Gateway 120711.pmd - Rotary Club of Bombay

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I feel like a rookie Rotarian, hotime I come to your Club: R.IIt was for the first time that I receiveda traditional Parsi welcomehere today. Thank you very muchfor that.We were here last year duringPradeep’s year and we met about amonth and a half month back at theR.I. Convention in New Orleans.And here we are back again in thehallowed precincts of one of India’searliest and undoubtedly best RotaryClubs, meeting in the hallowedprecincts of the Taj Mahal Hotel.As far as I am concerned, bothyour Club and this meeting placeare as iconic as can be. I love beinghere, though I must say that I holdall of you here, the members of theClub, the meeting place, the entireenvironment, in a bit of awe.I have been to Clubs in Tokyo,in London, in New York, in Washington;I was present last week atthe installation of the Rotary Clubof Chicago (it’s called Rotary One).But nowhere do I feel like a youngrookie Rotarian, holding the environmentin apprehensive awe, as Ido every time I come to the RotaryClub of Bombay.I have thought about this manytimes and wondered why it is so.Perhaps it’s because these are theplaces where I started my Rotarylife as a young incoming Governor30 years ago, way back in 1980 – Iheld the place in awe then, and I doso, inevitably and unavoidably,even today!Along with the awe there is asense of respect and appreciationfor the work that you do, the spiritof Rotary that you emanate, themeetings that you organise everynot getting my American visa andhad it not been for Gul I wouldprobably not have got it in time.There is Dolly Thakore withwhom I have been in correspondence;Kalpana Munshi, ArvindJolly and Sandip Agarwalla; I haveknown Sandip and his family foryears, including his father, and Ihope to see more of him in Rotary,in the District, as we go along.Sabira Merchant, another icon ofyour Club, and Indu Shahani whois not here today...Each one of them is a very specialindividual. But, as I have mentioned,there is no Past DistrictGovernor of recent vintage. I thinkthat’s something you need to lookat... and please don’t just nod andsay yes.I thank you once again for havingus back on the occasion of PaulGeorge taking over to lead yourClub. I’m sure from what I haveseen of him that he will do a greatjob.When I visit Rotary Clubs in India,I don’t need to talk much aboutwhat to do in the coming year becauseactually I take ideas from youto the rest of the world. No onedoes more Community Service thanthe Rotary Clubs in India. And inIndia, yours is one of the mostachieving Districts, District 3140.And in District 3140, you are oneof the most service-oriented andoutstanding Clubs. So what do I tellyou about what you are supposedto do?Your work in Talwada which Ihave followed in your bulletin foryears, where you are now going toMaybe you can even join handswith the State government in carryingout some of the initiatives thatthe government wants done; theyhave the resources, the money isavailable – but they don’t havegood, reliable people to take thosejobs forward. That’s why they arelooking at organisations such asRotary to take them on.We are doing that effectively inGujarat, in Delhi, in West Bengal...maybe you would like to look atthat and take it forward? Find outwhat the other issues are and tryand solve them. Find out what willimprove the quality of life in yourcommunity and address that as bestas you can, as you have alwaysdone.Carry on doing more, because theneed for work keeps growing andour work is never going to be done.Let me add that Rotary FoundationTrustee Ashok Mahajan(seated in the audience) is tryingvery hard to make The Foundationcollection from India one of the highestever. I was at the formal installationmeeting of your GovernorVijay Jalan on Sunday and, lo andbehold! in one meeting your Districtcollected $210,000! Let me tellyou that this doesn’t happen anywherein the world. Governor Vijaywas telling me that he has alreadygone up to $50,000. And in threeAn outstanding exposition. R.I. President Kahands with other organisations, incluSharing ideas with the District Governor. Kalpreparing to help the government complete pweek, meetings like this one; and have a junior college...days’ time! I don’t know how you Bouquets for the Banerjees. Sheila presents flothe bulletin that you publish every Your work with senior citizens... do it.walks down from the podium to offer aweek, the one that I look forwardto; it is always on time, it is picture-perfectin every way and isprobably the one that I see everytime in the world (wherever I maybe).Iconic as each of these are,equally iconic are the members intheir own way, going back to PastDistrict Governors Dr. ShantilalMehta, Ambalal Kilachand, NavalNow, that’s an initiative that Rotaryhas not really taken up. But Iappreciate