RI president Message

January 2009

Dear fellow Rotarians,

January marks the beginning of the second half of the Rotary year. It’s a time to look back on what we’ve accomplished so far, to assess our progress, and to renew our determination to achieve our goals in the months remaining. It’s a time to discuss and evaluate the goals of our clubs as well as the goals we’ve set for ourselves as Rotarians.

January is also Rotary Awareness Month, a time for us to consider how our Rotary values – and our own actions – influence public perceptions of Rotary. Our strategic plan outlines five core values that define and guide us as we chart a course into our second century of service.

Service is our first value, as it should be. Our focus on service is reflected in our primary motto, Service Above Self. Through our clubs and districts, we have the potential to create better, safer, and healthier communities, one project at a time.

Fellowship is the reason Rotary was founded over 100 years ago. The friendship, the camaraderie, and the wonderful sense of doing something good together is what keeps us all looking forward to our Rotary meetings week after week.

Diversity is an aspect of Rotary that becomes more important with every passing year. We have just welcomed to Rotary the Republic of Kiribati, which joins the more than 200 countries and geographical areas already on the Rotary map. I look forward with all Rotarians to a day when there is a Rotary club in every community in the world.

Integrity is fundamental to our organization’s identity. Every Rotarian is a guardian of the reputation that generations of Rotarians have worked to build. When we maintain the highest ethical standards in all of our dealings, we strengthen the trust that allows us to serve more effectively.

But it will only happen if we show leadership, the fifth, and final, core value. Each of us must remember, with our every action, that we are Rotarians. When we are chosen to become Rotarians, and when we choose to accept that honor, we take it upon ourselves to become representatives of the entire organization.

When we are known as Rotarians, then everything we do reflects upon us all. By living by our core values and committing to Service Above Self, we build a stronger Rotary and a better world for all.

Dong Kurn (D.K.)
Lee President,
Rotary International