| Build peace across the world |
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As Rotary members, we can help create more peaceful communities around the globe. A first step toward becoming a peacebuilder is to enroll in the Rotary Positive Peace Academy or encourage your district to become a Global Peacebuilder District, if it isn’t already.
In February, I’m hosting a presidential peace conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, to celebrate peace and mark the opening of the newest Rotary Peace Center at Bahçeşehir University.This conference will provide opportunities to learn together and explore how Rotary members can promote healing in a divided world. I hope to see you there!
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The Magic of Rotary can have its greatest impact when Rotary members and community leaders come together to solve problems and transform lives. That magic starts with you, and now is the time to put it into action.
You have the power to bring about positive change, both in your club and in your community. When we move into the future united in a common purpose, there’s no limit to what we can achieve.
Sincerely, |
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Stephanie A. Urchick
2024-25 President
Rotary International |
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