Rotary International President 2015-2016

Rotary International President

Rotary year 2015-2016

K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran

President Burton on the death of Nelson Mandela

Rotary members worldwide are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Nelson Mandela, a man who overcame unimaginable hardships to emerge as one of the greatest leaders of our time -- and one of our greatest humanitarians. Mr. Mandela shared Rotary's commitment to humanitarian service and world peace, and twice as President of South Africa accepted Rotary recognition for his commitment to helping those in need, especially the children of southern Africa. In 1995, President Mandela received the Rotary International Award of Honor. Two years later, he accepted Rotary's highest award, the Rotary...

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RI President Ron Burton: Engage Rotary, Change Lives

By RI President Ron Burton

I’m looking forward to the 2013-14 Rotary year and the immense and humbling privilege of serving as your Rotary International president. During my presidential year, I’ll let you know on the Rotary International president’s Facebook page and in blog posts about some of my travels. I hope this will help you experience some of the magic of Rotary.

I have to admit, during my first year as a Rotarian, I almost missed the magic of Rotary. I didn’t always care for the food and programs at the weekly club meetings, and I thought I had better ways to spend my time. But then my club president asked me to chair the Rotary Foundation committee. Rotary started changing for me after that. I found that the more engaged I became in Rotary and the work of The Rotary Foundation, the more I saw the magic of Rotary and how it changed lives.

That magic may be a little bit different for each one of us, but it’s there for all of us when we really put our hearts into some aspect of Rotary service. For me, my heart is in the Foundation. I feel that every time you donate to the Foundation you’re saying, “It’s my resource, as a Rotarian; and it’s my responsibility.”

Your new governors already have joined me in this and led by example, with 100 percent of them donating to the Foundation. I thank them for their commitment to Rotary, which they’ve shown through their donations as well as facing the challenge of inspiring new members to get more involved and learn about the true meaning of Rotary.

When we really engage Rotary, that’s when lives change. And, at the end of the day, no matter how many lives you reach out to change, the life that will change the most will be your own.

That’s what our theme for 2013-2014 is all about. Engage Rotary, Change Lives.

The RI president’s monthly message

February 2011 

Rotary DNA! 

This Rotary year features a culture of innovation in which we are looking at all aspects of our policies, practices, and procedures to see if they can be modernized and improved. Not surprisingly for an old and large organization like ours, we are identifying many areas that could, and should, be brought up to date.
But at the same time, I fully recognize that some things are so significant in Rotary’s success that they are sacrosanct. They are referred to in the RI Strategic Plan as our core values, but I prefer to call them our DNA.
They are the characteristics that distinguish Rotary from all other organizations.
They are the essence of who Rotarians are and what Rotarians have in common around the world.

The five core values named in the RI Strategic Plan are fellowship, service, integrity, diversity, and leadership. Young people prefer the word networking to our traditional word of fellowship, but to me they are equivalent. Both words lead to lasting friendships in our clubs, which keep us together between projects and which make Rotary membership truly priceless. Friendship is clearly the most essential element of Rotary’s DNA!

Rotarians should not worry that the current emphasis on modernization will damage our core values. That would be alien to Cowboy Logic, which includes the admonitions “Remember that some things are not for sale” and “Know where to draw the line.” I want to assure Rotarians that we will not alter the values and attitudes that have made Rotary a premier organization – one that is now on the world stage through PolioPlus!

We have so much to be proud of as Rotarians. This is our finest hour, and our best days are still ahead as we help our clubs to be Bigger, Better, and Bolder. Along with our five core values, persistent progress is another prestigious part of Rotary’s DNA! 

RI President

Ray Klinginsmith