it and perhaps sometimeduring my term as President I amgoing to take it up as a programmeof Rotary International as well.You have set me thinking about it.Then, the work that you do withthe youth, the Interactors, theRotaractors... they are always veryactive, they are always on the go.The Governor was also tellingme that your (Club’s) target is about$60,000. Perhaps you would liketo raise it to $100,000? This is avery special year, the year whenyou have a Rotary InternationalPresident from India – and surelyyou’re not going to disappoint yourGovernor!I trust that The Rotary FoundationTrustees will shortly okay theArdeshir... I remember Naval and There is almost nobody as active in low-cost shelters that we have been That’s a lovely album. Governor Vijay Jalan presejoining him in meetings here. In working with youth as you have trying to get approved for a very The covers were released by Indian Post. Atthose days you used to have lunchbefore the meeting; and sometimeswe had to extend the lunch a littlebit while Naval finished it beforecoming on to the meeting! (Is thatwhy you will lunch after the meetingtoday? I don’t know, but I enjoyedthose meetings.)As to your current roster of specialRotarians, there is Gul Kripalaniwho was such a help in making surebeen amongst the many Clubs thatI have seen all over the world.So there you are... I have notcome here to tell you what to do,but to see what you are doing andwhat I can take home from you.In the coming year 2011-12, Iwould urge you to also look at meetingthe community’s needs by joininghands, if you will, with otherorganisations, with other NGOs andlong time. It used to be a Foundationprogramme some years back,but for various reasons they cancelledit. Now, with my coming back(and they know how much I pushedthose programmes) and with Ashoksupporting it, I guess we will havea programme for low-cost shelters.I know that you have been doingit (low-cost shelters) with Habitatfor Humanity for many years. Butthat I could go as Rotary President with major corporations; perhaps this time you may be able to do Taking his autograph. Shyyamniwas Somani soto my office (in the USA); I was you have started looking at that. low-cost shelters on your own. The other members did the same. In the second pJuly 12 to July 18, 2011 THE GATEWAY, The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay Page 6
lding everything in awe, every. President Kalyan BanerjeeThat plan predicts that in the It may not be a big issue today,next ten years Asia, and in Asia but as India grows socially and economically,maybe India and perhaps China,the loss of membershipwill become the driving force of is certainly going to be a big issue inRotary International. It will no the days to come. We are happy tolonger happen from America. see our old big-wigs, the Past DistrictAnd who knows what will happenGovernors, the movers andshelters totally change the life of aat that time? Perhaps ten or shakers carry on in Rotary, but whyfamily, they start to look at things twenty years down the line the headquartersare we losing in the ranks?differently.of Rotary International Well, now it’s time for me toApart from these, the Board of might shift from Evanston to wind up. But there is one thing thatDirectors in this Rotary year is Geneva, or maybe to Singapore – I would like to add as I end my talk.looking at ways to enhance Rotary’s and I am not mentioning Bombay I am looking forward to the nextpublic image not only at the Club purposely at this point in time. time we meet, you and I, perhapslevel, but also at the District, the Let me quickly touch on an area in this very Rotary year. No, it mayZonal and the country level. I urge or two that I know we need to engagenot be in these premises, in youryou to start locally and then expandin.Club; it may not even be in yourglobally, to embrace humanityThe first of these is working city or in the country. But Binotaalyan Banerjee exhorts Rotary Clubs to joinglobally as far as Rotary’s pub-with youth. Yes, we have Rotaract, and I are looking forward to meet-uding NGOs and State governmentslic image is concerned. We are seekingInteract and EarlyAct (in some ing all of you in Bangkok at the R.I.out resources to drive this ini-parts of the world). But let us look Convention of the decade.tiative forward.at those who have grown beyond Come one, come all! Please comeWe are also looking at New Generations,Rotaract but have not yet been in-for the next Convention in BangkokRotaract, Interact and vited to join Rotary. Can you try from May 6 to 9, 2012. Prepara-EarlyAct. I don’t know whether you and see whether you can involve tions are on in full swing. Andare familiar with EarlyAct. This is a them in some way, can you reach please come with your family.group of youngsters who are encouragedout to them before others reach out (I was in