The Rotary theme for 2010-2011, is “Building Communities – Bridging Continents”. In my view the theme captures the essence of Rotary, in that we are active not only in the local community, but also in joining people together from all walks of life, from radically different ethnic, political, and religious backgrounds, across the globe, to make the world a better place.
Ability is a word I like. I fully believe that most of us are not aware of our true abilities. I think that we are conditioned, since childhood perhaps, to think that we cannot do certain things. Take for instance, the child who is constantly told he cannot sing. Although he may not have grown up to be another Pavarotti if encouraged, he may, if he hadn’t been discouraged, have found pleasure in joining a local musical society or choir.
So I hope that in my year as President the word “cannot” will not be used. That is not to say we will not realize that we have limitations in membership and in time constraints. Nonetheless, I would like us all to start this year with the idea that even one person can change the world. I do not expect the changes to be on the scale of perhaps an Einstein, but I think every one of us can make the club, better for all of us.
We live in a world where there are competing pressures for our time. Yet we also live in a world where there is a need for clubs such as ours. Our success or failure depends on us and what we do. St Francis of Assisi summed up the challenge well when he said, “Start by doing what’s necessary. Then what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible”. I am no more a saint than anybody else, but as your new President, I would like that saying to be our motto for the coming year.
Then I ask you to remember that each and every one of us can make a difference. The question you must ask yourself is “How?”
Peter Wickens
