Like most families, the Rotary family provides a haven where
we can gather the strength and encouragement to face the challenges of
the world. It offers comforting traditions, asking that we honor those
who came before us and celebrate our newest arrivals.
Our clubs are where we find the core of our Rotary family, and that is why, in the coming year, I will be asking every club to form a Family of Rotary Committee to find more ways to create and nurture that atmosphere of warmth and caring.
One way we can do this is to extend our caring reach beyond each Rotarian to include that Rotarian's spouse and children. Throughout the Rotary world, our younger members tell us that they don't like to feel that Rotary time competes with family time. If we support opportunities to include families in fellowship and service events, then there is no conflict. In such an atmosphere of family and caring, the death of a Rotarian should not be the end of Rotary's relationship with his or her family - certainly there are ample opportunities to include a deceased Rotarian's family in Rotary-sponsored events.
A greater sense of a family atmosphere within our clubs will support the work we do outside of our clubs - all of the work we do to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, comfort the sick, care for the aged - in short, to reach out to our fellow human beings to help and to comfort.
This impulse to reach out to others abides in the hearts of all people, and as Rotarians, we simply do what is most natural.
| PP Graham Brown (Margaret) Chair District Family of Rotary (H) (02) 6032-7345 (M) 0417 461 638 Rotary Club of Corowa Email: grmibrown@bigpond.com |