North India the otherto become active even before to them? As you know, I’ve been day when I met a gentleman andthey join Interact. They are not a talking about changing the colours asked him whether he was comingformal part of Rotary yet, but perhapsof Rotary, going from grey to green. to Bangkok. He said yes, he was. Iwill become a part of it. So let’s reach out to those (who have asked, will you bring your family?lyan and Vijay at the last meeting; were they We are also looking at new ways grown beyond Rotaract but have He said no, I won’t. When I askedprojects that would benefit the community? to communicate in the 21st century; not yet been invited to join Rotary) why, he said, it’s very simple, halfnot only through the media, but and hold their hands.the cost and double the fun!)also through social networking, enhancingLet me now share with you a fact But I say, this won’t do – Yehour connectivity, and thus that’s not very well known or talked nahin chalega! Let us rememberour collective strength, many times about, at least in India.that Rotary is a family event and ifover.We are all very proud of India’s you come together with everybody,This is an age when one and one growth in Rotary, that we add the you will enjoy a Rotary Conventionand one and one don’t make four largest number of members everylike almost nothing else. Sobut make 1,111. How can we do year, and that we have some of the come with your family to make itthat, how can we add value, this is youngest members. (I was very an affair to remember, to make thewhat we are trying to see as far as happy to see a number of younger Convention a truly memorableRotary is concerned. That’s the people here.)event.wers to the R.I. President and President Paul connectivity that we are trying to But what is not known well Will you come? (There are manybunch of flowers to his spouse Binota aim at.enough, or even talked about, is that ayes from the audience.) That’sAs we try to develop our own while we go on adding the largest more like it!social network and as we read about number of new members every year Let me end by thanking you forthem on the web... we will be happy in Rotary, we are also amongst the inviting me and Binota because Ito have your inputs, because I believetop losers of Rotary members ev-love being with all of you. And letthat the smartest, most imagieryyear. In fact, India is the third me share this little couplet before Inative and most innovative highest in losing members every go:Rotarians anywhere in the world year. Can you believe that? And didZindagi tab behatar hoti hai jab humcome from India, from amongst all you know that? At least I didn’t.of you. I would like your inputs But because we add so many newkhush hote hainand I really mean it. I often talk members our losses are not seen, Zindagi tab behatareen hoti hai jababout it and, what’s more, when I understood or appreciated.aapki wajah se hum doosron koents a set of first day covers to Kalyan Banerjee. go to other parts of the world, the Therefore, I ask you today, khush kar sakte hain.t right, Kalyan interacts with Sitaram Shah Rotarians there happily admit it, both as a Club and as a District,they don’t deny it, they are happy can we find out why are we losingso many members? If we areThis is what you are doing into acknowledge it.your Club, you are making othersYou would have heard of good, if we are doing good, if wehappy. And this is the reason whyRotary’s new Strategic Plan. I don’t are looking good, why are we losingall of us can be happier.know if you feel it is strategicmembers? Can you find out Thank you for being happy your-enough or whether The Rotary what is the number of losses in selves, thank you for making othersFoundation Future Vision is the real District 3140, in your own Club?happy and thank you for mak-way forward for our organisation. And what would you like to do? ing Binota and me the happiest ofPersonally, I feel that Clubs and Would you like to do something all.Districts in India are well ahead of about it? In other words, is retention(The members give a spontane-both the plans and we want to looksomething that we just ous standing ovation to Rotary In-ought and received Kalyan’s autograph. Many beyond the Strategic Plan as it talk about in Rotary, or should ternational President Kalyanpicture, Kalyan is joined by Dolly Thakore stands today.we be doing something about it? Banerjee.)July 12 to July 18, 2011 THE GATEWAY, The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay Page 7
Page 1 and 2: THE GATEWAYTHE BULLETIN OF THE ROTA
Page 3 and 4: ‘I am doubly blessed,’ says Pre
Page 5: ‘We look forward to the time when
Page 9 and 10: ‘DOUBLE DELIGHT’ FOR IPP PRADEE
Page 11 and 12: Thanking the audience for its under

Gateway 120711.pmd - Rotary Club of Bombay

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