PROCEEDINGS
Rotary Institute
Zones 23 &
24
San Diego, California
Sam Greene, Director/Convenor
Opening Banquet—President Ravizza’s Speech
RI PRESIDENT CARLO RAVIZZA CONGRATULATES, CHALLENGES ROTARIANS AT OPENING BANQUET
An overflow crowd, including more than 700 Rotarians from local clubs, greeted 1999-2000 Rotary International President Carlo Ravizza and his wife Rossana at the opening banquet. Bill McDade of the Rotary Club of San Diego and District Governor Elect of District 5340 called the session to order. The Marine Corps Band provided music and later played the national anthems of the United States and Italy. Pat Crowell, PDG District 4340, introduced the head table, which included: President Ravizza and his wife Rossana, Crowell and his wife Margaret, Alejandro Orfila, McDade and his wife Carol, Rotary Director Sam Greene and his wife Caki, and Zone Institute General Chairs Ron and Vicki Beaubien. Crowell introduced Director Greene, who welcomed the participants and guests, saluted the organizing committee and defined the purpose of the Zone Institute: “To bring together past, present, and future leaders to be brought up to date and inspired to continue their good work for Rotary.” Alejandro Orfila, former Ambassador to the United States from Argentina and an honorary member of the Rotary Club of San Diego, made a special presentation to President Ravizza of San Diego county Merlot made with “Consistency, credibility, and continuity.” Director Greene introduced President Ravizza, who, with Rossana, will be attending eight zone institutes in the next few weeks.
President Ravizza’s remarks:
He compared the “paradise” of San Diego to the ravages and ruins of Kosovo, which he recently visited. We have so much, he said, and they have so little. They need $3 million just to get through the next winter. President Carlo listed the challenges Rotary faces:
1. Polio eradication. Rotary still needs $400 million to complete the campaign. It is still a heavy battled. “We will win the battle and be able to celebrate the certification of a world free of the wild polio virus by the year 2005.” “Rotary, President Ravizza said, “will have played a major role with our partners in eliminating this scourge from the planet.”
2. Membership. Heavy losses have occurred in the last two years, especially in the United States. In some countries Rotary is in danger of becoming “an old man’s club.” Extension has slowed down and there are problems with extending Rotary into former Communist block countries. Each country wants to be its own district, but it is not numerically possible or practical. There are language, cultural, and historical problems involved with combining countries in districts. A special committee is studying extension in and into Islamic countries. He linked loss of membership to the need for strong programs of membership retention in every club. He cited the need to keep Rotary simple and to streamline the processes and procedures of our organization and its Foundation. “If the rules are outdated or too technical, they should be revised or dropped,” he said. “If we cannot respect the rules—let’s change the rules.” “I’ve talked to you previously about the three C’s: consistency, credibility, and continuity. Let me now add two more C’s: courage to change. We must listen to the grass roots in our organization and use their creative ideas to change. We must not change Rotary for the sake of change, but for the sake of all those who depend on our humanitarian service.”
President Ravizza complimented the districts represented in Zones 23 and 24 and cited areas in which the zone has led the way in the world of Rotary. “But there is still much to do and the needs for our service grow each day and each decade,” he said. “With the quality I see here I know Rotary is in great hands. We will solve many of the problems of mankind together through Rotary in the years to come.”
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