Participants at forums such as Interota and the Rotaract Preconvention have raised a few issues that they consider to be important to Rotaract's future, but only a relatively small number of Rotaractors (and in some cases, the same people) have been able to attend such conferences and have their say.
We want to hear from as many of you as possible as to what you believe are some of the core issues affecting Rotaract that need to be addressed (aside from those covered in earlier posts, such as the age limit and Rotary / Rotaract relationship).
Is there something you think needs to be changed? If so, why?
Is there something that is just not being implemented in your district, which you think needs more outside support, such as training? Is there something you have seen work well in another district or country, that you just can't get support for locally? If so, how do you envisage this being addressed from beyond the district level?
Please leave your comments here, along with an indication as to where you are located to help us see if some problems are localised to a region, or perceived to be an issue all over the world.
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5 comments:
I have been working recently with Rotaractors from around the USA to strengthen Rotaract in the USA. Having attended international Rotary functions and being on the RotaractNet listserv, it seems to us as if Rotaract in the USA is not nearly as organized or elaborate as it is in many other countries. Therefore, we have been working on creating a working MDIO for our region.
Through this process, we have found that many, many districts with Rotaract clubs do not have a DRR. This is one problem.
Also, many Rotarians in the USA think that Rotaract is only for college students, or either they have never heard of Rotaract.
I learned in my district that the DG had no idea what the DRR was supposed to do or how the DRR should be elected. They have no idea that Rotaract should have a district committee, but now we have worked to educate the DG and things are better. However, I am sure other DGs do not know any of this in other districts.
As DRR, I have been working with many, many Rotary clubs to educate them on Rotaract and how to start one. They always ask "what exactly is required of us?" I tell them what I believe is needed, but that there are no real guidelines!! Rotarians seem to want/need firm guidelies as to what is required of them! They need to be told that they can go and look at the Rotaract handbook for assistance, and they need to be told how to contact current Rotaractors to ask questions and learn how to start a new Rotaract Club.
Another HUGE issue is that the RI Rotaract Committee seems to have no voice for Rotaract!! I have heard this from COUNTLESS former members of the committee. They say it was a waste of time and they are not able to make any real changes for the good of Rotaract.
Another problem, we need effective records of Rotaract membership, etc. We need an effective method of communication!!! Our current best method of communication (RotaractNet) isn't even an official RI site!!!
Rotaract is not taken seriously by RI. It is a program sponsored by Rotarians, and it should be treated just as importantly as any other Rotary project!!!!! Rotaract is soooo important for the future of Rotary, and Rotarians need to know and believe this.
I tell Rotarians that we are essentially just like them, only younger and with less resources- we believe the same things and have the same sorts of goals. We all want the world to be a better place.
Rotaract needs more than one person at RI headquarters to organize everything for Rotaract.
I'm sure I will think of more things, so I will add them when I think of them!
Related to Mary Kathryn comment, herebelow a proposal which I have made last year to my Colleagues on the Intl. Rotary-Rotaract Committee:
The ”Tutoring” Project, as proposed in our District, consists in assigning to each Rotaractor a Tutor, being a Rotarian, preferably belonging to area of interest or of work of the Rotaractor
GOALS
The goals of the project are mainly three:
1. To thrive relationships between Rotaract and Rotary.
Too often our two associations work together only on the papers, at least in the Italian experience. Rarely I have seen a long term relation. I imagine that during a Rotary meeting that when the Rotaractor arrives, his Tutor welcomes him, introduces him to the other members explaining to him and to them what are the respective interests and aims in life.
This would also help to form Rotarians from a young age. Rotaractors have in their blood Fellowship through Service. Possibly Tutoring could prepare Rotaractors for a possible fellowship in Rotaract.
2. To form good leaders and managers
If one of the goal of Rotaract is to form leaders in the respective area of work and one of the aims of Rotarians is to help others, Tutoring could gamble those two scopes.
We are living in a society, where it is difficult, due to lack of time, to be formed by one’s own boss. How many times youngsters like us have heard “this work must be done today. I have no time for questions only for results”?
This project could help to put together Rotarians’ willingness to share top level know-how with the Rotaractors desire to learn and to grow professionally.
3. To grow from a ethical point of view
One of the aims of Rotarians is to develop the ethical rules of conduct. Again in a society like ours, often there is little room to discuss about such matters. Sometimes we prefer not to discuss immediately with our parents, in order to avoid spontaneous reactions or we discuss with a friend of the same age and who does not always have enough experience to advise correctly. So who could better than a Rotarian listen to the problems of a youngster, trying first to understand him and second to advise him without any personal interests?
WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL
We propose the following draft procedure to realize this Project:
a) Draft of a standard joint letter sent from the Governor and the District Representative to the President of the Rotary Club, to its Rotaract Committee Chair and to the President of the Rotaract Club;
b) Draft Letter of the President of the Rotaract Club with enclosed an excel listing the members and their area of work and/or interest;
c) Discussion in the Rotary Club on the criteria to assign Rotaract members to Tutors and to find amongst Rotary members the volunteers;
d) Draft of a standard Letter of the President of the Rotary Club to its Members;
e) Assignment of Rotaractors to Tutors (filling of the excel spreadsheet with the details of the Tutor; and
f) Organizing a meeting where Rotaractors and Tutors may know each other.
The rest is up to each single Clubs. It is an opportunity not a imposition!
Our District and myself strongly believe that this Project, which in addition to the above mentioned pros has no costs, could help Rotary and Rotaract and to work together to build a better tomorrow.
We will be honoured to present this project to whom it may interest.
Yours in Rotaract,
Ruggero Rubino Sammartano
Rotary-Rotaract International Committee Member, 2005-06
District Rotaract Representative (District 2040), 2004-05
dear all,
greetings from d9200 here in eastern africa. rotaract inour region seems to be getting a boost from no less than the dg. they actually do appreciate that investmentin rotaract shall facilitate the survival of rotary. in my owrkplan this year i state that the 4 common challenges available to the 82 clubs we have are in short order the following:
1. visibility (inthe community, rotary world)
2. capacity enhancement of the members (through the various club and district programmes)
3. relevance to the community (are our services having a real impact or are we just doing CRS stuff)
4. rotaract extension (starting and maintaing rotaract clubs across the district)
my realisation were bse youth inour region have to contend with so many other demansds on their time such as career,studies and family therefore rotaract has to prove that it is a valuable investment of their time.
in addition, is such a dog eat dog society, the cultural norms of voluntarism are now seen as a rich people's reserve.
ans os withthis ideaology in mind, i have set out to impress upon rtrs here that thay shall benefit as much as they can invest inthe club.it is two way traffic.
yours sincerely,
JINGO ALLAN
DRR 06/7
D9200
ROTARACT CLUB OF LUKULI-NANGANDA
UGANDA
I am in the process of helping set up a Rotaract club in my area. I think that it would be a fantastic and workable organisation which would help the local community at the same time as having fun.
My only concern is the age limit. I am 25 so am eligible, however a number of friends I know are 31/32 years old. Most people from 18-23 or so are at university and do not need or want a group such as Rotaract. The upper age limit prevents a lot of people from joining who are young professionals who want to meet people and help out.
I can understand the argument that over 30's can join Rotary. My father and my boyfriend's father both belong to two of the Rotary clubs in my area. The youngest member of both clubs is in the mid 50's/60 although the upper age is probably in the 70s. My boyfriend's father's club meets on a Wednesday lunchtime, hardly a great time if you have a job. Of course it doesn't matter to the Rotarians of this club as they are all retired.
I think that as the Rotary club has grown older so should the Rotaract club. I would join Rotary at 40 but not at 30.
Could you let me know if there is any likelihood of a change of rules here?
Thank you.
Hi Stephanie,
The likelihood of the upper age limit of Rotaract being raised is absolutely zero.
The question has been raised before the RI Board on several occasions, and they always vote not to raise the age. And to be perfectly honest, I agree with their decision. You may like to have a read through one of the earlier posts here which addresses that exact issue, The Age Debate.
I think you do 18 - 23 year olds in university a disservice by saying that they don't need or want a club like Rotaract. Why wouldn't university students want to be a part of an organisation that gives them an edge when it comes to career and leadership development? Isn't that why they are studying at university in the first place, to further their careers? Perhaps you misunderstand what Rotaract is actually about?
I joined my first Rotaract Club while I was a university student (though it was a community based Rotaract club). Nine years later I'm still involved, though in a different club now. Rotaract entails many different things - service is just one aspect; the career & leadership development is a huge aspect, and so is having fun. Uni students generally love to have a good time with friends, and that is an essential part of Rotaract. If you increased the age limit to 40, you would change the whole atmosphere of Rotaract... you would end up with a New Generations Rotary Club. :p
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