In January 2020, when I announced my presidential theme, Rotary Opens Opportunities, and spoke of the changes that Rotary needed to embrace, none of us had any idea how quickly change would arrive. But I am a longtime believer in seeing challenges as opportunities. This year, we seized new opportunities to reimagine what Rotary could be. For years, we had discussed ways to make Rotary flexible and adaptable, and we had tried a few experiments. This year, we all experimented — and succeeded! Online meetings are a regular fixture now as clubs invite guests from across the globe.

 

Hello to all Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors as we enter the final month in the Rotary year. June is Fellowship month and a time to look at the importance of friendships and relationships in Rotary. Fellowship is a word with an evolving definition. I think in our Rotary context, the most relevant meaning is “a society or group of people sharing mutual interests or activities” and a secondary meaning of “companionship or friendship”. 

Submitted by Rajbir Mann, International Service Director

Submitted by Dean Rutty, Youth Exchange Chair

IPDG Lesley Barmania, 2020-21 DARG Chair

 

It all started last year with a request from Betty Jo Parent, Rotary Mississauga West, to find out how our members might provide emergency support to those affected by the disastrous Australian bushfires.  (You can read the full story on our DARG pages.)  Not long after, we were facing a crisis of our own – the COVID-19 pandemic.  And a few weeks later came news of the Beirut explosion.  Emails were flying between Rotarians and clubs who were eager to help, and we quickly realized that we needed some way to coordinate our efforts.  But where to start?