This Week's Rotary Thought is The June President's Message from Rotary International 2019-2020 President Mark Daniel Maloney
"Connecting in a Crisis
Decatur, Alabama, at the age of 25, and it has brought my family and me
many unforgettable moments. But nothing could have prepared me for
connecting with the world as president of Rotary
International. My individual Rotary journey has
become a shared Rotary journey with each of you.
All of the incredible people Gay and I met this
year — Rotarians, Rotaractors, and the extended
family of Rotary — will be an inspiration for the rest
of our lives. We visited clubs and projects from Uruguay
to Ukraine, from Nigeria to New Zealand, and
beyond. We were privileged to crisscross the globe,
circumnavigating it twice and moving back and
forth between the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Each country and each stop held its own
Rotary magic. While in Zimbabwe in March, we participated in a medical-vocational training team mission with Rotarians from India, providing
health, hope, and life itself to the thousands who
came for treatment. We also felt the energy of more
than 300 young people at a Rotary Youth Symposium
in Harare. What a thrill it was to be with these
young people!
This year Rotary launched our new Action Plan,
and I trust each club is putting that plan to use. And
I have been energized by the efforts to embrace the
priorities I set for this Rotary year: engaging families,
providing leadership opportunities for all ages, celebrating
our history with the United Nations in its
75th year, and, most significantly, growing Rotary.
As COVID-19 reached around the globe, we found
ourselves in a world transformed. We have been
forced to connect in ways we could never have imagined,
testing our ability to adapt. We have made tough decisions, including canceling club meetings, district conferences, presidential conferences, and, much to our regret, the 2020 Rotary International
Convention in Honolulu. Together everyone is placing
the public good and welfare first, despite the loss of meetings, events, and experiences that had been planned for years.
As we looked forward to the Rotary Convention
in Honolulu, we learned about the aloha spirit. Our
Rotary friends in Hawaii showed us that “aloha”
means mutual regard and affection. It extends
warmth and caring with no expectation of anything
in return. The spirit of aloha applies wherever in the
world we may live. As Rotarians, Rotaractors, and
members of the family of Rotary, we are connected,
and as aloha has been defined to me: Our connection
to one another is based upon mutual respect for our
differences as well as our appreciation for what we
have in common. Community is the sum of individuals
— individuals who have concern for one another, who
care, share, and take responsibility.
Rotary year was transformational. We found new
ways to make the lives of others better, new ways to
move forward together. And, together, we will continue
to grow Rotary so that we may increase our
gift of Rotary to our local and global communities.
Gay and I will always remember and treasure our
year with you, our shared journey, as Rotary Connects
the World!
Mark Daniel Maloney
President, Rotary International"