DISCURSOS - Rotary International

Engage Rotary, Change Lives
Ron D. Burton
RI President-elect
Good morning! Welcome to Rotary’s 2013 International Assembly.
Standing here today, I can’t help but think back to Nashville, Tennessee, 26 years ago. That was
when I attended the International Assembly as an incoming district governor. It was an incredible
experience, just as I hope this assembly will be an incredible experience for all of you. But there
is something else that links the International Assembly of 1987 with the International Assembly
of 2013 — and it’s not just that Ron Burton was at both of them.
Twenty-six years ago, my classmates and I were not only gearing up to be district governors
but were also gearing up for the biggest, most ambitious program in Rotary’s history: PolioPlus.
We were getting ready to tackle the first fundraising campaign in the history of Rotary and the
biggest commitment, by far, that Rotary had ever made: to eradicate polio from the face of the
earth.
Even then we knew it wouldn’t be quick or easy. However, if we had known then that we would
still be working in 2013 to finally finish the job, I’m not sure a single one of us would have agreed
to be governor. But we knew then, as we know now, that we could do it. And we knew then, as
we know now, what success would mean — to the children of the world, to the generations that
would follow them, and to the generations of Rotarians who would be inspired by our success to
achieve even more.
Twenty-six years ago, I sat in the class of Rotary district governors that began the job of eradicating
polio.
Today, I stand in front of the class of Rotary district governors that will finish it.
I learned a lot about polio that week in Nashville. And I’ve learned a lot more since then. But the
most important thing I learned — and that all of us learned — was that whether we lived somewhere
where there hadn’t been a case of polio in 30 years or somewhere with thousands of
cases a month, we could do something about it. We could save kids from life in a wheelchair, or
on crutches, or crawling in the dirt. We all realized that, through Rotary, we could change lives.
We’d heard those words before, but over that week, they became very real and almost took on a
life of their own.
And I don’t think any of us ever looked at Rotary the same way again.
The challenge for Rotary leaders at every level — for me, for you, for the club presidents — is
making sure that every Rotarian can have that experience of epiphany, that moment of realizing
what Rotary is, what doors it opens, what a privilege it is to be a Rotarian.
My friends, it is an incredibly exciting time to be a Rotarian. I believe Rotary’s best days are
ahead of us. We are writing the last few pages of one chapter of Rotary history, as we move ever
closer to the end of polio. And we are writing the very first pages of a new chapter as we roll out
our Future Vision plan.
Future Vision is a new era for our Rotary Foundation. It takes everything that is wonderful about
Rotary and raises it to a new level — by encouraging bigger, more sustainable international projects
while providing increased flexibility for local projects, both of which address the needs of
the community being served. It’s a big transition — a big change from business as usual — and
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