From District Governor Rachele Bouchand
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Rotary headquarters in Evanston, IL, for the 10th anniversary of the Young Professional Summit where 30 young professionals gathered from around the country. The purpose of this group was to help attract and retain young professionals in Rotary. I’m inviting you to be a bridge to Millennials and Gen Zers who are exploring opportunities to serve the community.
With Rotary’s 1.4 million members in over 200 countries, we have a wealth of experience and deep network that helps us positively impact our world. Since we have Students to Retirees as members, we represent more generations in Rotary than we do in the typical workforce. Plus, the different backgrounds of our members allow us to solve problems in novel ways.
One of the reasons I was attracted to Rotary was the amount of impact I could accomplish with the limited time I had as a growing professional. During my first year in Rotary, my club president asked me to chair a new committee to help siblings in the foster care system get adopted. My experience with children at the time was limited and I had never chaired a committee before. However, my club president and fellow members gave me support and the opportunity to grow my skills as a leader and project manager. Rotary gave me the chance to stretch, and these skills helped me in my professional life. Moreover, I was able to help children find their forever families…something I could never do on my own.
Millennials and Gen Zers are asking to have more impact in their communities, build friendships, seek mentors, expand their global understanding and sharpen their leadership skills. I know no better playground for these skills than Rotary.
I’m asking you to share your story with others about why you are a Rotarian and the value Rotary has brought to you. This goes back to our Rotary Action Plan, “TOGETHER, we see a world where PEOPLE unite and take action to CREATE lasting CHANGE across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”
You are the magic of Rotary.
Rachele
