Rotary International Theme 2002-2003
"...To Sow the Seeds of Love is to find opportunities to serve every day, every moment of our lives. To Sow the Seeds of Love is to think of others first, and ourselves in terms of what we can do for others..."
A Message from President Bhichai Rattakul"Sow the Seeds of Love" throughout the world
I am looking forward with great anticipation to our year of service in 2002-03. Rotarians at the grass-roots level are the inspiration and strength behind our distinguished organization. Their dreams and tireless dedication have helped transform communities and countries for nearly a century. I am a firm believer in working from the bottom up, rather than the top down. Rotarians themselves are in the best position to know what is important to their clubs and communities. In the past, too many new programs have been introduced at the beginning of each Rotary year. This year, I will not implement any new programs, goals, or quotas. It is important to focus on those projects and those programs that are already in place, rather than diffuse our efforts. The 2002-03 Presidential Citation reflects this philosophy. I encourage club leaders to set their own goals and initiate their own ideas. Each club should determine how it will carry out activities in all of the four Avenues of Service (Club, Vocational, Community, and International). Similarly, each club will set its own membership and fundraising goals, consistent with the bottom-up approach. I invite clubs to focus on
the following areas:
One major focus of the 2002-03 year will be supporting PolioPlus. The Rotary Foundation of RI has launched a new campaign, Fulfilling Our Promise: Eradicate Polio, to raise US$80 million to help achieve our goal of eradicating polio by the year 2005. The funds raised by Rotarians will be matched or surpassed by the World Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We must commit ourselves fully to this noble effort; otherwise, 20 years of progress may be lost. I also invite Rotarians to begin preparations for Rotary's milestone centennial in 2005. One way to commemorate this historic event is to implement a Rotary Club Centennial Community Project. It might take the form of a park for children, a shelter for the homeless, or a vocational center for the unemployed — whatever is most needed in your community. This project will serve as a lasting reminder of Rotary's contributions and mission of service. This year's RI theme is Sow the Seeds of Love, based on my belief that meaningful service comes from the heart. I encourage all Rotarians to Sow the Seeds of Love in their clubs, in their vocations, in their communities, and throughout the world. As Dr. Jonas Salk once said, "The greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more." I believe we can change the world, one life at a time. No project is too small or insignificant, especially to those it benefits. My hope is that these seeds of service will blossom and live on for countless generations to come.
Bhichai Rattakul Content taken from the
July 2002 issue of the Rotarian, available on-line at http://www.rotary.org |
Dear
fellow Rotarians,