From the District Governor


Happy New Year H


by P. G. Callaghan District Governor


appy New Year to all. I hope that the Christmas and holiday season was generous to you, gentle with you and has left you rested to face the rigours of another year. We have passed the half way point in the Rotary year and hopefully had time to reflect on progress with our collective and


individual goals to date. While it may be a bit of an over simplification, we should be looking at having achieved 50% of our goals or at the very least be moving in that direction at this time of year. If we are not at or are not approximating to a 50% achievement of goals set then we need to seriously review our output. This might involve working more effectively or reviewing how realistic our goals were in the first instance: both of these perspectives are legitimate business ways at reviewing our situation.


Among the goals we have set as part of implementing our District Strategy is a 30% uptake in sustaining membership, an increase of five new members in each club and the achievement of a contribution of $6,000 per club as part of our international obligation to the Polio eradication campaign. These goals must be seriously reviewed and be the subject of dialogue within clubs as well as between clubs, Assistant Governors and District Chairs. The District Executive will be reviewing the Districtʼs progress and our own effectiveness in supporting clubs to achieve their goals. We need your feedback as to how we are doing as your servants in pursuit of our District objectives.


In the last issue of COGS I asked each of you to consider doing three things before this publication COGS; bring a new member into your club, become a Sustaining Member of The Rotary Foundation and develop an acquaintance with a member of your club that you do not know too well. I also asked that you let us on the District team know how things are going with Rotary and how we might improve. How did you get on with this? I ask the question, not to be school masterish but to provide a basic progress indicator of our individual behaviour as active Rotarians. Please review how you did, pursue those objectives with enthusiasm and help another Rotarian along the road also. If each of us were successful with two of these individual objectives in this Rotary year we would transform our District into an example for the rest of the Rotary world. Can you imagine the impact if each of the five hundred and thirty three Rotary Districts across the world did this ‑ we would be an even more significant force for good that would sow the seeds of our Bi Centennial celebrations early in the 22nd Century and fulfil our duty to ensure that we hand this wonderful service organisation over to those that will come after us in a viable and enriched condition. We must reflect on this as a key part of our Centenary celebrations: it was done for us by those that went before us. It is I think not unreasonable of me to categorise the activities I have spoken about as leadership activities on the basis that leadership is


The Rotary International Institute Zones 17 and 18a which was recently held in Hinkley, Leicestershire confirmed the work already commenced in District 1160. Keynote addresses by RI President‑elect Sakuji Tanaka and TRF Chairman‒elect Wilf Wilkinson outlined the goals of RI in its second century. A highlight of the Institute was the presentation on conflict resolution in Cyprus by Peace scholar Marios Antoniou who concluded that education is the key to successful peace building.


The 150 participants from Rotary clubs across RIBI had the opportunity to discuss in interactive groups, issues such as the implementation of the RI Strategic plan,


frequently described as ʻpeople with position, power and access to resources doing the right thing.ʼ I am sure that every Rotarian would agree that bringing in a new member and becoming a Sustaining Member of The Rotary Foundation are very definitively examples of doing the right thing. Confucius had the view that the worst cowardice was to know what is right and not do it. Let us all focus, for the remainder of the Rotary year, on doing these achievable things and setting a leadership tone in our clubs and our District.


Leading directly from that thought and as I reflect on the part of the title of this article “The Half Way Mark in the Rotary Year Has Passed” this statement in itself is somewhat indicative of the malaise that Rotary International faces at home and across the world. While each Rotary year is in itself important the cult of the Rotary Year ‒ “MY YEAR” has been to a degree our undoing. We live in a competitive world where resources, including particularly our time, are scarce and where a failure to look into the future and work towards that future can mean eventual extinction. I say this because we all need to see beyond the end of the year. If we are to function as an effective collective of professionally focused servants of others we need to be strategic in our thinking in order to be effective in our actions. Focusing on the Rotary year only has meaningful currency as part of a longer term way of achieving goals i.e. a goal of a 90% uptake in Sustaining Membership of The Rotary Foundation by 30 June 2013 measured in a 30% uptake in this Rotary year and for the next two Rotary years. In this context only, talking about the Rotary year has meaningful currency.


At an individual level we need to keep our word and live up to our responsibilities as we said we would do when we joined our Rotary club and when we agreed to take on office at club or District level. The talk and illusion of work and doing good will never be a substitute for actual work and actually doing good. I firmly believe that we need to be discussing these issues in our clubs and when we meet informally; so letʼs put these issues on the table when we meet and broaden our discussion beyond the usual subjects that often come to our , meeting, lunch and dinner tables. We need to think, talk and act critically if we are to continue to be taken seriously as an effective organisation to make this world a better place.


We will hold our next District Council meeting in Belfast on Saturday 28 January next. Part of the rational for this is to acknowledge and celebrate the centenary of the Rotary club of Belfast. In addition to the business we are required to conduct we are planning to have some speakers to address the place of Rotary International as part of our centenary celebrations and provide us with food for thought on our future. You might consider an overnight in the wonderful City of Belfast and if there is sufficient interest we may have some organised social activity on the Saturday night. Details of the event will be available in your clubs so please diary that weekend for Rotary business and fellowship. I thank all of you who stepped up over the last two months to show solidarity with the Children of Rombo and for your generosity in extending a tangible and practical hand of friendship to people who needed our help: You provided a wonderful Christmas gift for them.


The Rotary International Institute Zones 17 and 18a


the achievement of TRF goals, club leadership and development, the role of RIBI within RI and branding and public image. The importance of training for all Rotarians was stressed in these discussions. The focus on best practice ensured that participants learned about club initiatives in serving the local community as well as the wider world. Volunteerism is a key component in society today.


Presentations by members of the Rotary club of Saughall, a recently chartered club and the Rotary club of Coventry reminded the audience of the fun and fellowship which is found in putting Rotary core values and the ideals of Service above Self into action.


The training and educational aims of the Institute included the communication of current Rotary International and RIBI policies as well as offering information on the work of the Rotary International co‑ ordinators in support of these policies at District level. Such networks ensure that clubs have full support from their District teams. (To access support clubs and their members should direct their questions to their district officers).


District 1160 was represented by DGE Jack Cunningham, Rtn Colum McLoughlin and DGN Verity Swan. RI President‑elect. Verity Swan , District Governor Nominee


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