I was called to serve as PR director. I had to learn photography, videography, and how to leverage social media for storytelling. Rotary offers leadership opportunities helping you grow beyond your day job.
Succession Planning is transparent
Each committee and President of a club can only serve for a maximum of 12 months. The period runs from 1 July to 30 June. Each year during the elections the leaders who will take over two years from that date are elected. As a result, at any point in time, we know who the current President is, who the next President( President Elect) will be and who is to take over from this president( President Nominee). Three years of officials are known well in advance. This allows the leaders to be well trained and inducted to take over the task of leadership two years before they take office. Isn’ t this admirable?
Work-Life-Service Balance
Rotary provides a structured, manageable way to integrate community service into your busy professional life. We say Rotary is for busy people. With weekly fellowships( this is the term used for weekly meetings), Rotary forces us all to stop and make time for community service.
Global Reach, Local Roots
The beauty of Rotary is that it provides guidance but allows each club to decide which projects to support annually. This ensures that clubs focus on immediate community needs. It allows clubs to work with the community to identify the best solution and work towards this delivery. Rotary clubs have delivered water projects, education projects, afforestation projects, etc.
A Platform for Your Expertise
Whether you are a lawyer, marketer, engineer, or healthcare professional, Rotary offers a place to apply your skills for social good. Lawyers in our club have supported a review of our club’ s constitution and by-laws. Finance professionals ensure that clean book of accounts are maintained annually. Bankers guide on the best time to purchase dollars as Rotary International( global body) fees are paid in dollars. We all support the President and his / her committee in bring in speakers in our area of influence. It is teamwork at its best.
A Values-Driven Environment
Rotary’ s ethical foundation( The Four- Way Test) resonates with professionals who want to lead with integrity. The fourway test challenges all Rotarians to make decisions both personal and professional guided by this filter which states as follows:
Of the things we think, say, or do: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial for all concerned?
The Four-Way test challenges us all to observe ethical principles in all that we think, say, or do.
Mentorship and Learning
Rotary offers great opportunities for learning.
• There is a portal with free online courses that provide certifications for all members to access.
•- The fellowships bring to members great speakers who share important lessons, free coaching, and mentoring. In April for instance, our speaker, Rotarian Erick Ngwiri, talked to us about‘ How leaders can reclaim the story of‘ doing good’ leveraging AI. It was eye opening. In March we hosted our speaker Robert Burale who spoke about Building a Personal Brand. Engage with seasoned leaders and emerging professionals across industries- you give and gain wisdom along the way.
Support financially in an organized manner
Rotary is run by funding from volunteers. Each member commits to paying their membership dues which total around $ 200 per person per year. Those wishing to support more get greater recognition in Rotary. For contributions above $ 1000 to the Rotary Foundation, the Rotarian receives a Paul Harris Fellowship( PHF) certificate and pin. One can graduate to a major doner by contributing $ 10,000 and above. Any contributions above $ 250,000 in giving earn the Arch Klumph Society Honours. All these funds which go to the Rotary Foundation enable the provision on successful application of global grants to run large projects. Hence these funds rotate back to support local projects of impact.
Despite my strong ten points I am aware that there are quite a number of myths about Rotary. Allow me to demystify them:
Myth # 1: Rotary is for old and wealthy people: This is False. Rotary as explained above is diverse in age, profession and background.
Myth # 2: Rotary is a religious or political organization. This is false. Rotary is a nonreligious and non-political organization. It focuses on service and ethics, not ideology.
Myth # 3: You need to be a CEO or business owner to join. This is false. Rotary welcomes all people, professionals and backgrounds. What matters is your commitment to serve.
Myth # 4: Rotary is a secret society: This is false. Rotary is one of the most transparent organizations in the world. Meetings, service projects and financials are publicly accessible.
Myth # 5: Rotary only works locally. This is false. While clubs serve their local communities, Rotary operates on a global scale with over 1.4m members in over 200 countries.
As I close, I reflect on the words of Albert Schweitzer,‘ the purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others’. Should you choose Rotary as your avenue to serve humanity here are the steps to join a Rotary Club:
• Identify a Rotarian to introduce you to a club or‘ find a club’ near you on the Rotary website and show your interest in joining. In both cases vetting will be done to confirm that you are committed to serve, you are willing to attend meetings and attend projects, and that you will commit to settling your annual dues. You will then complete a Simple Application Form. The club’ s board will review your application and vote on your membership.
• Attend three meetings in any club to identify fit.
• Attend two projects.
• Get inducted into Rotary and you are good to go.
We welcome all interested members to join Rotary and help us grow our impact on humanity.
Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi is the Chief Consumer Business Officer, Safaricom PLC. You can commune with her on this or related matters on email at: Fawziakimanthi @ gmail. com.