Dear Incoming Club Presidents, Assistant Governors, and all District leaders present today, good morning!
Let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to all of you for accepting the invitation to serve our District as CLUB PRESIDENTS. As your Governor, I know that with your help and support, we can accomplish the goals and targets we will be setting for our District for Rotary year 2023-2024. Beginning July 1, we will start serving as District 3870’s Hope Creating leaders, and that is a privilege given to those who are not only willing but most importantly, to those who are capable.
We will be working together as a team, with one vision and a common goal. Japanese short story writer Ryūnosuke Satoro said: “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” Individually, yes we can do good, but imagine what good all of us can do TOGETHER.
In today’s PETS, speakers will be sharing with you tips and guidelines on how to become effective CLUB PRESIDENTS. You will be introduced to TOOLS AND RESOURCES, all designed to help you and your Club succeed. I encourage you to listen, and if you need to, please feel free to ask questions. We have a very capable District Training Team headed by our District Trainer, PDG Bing. I’m sure they will be more than happy to answer your queries.
If our District is a cruise ship, I, your District Governor, will be the Ship’s Captain and I am responsible for every aspect of the voyage and vessel. I set the course and the speed, ensure that proper procedures are followed, keeping logs and records of the ship’s movements and cargo, and supervising the loading and unloading of cargo and passengers. As Captain I direct crew members and you, my friends, CLUB PRESIDENTS, are the INVALUABLE crew members of the ship.
AS CLUB PRESIDENTS, you have specific roles, duties and responsibilities to fulfil. You lead and motivate your club, ensuring that club members feel valuable, inspired, and connected to each other. You preside over club and board meetings, appoint committee chairs and members, conduct club assemblies, create a budget and manage club finances, including an annual audit, develop a safe environment for youth participants, and you work with your district governor and assistant governor.
The year of planning before you take office is crucial to achieving the objectives you set out for your club. As president-elect, you work with your assistant governor and incoming leadership team to set annual goals that support your club’s strategic plan. In this year you should: take online courses for club president in the Learning Center, assess your club’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks in order to set goals, develop an action plan for your annual goals, which support long-term achievements, appoint committee chairs, ensure continuity in leadership and service projects, attend presidents-elect training seminar, and attend district training assembly.
As we work together, we will be able to successfully provide our “passengers” an experience they will cherish for a very long time. For isn’t that what the Rotary Brand is all about? It’s all about the EXPERIENCE of being part of Rotary, whether as a member, as partners, or as beneficiaries of our projects and programs.
The beautiful thing about Rotary is that we’re not expected to do things alone. We give our time, talents, strengths, and resources to Rotary. Then we’re given the opportunity to rely on each other’s time, talents, strengths, and resources as well. It’s a web of people relying on people creating a stronger whole. That is what I am to you, and you to me. We give help and receive help, that’s the Rotary way. Let us always remember this: WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER!
May God bless us all as we move forward with a stronger resolve to better serve each other and our communities through Rotary!
DISTRICT GOVERNOR GILDA “GIGI” GO
District 3870
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