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We are all in perfect accord.

A few years ago, I was interviewed on an American television program. Just prior to the
start of the taping, the host revealed something striking: He had been a Rotarian for
over 30 years, but it was only recently that he “got Rotary.”

He became involved in a project that delivered coats to children in his community.
And for the first time, it all clicked. He saw firsthand the power of service, and he truly
became engaged. He even went on to serve as a club president.

Imagine — more than 1,500 club meetings before he finally “got Rotary.” So what lesson
does this offer us?
We must engage our members.

My hometown, Windsor, is the automotive capital of Canada. I know my way around a
shop floor and I was raised in this highly competitive marketplace. When something
wasn’t working, we retooled. A plant would shut down for a couple of months to prepare
for new parts or an enhanced model.

The past few decades have been tough as plants have shut down due to competitive
market forces. Tens of thousands of jobs were lost, never to be replaced.

So what do you do in this kind of a situation? You adapt. It’s taken time, but our
community is now a world-class leader in agribusiness and cutting-edge medical and
aerospace technology.

We too must adapt and retool. Finding the right “part” to engage each member should
be our core function. It comes down to the comfort and care of our members.
A few years ago, my friend Bronwyn Stephens took me to a school in Melbourne. It
was there I met a young Interactor named Peter. He told me, “If you want responsible
children, you have to give them responsibilities.”

Peter was onto something important. We don’t have a problem bringing members into
Rotary. We struggle to keep them. We’re a revolving door — in every part of our world.

We need to ask our members what they want out of their experience — and then, we
need to provide them with meaningful responsibilities.

It’s our offer of hands-on service, personal growth, leadership development, and lifelong
friendships that creates purpose and passion. These are our responsibilities. If we don’t
serve our members, we don’t serve our communities. And if we don’t provide comfort
and care for our members, they may never truly “get” the power of Rotary.

And please understand, when I use the term members, it means Rotary and Rotaract.
We are all Rotary members.

We have been entrusted with leadership in our great organization. Now it’s up to us to
be brave and intentional in our actions and to let others help us lead.

I am thrilled today to announce that, starting on July 1st of this year, I have appointed
a Rotaractor with the responsibility of becoming a Rotary public image coordinator. I

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