As you know, our district is being redrawn to include a much larger area. Wendy Gilson, Assistant Governor Sunshine South, informed us that the vote on redistricting was as follows:
- 50 clubs (75% of all clubs in the district) voted
- 42 clubs (64% of the district) accepting the proposal
As a new Rotarian, I assumed it was just an 'administrative' thing. It wasn't until I ventured to another club that I heard people saying things about leaving Rotary because of this change, so I thought I'd share my thoughts. It is unfortunate that people feel disengaged, disenchanted and excluded when change is forced from a centralised power. BUT that is why we have our club. In our club, we can host a golf day that supplies wetsuits to LifeFlight to save lives, or we can work with other local clubs to build a house to support women and children leaving violent relationships, and at the same time we can link with clubs around the world to eradicate a disease globally. For all the frustration that centralisation causes people on the ground, Ken Hinkly's presentation on the interdependence between Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation, and the fact that this great humanitarian organisation has been serving the community for over 100 years is testament to its strength, its benefit to the community and its relevance today.
