Ang Magiting - The Official Web Site of Rotary Club Makati North

D.3830 DISTAS prepares for “Change” in RY 2011/12

By: Sec. Bob Hecks
April 30, 2011

“Reach within to Embrace Humanity” is the Rotary International theme for the Rotary year which starts on July 1st. Incoming RI President Kalyan Banerjee (India), quoting Mahatma Gandhi, has asked Rotarians worldwide to “Be the change you wish to see in the world”; thus “Change Presidents” is the call next year. At District 3830’s District Assembly (DISTAS), held last Saturday at the AIM Conference Centre, incoming District Governor Ismael (Billy) Villareal held to this aspiration as he led a well-organized and stimulating DISTAS.

District Assemblies are for training incoming Club officers and directors. In District 3830 we have seen over the years several examples of good coordinated training exercises and also of humdrum processions of “inspirational” guest speakers whose main function seemed to be to use up time. Last Saturday, DISTAS ran out of time to complete the series of useful workshop exercises but the lessons were learned in the implementing in the various breakout session rooms. There were no guest speakers.

DGE Billy wants D.3830 clubs to retain their members by training them better and involving them in the decision-making process. He emphasized that The Rotary Academy can help here. So it seems that RCMN’s problems in retaining new recruits are shared by many clubs. The incoming Governor also wants to make sure that our Public Relations function achieves awareness of Rotary activities in our communities. “Rotary International is very particular about this” said our Governor-to-be, showing his background as Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP.

There was plenty of coordination between what was said and done in the large Plenary room and in the small breakout session rooms. These came together well in the Team-Building and Finalizing Club Goals which regrouped participants into clubs and clusters instead of by functions within clubs. Most of us left feeling that closer cooperation between District and Clubs will produce a better RY 2011/12 for us all.