Continuity
United We Stand
(April 2000 Issue)

At the March Joint Presidents’ Meeting, Governor Dipo Sani and I presented a proposal to hold a District Installation at the end of this Rotary year, specifically on Thursday 29 June 2000. It will be in the format of an Intercity meeting during which Governor Dipo will pass on his baton to me, as will all club presidents to their successors.

A District Installation is not a new idea, even in this District. A number of Past Governors had organized such meetings to mark the change of leadership in the District, and participation by clubs and members had been voluntary. What is new this time are the whys and wherefores, and perhaps the format.

First, a little background. Every year around June and July, Rotary clubs in the District would organize special handover meetings. Many of these meetings were actually very pleasant occasions and fun. The problem is, nobody outside the clubs involved knew about these events, hence such events were not conducive to promoting Rotary’s image in the District. Moreover, very often, the outgoing and incoming governors had problems deciding which ones to go when they were held concurrently. Against this background, Governor Dipo and I tried the idea of a District Installation Meeting on many clubs during the Governor’s Official Visits to clubs early this Rotary year. The feedback was very positive. Indeed, all the clubs we talked to, without exception, agreed that it would be a move in the right direction.

Entered RI President-elect Frank Devlyn. When he presented the theme for 2000-2001 at Anaheim, when he urged Rotarians to create awareness and take action, he also called for greater involvement with our community in general and for us to be more proactive with our public relations initiatives in particular. In short, he has urged us to develop Rotary’s image more effectively. Frank Devlyn’s call has added new impetus to our plan to change the traditional way of organizing change-over meetings at club level. His call has spurred us into action. Our response is a District Installation that will be a highly visible and high-profile public event where all club presidents will be installed into office in a solemn, dignified, and memorable ceremony befitting an organization of leading business and professional people, of which we all are.

So far, so good. Indeed the arguments for this big and mega event were so overwhelming and convincing to ourselves that we never thought that it required selling. Indeed we had never imagined any Rotarians would say no, particularly after the sounding out exercise we conducted earlier with the leadership in many clubs. Perhaps we should have known better that one doesn’t always win when one is right; or perhaps we, and I in particular, could have had more lessons in public relations.

The result was not exactly a landslide in our favour as we had expected. A few presidents were not sanguine that their membership would agree to the proposal, citing costs and possible erosion of the club’s autonomy as reasons, while a president challenged it as undemocratic in that it had no regard for the clubs and members who did not want to attend. The debate was lively and some said afterwards that the proposal was controversial.

I would rather not rehash the arguments for or against the proposal, and would certainly not pass judgement on who are right or wrong. The bottom line is that we are holding this big event to mark a policy change on the way we have been handling public relations. Under the new covenant, we are to engage in effective public relations and on a proactive basis. We are all new to the game; and with hindsight, I could have presented the message better. If you think I have done a bad job, I apologize, but it would be wrong and unwise to discard the message if you don’t like the messenger.

It would be unrealistic to expect every Rotarian to turn up for the District Installation, but it would be a sad day for Rotary in general and for RI District 3450 in particular if not all the 48 clubs in the District were represented at the meeting. Attendance at the District Installation is a sign of solidarity within the District, for united we stand. Good attendance would be a show of force to the community which we have all professed to serve. It would enable Rotarians to stand up proudly and be recognized as people who care, people who believe in and hold high moral and ethical standards in their private and public lives, and people who are prepared to work selflessly for international peace and understanding in a seemingly faceless and materialistic world.

In the lead up to the big day, we would organize suitable publicity and arrange press briefings, including the preparation of a Press Kit, the issue of special newspaper supplements and holding a Press Conference on the day. Already, we have worked out the part of the ceremony involving 48 club presidents handing over the presidency to their successors. This will be the highlight of the evening, the whys and wherefores of the District Installation, and a hallmark of continuity in leadership.

District Governor 2000-2001

Continuity

Courage to Change

(March 2000 Issue)

In between parties and celebrations, and in between introspection, reflection and discussion on what is in store for the year 2000 and beyond, I hope you have reserved some space for Rotary and I hope you have reflected on the future of this reputedly largest service organization with which you are associated. In the light of my experience at RI’s 2000 International Assembly, let me share with you Frank Devlyn’s mission for us in the 21st Century.

RI President-elect Frank Devlyn told the governors-elect assembled at Anaheim Hilton that they were about to embark together with him on the most exciting journey of their Rotary lives, a journey that would surprise them, delight them, challenge them, and exhaust them, but most important of all, change them. Yes, he warned his team members that the experience would change them, for the better. He said that “in every district of the Rotary world, hundreds of people are waiting for someone to give them hope,” and went on to suggest that the governors-elect would be the persons who can bring these people hope.

