R.I. PRES MONTHLY MESSAGE

July 2012

Dear fellow Rotarians,
 

I am part of the first generation to grow up in Japan after a terrible war. I think it is natural that my countrymen now place a great priority on peace. We saw where militarism brought our country, and we also saw the great economic growth that came when our nation made the choice to embrace peace.

This was the decision that allowed Japan to grow and thrive. It allowed generations of children to grow up in safety, to become educated, to improve their lives. It fundamentally changed the Japanese attitude toward other countries and cultures. It caused us to open our minds, to become more tolerant, to seek greater understanding.

And it allowed us to redirect our energies toward positive goals. In Japan, it is traditional to prioritize the needs of the society over the needs of the individual. This has always been part of our culture. In the weeks and months following the great earthquake and disaster of March 2011, this was what helped us to survive and rebuild.

This is a lesson that I think the whole world can learn from, in a positive way. When we see the needs of others as more important than our own needs – when we focus on a shared goal that is for the good of all – this changes everything. It changes how we relate to the world. It changes our priorities. And it changes how we understand the idea of peace.

In the 2012-13 Rotary year, peace will be our focus and our goal, and I will ask all Rotarians to actively work for Peace Through Service.

A belief in the power of service lies at the very heart of Rotary. By making service our priority, we put the needs of others above our own. We empathize more deeply with the difficulties of other people; we become more generous with our time and resources, and more open to new ways of thinking. Instead of trying to change others, we recognize that everyone and everything has something to teach us.

Through service, we become more tolerant of our differences and more grateful for the people in our lives. Our sense of gratitude drives us to understand others better and to see the good in everyone. Through better understanding, we learn to respect others. With mutual respect, we live with others in peace.

And so I ask you all to put Peace Through Service at the forefront of your Rotary work this year, and to commit to a Rotary goal of a more peaceful world.

Sakuji Tanaka

www.rotary.org

R.I. President Sakuji Tanaka

It’s a great honor to serve as your 2012-13 RI president and represent you in Rotary.  Since joining this organization in 1975, it has changed my life and given me more than I ever anticipated. I look forward to sharing some of that with you.

Through Rotary, I learned the purpose of my life wasn’t to earn more, but to help others.  Through our service, we learn that the problems that may seem large to us are really very small.

I also learned that through Rotary, we could build peace.  As part of the first generation to grow up in Japan after World War II, I understand the importance of peace and its connection to our well-being.

Peace can mean many things for many people, but however we understand peace, Rotary can help us achieve it. Rotary helps us meet the basic needs of health care, sanitation, food, and education.  These can bring peace. In addition, we need peace as well for vaccinators to go into countries such as Afghanistan to prevent children from getting polio. It is through our work as Rotarians that we help to build the foundation for a more peaceful world.

Through service, we can bring peace. This is why our 2012-12 Rotary theme is Peace Through Service. 

During my year as your president, I look forward to hearing from you on LinkedIn and when I post on the blog. I also hope to see you at one of my three Rotary Global Peace Forums. 

http://blog.rotary.org/2012/07/02/tanaka2/

SUCCESSFUL TURN-OVER OF ROTARY YEAR 2012-2013

RI PUBLIC IMAGE GRANT

My Dear PeaceMaker District Team, Assistant Governors and Presidents:

My fellow Rotarians in RID 3850:

It is with great pleasure that I inform our beloved district that our District Wide PR grant application has recently been approved by Rotary International.

Special recognition is accorded to PP Jun Arceo, PR District Committee Chair, for his unwavering commitment to this project.

With this pioneering endeavor, we will be showcasing "humanity in motion" and " up close" video materials in cable Tv all over our district. Respective Zone and individual Rotary club meeting details and contact numbers will be added to the presentation.

In so doing, we have taken that first step in fulfilling the Magic Circle for the coming year. With this District Wide PR grant, we will have a significant increase in Membership, which will then translate to more contributions for the Rotary Foundation.

Keep up the excellent work for our beloved District.

May God bless District 3850.

DG Biboy Jocson