Programme for week commencing 1st January, 2015

On Monday 29th December, 2014 President Janice had the pleasure of inducting a new Rotarian and also giving James Lovatt his Junior Vice President’s chain, which symbolically was dispensed to the dustbin.

It is very difficult, in fact impossible for officers of eRotary to wear these outdated Rotary emblems. Do we need to? As we believe Rotary is very much about the Service we give, rather than the positions we hold.

As we begin the new year, Click 4 Action eRotary intends to continue to strive to do things that fit the world today. It’s time to change and be a network which engages members’ passions in the time they can afford to give.

Plans are in hand for the coming year, allowing for flexibility, but as was stressed in last week’s programme whatever your constraints please help in the Social Media sharing. This is Rotary Service as it is helping to do eAwareness. Here is a brief summary of our plans:

• Water supply and sanitation will be a major way in which we want to help, many of our members are keen to do something so our virtual Balloon Race this year will help raise funds.
• We are changing our eDraw to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation or SOS Children Villages or both, those taking part may choose where the funds raised go.
• We will continue to develop our help in communities through the Rotary Community Corps, with the Malmesbury Flood Defence project, the Let’s Loop Swindon initiative, helping the Uplands Educational Trust with Fundraising and potential others.
• We want to continue to raise eAwareness around issues like Autism, Mental Wellbeing, Peace, Recycling, Social Investment and Community Asset Building.
• We particularly want to promote the idea that Rotary International is about meeting people around the world, learning about their culture and lifestyles to encourage greater understanding. Whilst encouraging our membership to grow to know each other through online discussions in our various forums.

So how can you help make 2015 a year where we continue to do things differently to keep Rotary relevant for the 21st Century:-

• Share with others about eRotary and the things we do
• Talk to other members through Social Media and our Members Forum
• Tell us more about what you are doing in your communities and how we can help you.

Finally we want to have a page in the Forum that has member profiles, please help us compile this and to help get the idea Janice, Tim, James and Mary will start the ball rolling. Watch out for changes in the coming year to our website to make it better as a tool for communication and developing our Rotary.

Click 4 Action eRotary is about change, doing things when you have time and opportunity, we hope to have a really Happy New Year in 2015.