Tall orders indeed, but I would like to believe that most of us have joined Rotary so that we can collectively change the world through promoting international understanding, goodwill and peace. “If a program or policy is not working, change it,” Frank Devlyn urged his audience; and assured them that “there is nothing to be lost from trying new ideas or new methods of doing things.” He specifically asked them not to be afraid of change. He then unveiled the theme for our Rotary year for 2000-2001, the very first theme of this century –

CREATE AWARENESS AND TAKE ACTION

Frank Devlyn said that this simple, yet powerful theme will be our mission and will guide our efforts in all that we do. “And there is so much to do.”

Let us now pause for a little while before Frank Devlyn catches up with us. Let us reflect on the implications this theme would have on President Carlo Ravizza’s call for acting with consistency, credibility and continuity, in particular, continuity. You would recall that at the 1999 Taipei Rotary Institute, the President was questioned on whether he was worried that his successors would introduce themes that might affect continuity. His reply then was more or less that it won’t happen, adding that the vitally important thing to do was to bring in quality members in quantity to maintain the necessary continuity. The question is, whether Frank Devlyn’s mission for Rotarians in the 21st Century – to create awareness and take action – would adversely affect continuity in our Rotary world. My answer is no, an emphatical no. Let me explain.

The annual themes introduced by successive RI Presidents over the years reflect the emphases of the respective Rotary leaders. More specifically, these themes reflect how they interpret Rotary. They are the means to achieve the Object of Rotary, as opposed to the object itself. It follows that these themes by themselves do not and would not diminish or detract the will of the Rotarians worldwide to better service the people who need them. When he introduced the current year’s theme, President Carlo Ravizza did say, however, that he would not introduce new programs. Not only that, he urged clubs and districts to carry on the good work and projects of their predecessors and encouraged them to embark on multi-year projects.

There are actually sufficient similarities in our two Rotary leaders as far as the will to maintain continuity is concerned. To start with, Carlo Ravizza has described Frank Devlyn’s theme for 2000-2001 as “a wonderful example of continuity at the top leadership, because it builds logically on this year’s theme,” snd because “creating awareness starts with being consistent and credible.” On specifics, both Rotary leaders have said that there would be no new programs. They are both saying that the menu of service opportunities has already included ample Rotary programs and there is no need to introduce new ones. Both have placed strong emphases on membership development and membership retention, and in particular, bringing in quality members, or members who would make good Rotarians.

Very importantly, both have urged Rotarians not to be afraid of changes: Carlo Ravizza have been talking about adding two C’s to the three C’s in his theme, the Courage to Change; while Frank Devlyn has called upon his team to change a program or a policy that is not working. The courage to change as opposed to changing for changing sake is indeed the hallmark of leadership in this day and age. Rotary has been effective in solving yesterday’s problems. We now need solutions to solve the problems of today and the future. Sticking to past practices because they had worked in the past does not help. We need the courage to change, so as to insure our continuing relevance. We need to create awareness and take action with consistency, credibility and continuity. No more and no less.

Continuity

District Governor 2000-2001

Happy Birthday

February 2000 Issue

Those of you who attended the Midnight Mass last Christmas eve in open air at freezing temperature during the Youth Jamboree at Wan Tsai peninsula might recall what the priest said. It was a short sermon, but very much to the point and befitted the occasion. The priest spoke of a person who was not religious at all, but who loved the festive spirit of Christmas so much that he would have Christmas food complete with turkey and Christmas pudding every time he ate out or played host. He decorated his home with holly and ivy and his Christmas tree was always well lit up. Very interestingly, he would wish his friends Happy Christmas year round and gave them Christmas presents. He was asked why he did all that and what the charade was all about. His response was serious and could even be regarded as logical. He said that he believed Christmas was the happiest season in the year. He wanted to be happy every day and to communicate his happiness to others.

Well, even the not very religious would know that Christmas is one of the more if not the most important feasts observed by Christians worldwide and that it was meant to remind them of the birth of Christ and more importantly the love of God for Man. Christians believe that God loves Man so much that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to our world so that Man could be saved from eternal damnation. The feast has since become commercialized, but on the other hand it is widely observed everywhere, even in non-religious countries, which in turn would help Christians in their mission to spread the gospel. It is for the Church to ponder on the implications, but there could be a lesson to learn from the analogy by service organizations such as Rotary.

