Former General Secretary Ed Futa inducted into Arch C. Klumph Society
Balasubramaniam sp
Former General Secretary Ed Futa inducted into Arch C. Klumph Society
Rotary News -- 28 May 2013
Former General Secretary Ed Futa, a member of the Rotary Club of East Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, greets RI staff members during his induction ceremony into the Arch C. Klumph Society. Photo by Alyce Henson/Rotary International
During his years as RI’s general secretary, Edwin H. Futa was affectionately known for his comic showmanship, which brought an element of entertainment to the announcements he delivered during Rotary’s annual conventions and the International Assembly, a training event for incoming leaders.
His weather reports and his costumes for the assembly’s talent night, from Neptune to Zorro, were legendary.
Earlier this month, Futa was recognized in a different way, for his generous giving to The Rotary Foundation. He was greeted with a standing ovation from Rotary leaders and staff during a ceremony at Rotary International World Headquarters, where he was inducted into the Arch C. Klumph Society. The society honors those who have contributed US$250,000 or more to the Foundation.
“Everyone assembled here today has felt Ed’s genuine love for Rotary and its Foundation,“ said John Osterlund, general manager of the Foundation, in introducing Futa. “He has taught all of us about the banquet of life.”
“For eight years, I had the privilege of working directly for Ed,” Osterlund noted. “I learned a considerable amount from Ed and the leadership example he set ... In addition to being my boss, Ed became a friend.”
Since his retirement from the post of general secretary in 2011, Futa has continued to serve on the Rotary Peace Forums Committee and as an RI representative to the United Nations. Futa said he gives to the Foundation to support Rotary’s peace program because it’s an investment in people.
“I believe the people-building aspect is the most important and the most long-lasting aspect of the Foundation,” Futa said in an interview after the ceremony. “We can build wells, and wells will crumble after a while. But the legacy people leave, especially well-trained professional people, will last longer than any wells and monuments we could build.”
Futa has been a member of the Rotary Club of East Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, since 1979. He recalled how he came to join.
“I knew nothing about Rotary at the time,” he said. “I was invited, like many of us are, by my banker to join him for lunch. As one starting a business at the time, I considered my banker an important person. I was surprised most of the people there were people I knew from the community anyway. I felt quite natural in that grouping.”
As general secretary, Futa oversaw many changes in Rotary. During his tenure, the Foundation appointed the first woman to serve as a trustee and Rotary elected its first female director. Under his leadership, the Foundation celebrated record giving in 2009-10. He laid the groundwork for the Foundation’s Future Vision Plan, the Foundation’s new approach to granting funds.
Futa said he feels his biggest contribution was realizing that the strength of the organization is based in the talents of its staff and acting on that knowledge to assist staff to grow as professionals. He said he remains committed to Rotary because it is an effective and positive use of his volunteer efforts.
“I never feel it is a waste of my time,” he said. “I always feel satisfied in whatever I am doing with Rotary.”
- Learn more about the Arch C. Klumph Society
- Learn more about the Rotary Peace Centers
"If Rotary has encouraged us to take a more kindly outlook on life and men;
if Rotary has taught us greater tolerance and the desire to see the best in
others; if Rotary has brought us pleasant and helpful contacts with others
who also are trying to capture and radiate the joy and beauty of life, then
Rotary has brought us all that we can expect."
Never say No to Life
Bala
S.P.Balasubramaniam
RC Salem Mid Town
Rotary International District 2980
Shanakya Marketing, Salem , +91 9443257555
--
--