RI President Mark Maloney has as his theme “Rotary Connects the World” and one of his major focuses with this is connecting families with Rotary.
“We must foster a culture where Rotary does not compete with family, but compliments it. We should never expect our members to choose between the two. That means being realistic in our expectations, considerate in our scheduling, and welcoming of children at Rotary events on every level.
RI President Mark Moloney – October 2019 Message
Often the young professionals Rotary needs to attract in order to remain a dynamic 21st century service organisation are the very people who have the greatest family responsibilities. We must not keep these prospective young members away from their families by holding events on evenings and weekends at which their children are not welcome. For too long we have closed the doors of many Rotary events to children and sometimes even spouses.
What wasted opportunities these are! Every chance we have to pass on the gift of Rotary to young people is one we must take if we are going to grow Rotary and ensure that the next generation is fully engaged in our mission. Make this a memorable year for your family – and an unforgettable year for the ever-expanding family of Rotary as Rotary Connects the World.”
The Rotary Club of Freshwater Bay has always welcomed children and partners to all Rotary meetings and activities. Our club has often hosted 3 generations of the Collins family; the Maloneys along with the Collinses have modelled this throughout their Rotary lives, and we welcome other members to do so too.
The Collins girls experienced the entire gambit of Rotary, from meetings, to refugee camps, traipsing around projects in developing countries, Rotary Institutes (from the ages of 4 and 6), the RI Assembly which is the training ground for District Governors, and Rotary Conventions.
