Page 26 - 2021-22年度PETS研習手冊

社 長 當 選 人 訓 練 研 習 會

balance these resources as best we can. We move resources from one part of our

community or the world to another, trying to fulfill needs. The outcomes and long-term
effects of our work can be huge because of our sheer numbers, our geographic spread, our
networking and leadership abilities.

We are people of action. Whenever we see problems, we take action to help and do good
in the world. Over the years, Rotary has set up hundreds of hospitals, thousands of schools,
has provided health programs for millions and brought clean drinking water to many.

Wherever there was a need, Rotarians have come forward to meet the same, whether at the
local level or international level. The polio program is an outstanding example of scaling up

service initiatives.
So my dear district governors, for a 115-year-old organization with 1.2 million leaders
across the world, and with the legacy of success in fighting polio, our programs have to

be of scale. Service is our core value; it is our DNA. In this very special year of your life, I
therefore urge you to dream big. Start small, serve locally, but think of how the work you do

can be translated at a large scale with deep impact. Find a need and plan a solution.
But never stop thinking about the big picture. When our clubs join hands together,
the result is impactful projects that leave a long-lasting impact on the community, city,

or even the country. I tell you all of this by personal experience, that this is absolutely
possible. When the Indian government stopped allowing import of relief materials, including
ShelterBox, this scarcity created an immediate need. My fellow Rotarians and I were

prompted to start a local version of ShelterBox. We named it Shelter Kit and put 52 items
of daily need in a large trunk. These kits were a major support to disaster survivors. My
friends, over the last 15 years, in every major disaster in India, Indian Rotarians have

volunteered to bring Shelter Kits to areas struck by disasters. It has become a successful
national program for Rotarians and for people.

Similar was the case with heart surgeries. Since the year 2005, for years, each day I
entered into my office, my first job was to meet a child and its parents who had come to my
office seeking Rotary’s help to receive heart surgeries for the child. What started as a club

program soon became a district program, and then the program spread across India. To date,
more than 20,000 life-changing heart surgeries for children have been done by Rotarians in

India.
The Rotary India Literacy Mission is another example of a program that scaled to
national levels. We developed a holistic program called T-E-A-C-H. The program has been

appreciated by all, and also by the prime minister of India.
Many of you do service at both the community and international levels. For those of you

26