The month of February is very special in the Rotary Calendar because it includes the anniversary of the first meeting of Rotary held on February 23, 1905. Paul Harris’ original concept was to give professionals with diverse backgrounds the opportunity to exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.
Over time, Rotary’s reach and vision has extended to humanitarian service. As Rotarians, we refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of our mission. We believe when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a local and global effect. In addition, we no longer only look to those that are professionals, but are inclusive of all that want to serve to improve the lives of others, as well as form meaningful and lifelong friendships.
So, to celebrate Rotary’s 118th birthday, let’s use this as a time for our district and clubs to promote what we are doing to take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of education and unequal distribution of resources.
In addition, let’s commit to using this month as a starting point to invite others of all backgrounds to join and help us to make our world better for all.
By Tim Radford
District Public Image/PR Chair
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