All clubs – at least the club presidents – would remember the charter day of their respective clubs and would organize functions to mark the occasions. Many Rotarians in the District love attending these anniversary balls or celebration dinners. There is nothing wrong with that. Indeed, Rotary is as much about fellowship as about service; and nothing except good would come out of these celebratory events which are normally hallmarks of fun and fellowship. The question we should ask of ourselves is perhaps this. Are these dinners and balls helping clubs to bring more Rotary to the membership, and is there a danger that the membership might lose sight of what Rotary is all about in the quest for fun and fellowship?

Let me come closer to the subject of this article. All of you would know that February is Rotary’s World Understanding Month and 23 February, World Understanding and Peace Day. In essence, 23 February is Rotary’s birthday. How many clubs in the District have organized a celebratory event on this day in the past five years? How many have planned one for this year. Not very many, I believe. But why?

You would all be familiar with Cliff Dochtermann’s celebrated publication “The ABCs of Rotary.” He has seen it fit, and I entirely agree with him, to place “Definition of Rotary” upfront – Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world. I urge you to remember these 31 words by heart, but more importantly, to live up to these words.

It may be too late to organize something for 23 February 2000 or during that week, but it is still worth trying. However, don’t worry too much if you miss this one. Give your club one year to plan an activity for 23 February 2001. Meanwhile, I have one simple suggestion that everyone can achieve if he or she so desires. On 23 February 2000, try greet each other with “It is Rotary’s Birthday” or a similar message. Better still, tell a friend who is not a Rotarian that it is Rotary’s Birthday and recite him or her the 31 words. That would certainly help promote Rotary thereby maintaining continuity.

District Governor 2000-2001

Continuity

What would my successor think?

(January 2000 Issue)

Even if you were only marginally interested in how our District is being managed, you would have heard by now that the Nominating Committee for the District Governor-nominee met on 16 December 1999 and selected Past President Johnson Chu of the Rotary Club of Peninsula as the nominee for Governor in 2001-02. In accordance with procedures outlined in the Manual of Procedure, if no valid challenges were received by early January, Johnson Chu would be presented at the RI Convention in June 2000 for election as our District Governor for 2001-02. At the time of writing, the position was not clear, but it should be at publishing time. My guess is we should all be congratulating Johnson at this time.

The selection and election are necessary processes for every district; and it does not take a genius to figure out that they provide handy material and opportunities for exchanges of views, gossip, criticisms and backstabbing. Some would argue that it shouldn’t because we are all volunteers and because Rotary is not a political organization etcetera, while others would say that we live in an imperfect world such that we can expect a bit of everything and learn to accept such imperfections as constructive enmity.

There is no right or wrong answer. Suffice it to say that our District have been through this before and have thoroughly discussed and agonized over the issues involved, culminating in a new procedure for assembling the Nominating Committee being adopted by the District and put into practice for the first time this year. The new procedure provides for a number of past presidents to be elected by clubs to represent them on the Nominating Committee and which number is to be matched by the most recent past district governors available for attending the meeting. It also provides for the more distant past district governors to attend the meeting as non-voting members.

One obvious advantage of the new procedure is that it removes the oft-repeated criticism that past district governors monopolize the selection and may not be best placed to select the best candidate. Another perceived advantage is that it would reduce causes for challenges. Time will tell whether the new procedure will serve us well. In particular, time will tell whether it can achieve the key objective of the nominating process, viz., to find someone as District Governor whom the membership is prepared to follow and have him or her represent them and reflect their interests at the local and international level.

Lest I may be misunderstood, let me hasten to say that I am not averse to the new nominating procedure, or the procedure the District has been following until recently, or for that matter, any procedure as long as it is in line with the spirit and principle outlined in the RI Manual of Procedure. Any system can produce leaders approved by some but shunned by others. More importantly, a system is only as good as the users operating it. In the present world of Rotary where continuity is more important than ever, my bottom line is this. If we are all leaders in the community, as we profess we are, we should not find it difficult to follow any leader for one year until and unless he or she has demonstratively deviated from the Object of Rotary or violated the laws of the land or become unfit or unsuitable for the office of governor. On the contrary, it should not be beneath anyone to continue to support an apparently less robust leader in order that our great institution can continue to flourish and benefit the world through the services we can offer.

This brings me to a question asked of President Carlo Ravizza at the 1999 Taipei Rotary Institute held in December. Noting that the importance of continuity is enshrined in the current RI theme, a member asked whether the President knew what his successor was thinking and what would happen if Frank Devlyn or his successors introduced RI themes that might not be conducive to the maintenance of continuity. In response, the President said in essence that the spirit of continuity has already been so entrenched in RI that the annual RI theme would in future highlight policy emphases on programs rather than ushering in changes to policy objectives. What is of vital importance is to bring in quality members in quantity in order to maintain continuity.

