Perhaps you were expecting something else? The familiar phrase, of course, is “think globally, act locally.” And Rotary is already very good at that. With tens of thousands of local clubs around the world, each with avenues of community and vocational service, I think we’ve got act locally pretty well covered. But where really Rotary excels, and what makes it different from other service clubs, is in its international scope.
I read an article recently about a women’s service organization with a local chapter here in Orange County. Without mentioning names, the organization was lamenting its membership problems, which could basically be described as – most people have never heard of us, and those that have… have a preconceived (and unflattering) notion of who we are. Sound familiar? There are a number of ways to fight stereotypes and to get noticed, some of them local. Being visible in our communities, with our many faces – young and old, light and dark, male and female – can change those stereotypes locally. But to change our image globally, we will need to act globally.
How is Rotary to be known after its first 100 years? As the businessman’s service club? How will Rotary be remembered in the next 100? Perhaps as the organization that eradicated polio? How about as the NGO that brought clean water to the world? Or maybe as the network that helped put an end to regional conflict? This is the kind of thinking that can change not just an image but a planet as well. This is thinking globally.
And this kind of thinking, I believe, is what is attracting and what will continue to attract Rotary’s Next Generation. With our ability to reach around the globe - over borders, across cultures, and through languages – and put a hand where it’s most needed, we can turn this thinking into action. Rotary can be the internet of humanitarian service. Embracing this vision and broadcasting it in all directions is what will change misperceptions.
So let’s not lament our image but instead change it by becoming the global entity that we can be. Let us think, and act, globally.
As always, your comments, questions, and criticisms are welcome.
