In my last post, I complained about yesterday, Monday, June 2nd. It all stemmed from my continuing frustration with Rotary, youth and service. As I expected, the actual Rotary Convention has paled in comparison to the energy and ingenuity of the Rotaract PreConvention. However, today was redemptive and gives me much hope for the future of our organization. I did not attend the plenary session this morning. I wanted to, but felt the need to step away for a bit. Instead, I spent time in the House of Friendship viewing displays, gathering information, buying things and watching a baby wallaby eat. The House of Friendship is Rotary’s idea of a trade show. It is a gathering place for attendees with food, drink, entertainment, vendors and informational booths, but also is a great place to relax and share friendships. After I sat for a while (and Skyped with my wife), I was approached by two women Rotarians from New Zealand. One of them had fiery red hair and was anything but reserved. As it turned out, she was actively involved in RYLA, Rotaract and Interact – three of my areas of passion – in her district. We started talking about Rotaract ad RYLA and I shared some of my dreams for the Rotary youth programs and how they should feed each other. She smiled, reached out and shook my hand. She was excited to receive some affirmation of her similar ideas on these new generation programs. I then told her of my son’s breakout session that afternoon and she made notes of where and when, since she was so excited to hear some fresh ideas. Of course, I too was going to attend that session to watch David perform. However, I almost felt a need to warn him about this woman before she ambushed him!
After leaving the President-Elect’s luncheon early to get to David’s session, I walked in and was amazed to see the number of people already there. Although I intended to sit at the back out of the way, I was flagged down by my red-haired Kiwi (that’s what they call people from New Zealand) friend. She was seated at a front, center table, pen and paper in hand, ready to absorb information. By the time the session started, there were more than 100 people in attendance. David, who is 23, and a 29-year-old Rotaractor from Australia “tag-teamed” the session’s presentation. They gave their thoughts on several topics (often followed by an affirming “Woo Hoo!” from my Kiwi friend) and then allowed the audience to discuss the same topics at their respective tables before reporting to the entire group on their discussions. The points I took away from the meeting are items all Rotarians must digest: First, Rotaractors want respect from Rotarians. They are not “children.” They want to be treated as equals and, sadly, I know we are not all treating them that way. David’s co-presenter mentioned that, often, Rotarians look at Rotaractors as cheap labor or, as she called them “worker bees.” They call upon Rotaractors to be the “muscle” for their service projects. However, aside from that, they don’t include Rotaractors in their regular Rotary events or consider them equal participants in Rotary entitled to all the privileges of that participation. The comment I made at my table is that most Rotarians would consider a 24-year old Rotarian an equal in their club. However, they don’t give that same treatment to a 24-year old Rotaractor.
Between the program moderators and those Rotaractors, former Rotaractors and Rotarians who shared their ideas, I walked away with a different sense of understanding of Rotaractors. Even though my son is one and I have tried to champion their cause, I too have, essentially, considered them as something less than Rotarians and for that, I apologize. I too have some times considered them to be “kids,” not intellectually equal adults. I too have looked at them as a support arm for Rotary Clubs instead of an equal partner. It will take a lot for all Rotarians to have these same revelations because they were not there for this wonderful discussion and, even if they are talking with Rotaractors, they really aren’t listening to them.
I’ll discuss some of the other ideas discussed in this session later. However, the excitement of today was actually my own “epiphany” that Rotaractors deserve more respect. Although I have actively championed their cause, I did it from a standpoint of not fully understanding their side of this problem.
Many of you will remember President Kennedy’s famous statement made in a speech while standing at the Berlin Wall in 1963, “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner). Well, I want to paraphrase his remarks made in that speech:
All (Rotaractors), wherever they may live, are citizens of (Rotary), and, therefore, as a (young person at heart), I take pride in the words “Ich bin ein Rotaractor.”
Although the President’s words resounded around the world that day in 1963, it still took more than twenty-five years for the Berlin Wall to come down. Hopefully, it won’t take Rotary twenty-five years to give Rotaractors the respect they are clearly due.
Rotary Membership Revival - The New Club Project 