I suggest that we can apply the same spirit at the district level in the interest of continuity. This would enable us collectively to build up a system to administer the District that would enable clubs to operate service programs more efficiently and cost effectively. It would help us establish and reinforce the esprit de corps among us and make us proud of the organization to which we belong. We would then be more aware of community needs and be better placed to serve those who need our service. We would then be better able to contribute towards world peace and international understanding and help create a better community to which the people would want to belong. On this note, I wish you all a happy start to a millennium and may the spirit of continuity stay with you always, regardless of who is or will be taking charge.

District Governor 2000-2001

Continuity

Taking Stock and Looking Ahead

(December 1999 Issue)

This is the last month of the year, of the decade, of the century, and many would not dispute, of the millennium. Many people would be busier than ever preparing for the Y2K, and planning and organizing millennium parties, extravaganzas and what not. When the hurly-burly’s done and when the witches meet upon the heath, one hopes that all the heartaches and headaches would be worth the while and that the human race would emerge the wiser and not simply older.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that Rotary has not designated the month of December for any specific purpose. There are so many things to be done this month, even in an ordinary year and apart from the obligatory Christmas parties and New Year celebrations. This is the time Christians would prepare themselves for the coming of Christ celebrations, accountants would prepare books for their principals, and for businessmen to take stock generally of their businesses and develop and fine-tune strategies for the future. For Rotary, this is the time of the year when all clubs would confirm or elect their leadership for the Rotary year to begin in another six months and to elect or at least identify a club president for the year 18 months away. These are the rules, well tried and tested for nearly a century as sound and good, and which have helped provide the very much cherished continuity in our organization.

The importance of planning to the success of an organization can never be over emphasized. Management guru Peter Drucker hails planning as one of the most if not the most critical management functions. The many rules and regulations evolved over the years for Rotary are there to enable Rotarians and clubs to be more effective in achieving the Objects of Rotary. They are our planning tools. Now, tools are only as effective as the users using them. They can do wonders in the hands of master craftsmen, but would degenerate into blunt instruments when left to ignorant and inexperienced apprentices. This is why we need to look at our rules and review them continuingly.

At Rotary International, an RI Programs and Emphases Review Committee has been established to review RI’s current policies and procedures for the development, implementation and evaluation of RI programs, emphases and presidential initiatives, and to suggest ways in which RI’s program activities can be more effective in supporing the work of Rotary clubs. It is chaired by Past President Cliff Dochterman and Past Governor Jason Yeung is a member. The Committee started work in July, and already has recommended, among other things, to discontinue the traditional terms of “programs,” “emphases,” “activities” and “initiatives” and replace them by “Structured Programs” which are organized activities with a framework and guidelines recommended by the RI Board, and “Menu of Service Opportunities” which are issues and concerns identified as recommended service priorities for a specified period. The Committee has also recommended that Rotary clubs should be encouraged to invite qualified Rotaractors into membership of their clubs or to consider sponsoring a new Rotary club for them.

Similarly, at club level, there is nothing to stop Rotary clubs to review their club plans and objectives, or club programs and emphases to ensure that they are atuned to present day needs and that they are relevant to the needs and aspirations of the membership, and more importantly, that their programs meet community concerns.

I can no better underline the importance of taking stock and looking ahead than to summarize what a past president wrote in an article for Rotary on the Internet which I reproduced in full in Issue 6 of my letters. Writing on what he would do if he were president again, this past president said he would re-orientate his membership to emphasize the basics of Rotary; improve the weekly program; develop effective program to reduce the cost of being a Rotarian; promote projects that would involve more membership and cost less; emphasize the president’s role as a club member; review membership policies with emphases on young qualified candidates; and plan earlier. Yes, plan earlier. This is perhaps his single most important message. The past president ended by reminding incumbent presidents how lucky they were, for they still had time to ensure that their plans would materialize. He then went on to say that incoming presidents were luckier for they could begin right now in preparing themselves for the term ahead.

Perhaps the best time to start planning is now, before it is too late. Let me stress that the task does not rest on the president or board members alone. Each member should contribute towards the planning and review process. I would further stress that this is not just a process to rid the system of the ancient, which is not what continuity is about. Rather, one should be looking to retain programs that are good and to bring in new ways and means that can rejuvenate the membership and hence the club, which is what continuity is all about.

ENDS