once a problem. The clubs loved it, and the kids loved it, and they loved it even more when we took them along to district conferences and the RI convention. We took them to Toronto, Munich, Portland, Orlando, and Indianapolis — we took them anywhere we could in <strong>Rotary</strong>. They met our district’s Youth Exchange students and our Group Study Exchange teams. They got to know people who were so completely different from anyone they knew in Norman, Oklahoma. It opened their eyes, their minds, and their hearts. And I think that’s a big part of why, when they became adults, they both became Rotarians. They became Rotarians because they were already part of the family of <strong>Rotary</strong>. They knew <strong>Rotary</strong>, they loved <strong>Rotary</strong>, and they wanted <strong>Rotary</strong> in their lives. Unfortunately, once Ronna started a family, <strong>Rotary</strong> started taking more time than she could spare. She had to make a choice between being the kind of Rotarian she wanted to be and being the kind of mom she wanted to be. And so she terminated her membership. That’s how we lost one young member who was a great Rotarian. And isn’t that a shame? Hopefully, we can get her back one of these days. It’s time to start being proactive instead of reactive. It’s time to say, “Let’s try something new,” instead of, “We don’t do that in <strong>Rotary</strong>.” Because keeping our minds open is going to get us stronger clubs today — and a stronger organization tomorrow. When Paul Harris founded <strong>Rotary</strong>, his idea was for a club for like-minded people. Like-minded in that they cared about the same things, they valued the same things, they had similar goals and ideas. But there’s nothing in <strong>Rotary</strong> that says we all have to be the same. In fact, just about everything about <strong>Rotary</strong> embraces how different we all are. Just look around you. How many countries, how many languages, how many professions, how many religions, how many backgrounds, how many <strong>Rotary</strong> stories are in this room tonight? <strong>Rotary</strong> is big enough for us all. We all have something to give. At every stage of our lives and our careers, <strong>Rotary</strong> has a way to let us do more, be more, and give more — a way for us to make our lives mean more. That’s what <strong>Rotary</strong> does for us. We have learned so much this week, about so many things. We’ve talked about public image, about social media, about Future Vision, about polio, about New Generations, about so much of the good work that means so much to <strong>Rotary</strong>. And all of it is important. All of it matters. But none of it would matter — not one of us would be sitting here today — if it weren’t for the Rotarians in our clubs. Every single thing that’s ever moved you about <strong>Rotary</strong> — every project, every program, every smile on some child’s face — they all began in a <strong>Rotary</strong> club. And the good work that gets done in <strong>Rotary</strong> next year, and the year after, and the year after that — in the end, it will depend on our clubs. On how ambitious they are. On how well they adapt to Future Vision. On how well they choose their projects. On how committed they are to making a difference. On how open they are to changing what they need to change — and holding tight to the things that matter. It all comes down to the clubs. And those clubs, next year, are going to be depending on you. Tomorrow morning, you’re all going to leave San Diego. You’re going to leave with your briefcase full of training materials, your mind full of ideas, and your hearts full of hope. You’ll go back to your districts knowing and understanding just what <strong>Rotary</strong> really is — and how much more <strong>Rotary</strong> can be. <strong>International</strong> Assembly Speeches 2013 61
What you do with what you learned this week is now up to you. The time, the privilege, the responsibility — all of them are yours. Your job is to inspire Rotarians! Your job is to Engage <strong>Rotary</strong>, Change Lives. 62 <strong>International</strong> Assembly Speeches 2013
![La présidence du club [222-FR] - Rotary International](https://img.yumpu.com/25855726/1/190x245/la-presidence-du-club-222-fr-rotary-international.jpg?quality=85)
![La conférence de district [800-FR] - Rotary International](https://img.yumpu.com/25855636/1/190x245/la-conference-de-district-800-fr-rotary-international.jpg?quality=85)
Change language