The word of the President

September, 2007

When we join to Rotary, we all take the great responsibility. Those people who join Rotary have to be ready to provide humanitarian service and to make good for themselves and for others – at the first turn. Real Rotarian contributes his bit into the service not for thanks but for the common wealth. The most important things for every club member are high ethical standards in business and usual life and involvement in the common affair. These things serve as a surety in Rotary.

Club member shouldn?t choose — whether he wants to do any work together with the club or not because it is not «interesting» or «not to provide any personal benefit» for him. Let us turn to Vladimir Donskoy and his book «Rotary and Rotarians»:

«It is known that every Rotarian has three main duties:

To encourage high ethical standards in business and usual life.
To attend club meetings weekly.
Fully participate in the work of the club applying own business and personal experience.

Who is NEED and NOT NEED in Rotarian Clubs?

Those people “strike roots” in the Rotary:

Who is reliable
Who acts, not speaks
Who is able to find the ways to apply one’s knowledge and abilities
Who is a professional
Who is respectable and socially minded
Who is charity-minded
Who is disciplined and cultured

Rotary rejects those people who:

Who thinks that Rotary is the way to make a self-profit and it becomes the dominating idea of his or her membership
Who is not able to recognize the power of Rotary as the largest and prestigious international organization of business leaders and intelligentsia
Who overestimates himself (or herself)
Who is obsessed with self-problems only
Who loves SELF in Rotary, not Rotary in SELF
Who doesn’t work but observes others working
Who is quarrelsome, insolent, selfish and just a babbler

It is people who impede club progress and involvement of new members — active, powerful, creative and self-looking persons.«

So, let we ask ourselves – what am I for Rotary? Do I love Rotary in SELF or SELF in Rotary? And when involving new members let us be more exacting in our choice. We have to realize ourselves and to explain others what a responsible and honorary thing it is – to serve as a Rotarian.

Club President 2007-1008
Irina Khomyakova

May, 2007

… Once on a meeting speaking of club weekly meeting objects somebody said that club is something like a «hangout». This was very unpleasantly to hear. So let we speak about it. There will not standard phrases from Rotary Bylaws about the Rotary goals and objects because we all know that people join to Rotary to devote themselves to service. We just will rely on the facts and results of our club life.

There is no doubt that one of the most important objects of weekly club meeting is communication. Communication makes us closer and more united opening the new aspects of service. However, the feature of Rotarian communication is that club joins not only because of meetings. Club members are jointed invisibly and firmly with the COMMON IDEA. Membership in Rotary means that a person has reached certain experience, certain self-sufficiency and certain means — both intellectual values and tangible properties. Membership in Rotary means that he or she is ready to match it with the others. Our club fellows are the example of this.

Alexey Pancratiev has worked for 5 years with Novocherkassk Children House. He did it despite on being busy with his business. He used to be there weekly and has become the native person for children.

Dmitry Parshikov, one of the founders of the club who works almost 24 hours a day have been serving for 7 years and presented our club in many countries of the world spending his own means and time. He always has time and wise advice for club fellows.

Vitaly Lonsky who sometimes misses the meetings because of his intensive business trips schedule and who executes the project “Medical Equipment for Children of Beslan”. Modern video surveillance devices were fitted in the hospital where children from Beslan went rehabilitation.

Ivan Nepeivoda has been leading the project “Rotary Musical Contest” for five years. He spends much attention and his free time for this project and involved his firm stuff in the work.

Alexander Makarov use to organize river-trips for children-orphans and disabled twice a year. They enjoy motor-ships trips free of charge.

Olga Ermolova started the project “Every Child Needs a Family” by herself, just because she felt the great desire and powers to do it.

I can give more and more examples here. I only want to say that the Rotary Emblem on the door of your office means much more than one can think.

So, you can judge by yourself — if Rotary Club is «hangout» where people gathers just for have some fun or it is the fellowship of the Leaders who are united with the common idea and has much charisma, has enough experience and nobleness for make the world better and kinder.

As Paul McCartney said sometime: «If my song has helped at least one person, I did not become a musician in vain».

President 2006-2007
Olga Bushueva