PDG John Wan – Continuity – August 2000

District Governor 2000-2001

Continuity Column
August 2000

Whys and Wherefores

Governor Dipo asked me to start a column in his newsletter. I have no problem with that. Indeed, I think this is good news for our District. It shows that Governor Dipo is intent to answer President Carlo’s call for continuity in Rotary, in form and in substance. Over the past few months, Dipo, Anthony Hung and myself had been attending Rotary functions and going places together. In fact, we three decided in March to meet at least once every month to discuss matters of a strategic nature, including medium and long range planning and projects straddling more than one or two years. At the July meeting, we also resolved to keep notes of these meetings to enable future district leaders to follow what we have been doing or not done. In short, we are getting very serious about continuity which we see as vital for the healthy and continuing development of Rotary in our District.

So far, the initiatives that can be attributed to we three working together include the District Electronic Communications Committee which seeks to bring the district up to speed in the use of information technology as far as possible; the District Projects Task Force which will identify, plan, implement and evaluate District projects of a continuing nature or with recurrent consequences; and the appointment of Past Governor Anthony Hung as District Youth Services Co-ordinator, in recognition of the importance we attach to youth services in general and youth development in particular.

In my presentation on leadership at the last District Assembly, I stressed that leaders must lead and follow, as the situation requires. Indeed, the nature of our institution is such that we would all take turn to lead and follow, for the common good and in furtherance of the Object of Rotary. That is why it is essential that the district leadership should endeavour to focus on more important and district-wide issues. Only then would we be able to allocate and apply our limited resources to deserving projects and the really needy. Governor Dipo has said that successive governors ought not be competing to out-perform one another. I totally agree. He also said that life is too short for unproductive and meaningless activities, which I also agree. I would add that when our Rotary leaders work together towards clear and well understood objectives, they would the better be able to create the very much needed synergy to take our District collectively to greater heights. I think this is what continuity is all about.