ROTAMIRROR MAY ISSUE RotaMirror, May Issue '19, Rotaract Club of Kololo | Page 4

RI Presidential message
The people who know me best — my family — know that my passion
for Rotary is boundless. They also know that I don’t expect them to get
involved in Rotary the way I have. It’s a choice that’s up to them. But I
must admit, I can’t help smiling when I see them making the right choice.
At the end of the Toronto convention last year, my 12-year-old
granddaughter turned to me and said, “I’m inspired to do something.
What can I do?” Naturally, I did what any other Rotarian grandfather
worth his salt would do: I asked her if there was an Interact club in her
school. When she discovered there wasn’t, she attempted to set one
up. Unfortunately, her principal had other ideas, but we should not be
deterred from helping Rotary youth programs whenever we can, because
their value is beyond question.
Barry Rassin
Rotary International President
2018-19
April 2019
Take Rotary Youth Leadership Awards as one example. It transforms
young people into more confident, focused individuals with a better
understanding of the world around them — changes I was pleased to
see in my 16-year-old grandson after he participated.
My family is just the beginning. Everywhere I go, I meet people of all
ages whose lives have been changed by our youth programs. They tell
me how, five or 15 or 25 years ago, Rotary Youth Exchange taught them
a new language or introduced them to a new culture. Their eyes light up
when they talk about how New Generations Service Exchange helped
them advance in their career, or about how membership in Rotaract first
ignited their passion for giving back to the community.
Rotary’s programs for young leaders extend our ideals of service,
friendship, and leadership development beyond the doors of our clubs to
hundreds of thousands of young people each year. And when we serve
with and for those young people — as sponsors, project partners, and
mentors — it brings out the best in us, and it brings out the best in
Rotary.
May is Youth Service Month, and there are many ways your Rotary club
can celebrate. Sponsor an Interact club or Rotaract club, and your Rotary
club will give young people in your community the tools they need to take
action, become leaders, and gain a global perspective. Team up with your
local Rotaract club for a service project. Get to know the participants in
Rotary’s programs for young leaders and share their stories with your
community. You’ll find more ideas in this year’s Rotary Citation brochure,
located under the Awards section of the Member Center at my.rotary.org.
This month, let’s Be the Inspiration to the young leaders in our
communities by mentoring them, engaging them, and working side by
side with them on meaningful projects. It’s an investment in their future
and in the world they will live in after we’re gone. And it’s work that will
forever enrich their lives, and our own.
ROTAMIRROR
ROTAMIRROR May
May Issue
Issue 2019
2019
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