Building Communities – Bridging Continents
Several Rotarians have asked me how I chose the RI theme for my presidential year, so let me explain. After reviewing all the past themes, I decided to search for a few words that would fulfill two objectives – to give outsiders a glimpse of our purpose, and at the same time to make Rotarians proud of their membership.
I searched for words to describe the passion, the creativity, and the generosity of Rotarians. And as I sought the right words, I kept in mind that Rotary is a spirit of service as well as an organization of Rotary clubs, and that we need to share our core values of service, fellowship, diversity, integrity, and leadership with other people and organizations. I considered many words and phrases. The four words I finally selected to convey Rotary’s current mission and highlight our achievements describe what Rotarians do best, which is Building Communities – Bridging Continents.
I hope you agree those four words aptly reflect who we are and what we do as Rotarians. We are a unique organization and certainly one of the best in the world. We build the spirit and resources of our local communities in an important way, and we are a prominent player on the world stage with PolioPlus and our international service projects.
Rotary has changed the world, and Rotarians will continue to change it in a positive way. The formula is simple: For us to succeed, all we need to do is to focus our best efforts on doing what Rotarians are passionate about and what Rotarians are the best in the world at doing, which is Building Communities – Bridging Continents.
Ray Klinginsmith
President, Rotary International
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