HEADS UP
WITH JANICE HUGHES DISTRICT GOVERNOR
The first weeks of my district governorship have fair flown by , amid a hive of activity – and the timetable ’ s already chocka for the coming months .
Great stuff . We ’ re on a roll .
Just in case you haven ’ t had the chance to catch up on these – the year ’ s key areas of focus are :
• Membership – increasing numbers and increasing diversity in our clubs , particularly gender and age
• Increasing our public image and awareness of what Rotary is , what it does and why people should get involved
• Increasing humanitarian service through the Rotary Foundation and , locally , through our club charitable trusts with high-profile meaningful projects and programmes
On the public image front , we ’ ve had a major shot in the arm with the new websites . The district website is a growing resource area and is a place where you ’ ll see a growing archive of our news stories . Check it out : www . rotarydistrict9980 . org . The uptake of ClubRunner among our district ’ s clubs has been simply phenomenal , far outpacing that in other areas . Thank you so much for rising to the challenge .
Websites are dynamic beasts , so it ’ ll never be finished , as such ; rather , always a work in progress . And , that ’ s a good thing . Constantly updating . Reflective of what ’ s happening in the now . Never getting stale . Quite analogous , actually , of the path Rotary International has encouraged us all to take as zones , districts and clubs .
I know there are those amongst us who are concerned about the rate of change , and wish things could have just stayed the way they were . Uncertainty is the certainty of life , and nothing stays the same – not even Rotary . Mind you , I get it ; I look back , and a little bit of me , too , mourns some of what ’ s gone from our society . Adjusting the rose-tinted glasses a tad , there are also erstwhile aspects I don ’ t miss at all . I ’ m not sure , however , I could elucidate on the realities any better than Queenstown ’ s president-elect , Monica Mulholland , who has scribed a wonderful opinion piece on page 16 .
Make no mistake ; whether we like it or not , Rotary is at a critical crossroads , and our generation of Rotarians are instrumental change agents . Ahead lies the unknown , but , with a mighty legacy such as our organisation ’ s , we ’ re better placed than most to forge ahead , springboarding off decades of strength , wisdom and collegial spirit . Just like any other organisation
– commercial or philanthropic – we must move with the times strategically and find our place in what is , arguably , one of the most evolutionary , fast-paced epochs of humanity .
I chuckle sometimes at the thought that one day – probably not too many decades from now – some whippersnapper ’ s going to be reflecting back on what
A message of thanks
Clayton and I are so grateful and thankful for the support we ’ ve received during the past few weeks .
As some of you know , Clayton – affectionately known as “ Janice ’ s handbag ”, but , in reality , a tireless Rotarian in his own right – was diagnosed with skin cancer .
Not news anyone wants at any time , and certainly not just weeks before taking on the roles of Rotary district governor , and district governor ’ s spouse .
In short , my lovely , hardworking and super-supportive “ handbag ” had to undergo a bit of a redesign – rather major leg surgery , including skin grafts , in early August . The surgery was a little more complex than we ’ d hoped , but Clayton is now recovering at home .
The diagnosis , treatment and recovery path has proved to be a bit of a bump in the 2016-17 path , but all of your messages of support , lovely gifts and care remind us of what an amazing organisation of human beings we belong to , and only steel us further to achieve this year ’ s goals .
From the bottom of our hearts , thanks so , so much .
And , please , please – if you notice any skin abnormalities , or changes in moles , err on the side of caution , and have them checked immediately . It might just save a limb , or , indeed , your life .
we ’ re doing now and consider what we reckon is majorly revolutionary and innovative , as , at best , quaint and charmingly fuddy duddy . Yep , times change . They always will .
For now , though , the more I read , the more I experience , the more I am convinced embracing and implementing technology must be at the cornerstone of our progress . But at the heart of that belief is a very ancient reality . Connection . Since the start of time , humanity has craved it . Just as communicative cave drawings were
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