President's Message - May 2022
May 2022
Dear Rotarians
We have now reached the 11th month of Rotary Year 117 and this month May, is Rotary International’s youth service month.
The Rotary Club of Royal Hua Hin has been proud to sponsor two Rotaract clubs, sadly in 2021 Webster University have withdrawn their campuses here in Thailand and Webster Rotaract Club who was sponsored by us in 2013 was disbanded.
Stamford International University who was sponsored in 2016 has also struggled in recent years due to online learning, and the once vibrant, enthusiastic Rotaractors who were first to engage in community projects and fundraising have had to step back due to restrictions caused by Covid-19. Sadly, many of these students have now graduated and left the university.
I had the pleasure of working with them on the “all for one and one for all projects, the last being in March 2021, the work and enthusiasm at the police border schools was exemplary and epitomised what Rotary is all about.
Through the work of the Youth Services Chair Benjamas, a drive to get new students to join the Stamford International Rotaract club has proven successful, a new President Elect Miss Nitcha Punpang will take up office soon, and Nitcha along with four other Rotaractors will attend the District Training Event this month.
I also look forward to our Rotaractors joining our installation dinner on the 23rd July this year.
In recent years we have seen the evolution and development of Rotaractors, including the expansion of Rotary membership to include Rotaract clubs.
Rotaract’s elevated status within the organisation was approved by Rotary’s Council on Legislation in 2019 as part of an ongoing effort to make Rotary more appealing and welcoming to young professionals. “We keep telling Rotarians to find a way to bring in young people, when we have them already and we seem to forget them,” says 2018-19 Rotary President Barry Rassin. It was Rassin who formally proposed expanding the definition of Rotary membership to include both Rotary and Rotaract.
One of the more notable changes has been the removal of Rotaract’s upper age limit, members of Rotaract will no longer be required to leave their club when they turn 31. Clubs will still be able to set their own age limit, if they wish.
Other changes now state that New Rotaract clubs won’t have to rely on a Rotary club to sponsor them; they can now sponsor themselves or choose another Rotaract club as their sponsor. And Rotaractors are now eligible — and encouraged — to serve alongside Rotarians on district and RI committees.
Rotaract clubs will also gain more support from Rotary International, including access to administrative tools on My Rotary and the option to subscribe to the digital edition of The Rotarian magazine. As the transition from Rotary program to membership type gets underway, the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation also plan to discuss whether Rotaract clubs should be eligible to apply for Foundation grants.
Yours in Rotary,
Phil Lawrence.
President 2021-2022
