Presidential Message - July 2017

Ian H.S. Riseley
President 2017-18

There are as many reasons to come to Rotary as there are Rotarians – maybe even a few more. But each of us has stayed in Rotary because it adds something to our own lives. Through Rotary, we are Making a Difference in the world; and the more involved we become, the more of a difference Rotary makes to each of us. Rotary challenges us to become better people: to become ambitious in the ways that matter, to strive for higher goals, and to incorporate Service Above Self into our daily lives.

What kind of difference Rotary clubs and individual Rotarians make through their service will always be their own decision. As an organization, we are guided by the three strategic priorities our Board has set in our strategic plan: to support and strengthen our clubs, to focus and increase our humanitarian service, and to enhance Rotary's public image and awareness.

In the year ahead, our clubs will have the support of a greatly augmented array of online tools, including a refreshed Rotary.org, a simplified Rotary Foundation grant application process, an improved My Rotary experience, and a rebuilt Rotary Club Central. As we look to strengthen our clubs, two specific challenges stand out in our membership: our gender balance and our average age. To keep our clubs strong, we need to build a membership that reflects the communities we serve and that will continue to develop knowledgeable leaders for generations to come.

For many years, one idea has stood at the heart of all our service: sustainability. Sustainable service means our work continues to have a positive impact long after Rotary's direct involvement has ended. We don't dig wells and walk away; we make sure communities can maintain and repair those wells. If we build a clinic, we make sure that clinic has a way to keep running without ongoing support from us. And when it comes to polio, we aren't working to contain it; we're working to end it.

Eradicating polio is the ultimate in sustainable service. It is an investment that will yield not just a long-lasting but a permanent benefit, on a global scale. It is and must remain our No. 1 priority until the job is done.

For 112 years, Rotary has made a difference to more lives, in more ways, than we can ever count or will ever know. Today, each of us bears a torch, its flame lit by Paul Harris, that has been passed forward from generation to generation, in Rotary: Making a Difference.

Presidential Message - June 2017

Ian H.S. Riseley
President 2017-18

Ian H.S. Riseley is a chartered accountant and principal of Ian Riseley and Co., a firm he established in 1976. Prior to starting his own firm, he worked in the audit and management consulting divisions of large accounting firms and corporations. His firm specializes in income tax and management advice for individuals and small businesses. He has a master’s degree in taxation law and graduate diplomas in accounting and income tax.

Riseley has been a member of the boards of both a private and a public school, a member of the Community Advisory Group for the City of Sandringham, and involved in Sea Scouts and sporting groups, as well as honorary auditor or adviser for a number of charitable organizations.

Riseley’s honors include the AusAID Peacebuilder Award from the Australian government in recognition of his work in East Timor, the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the Australian community, the Distinguished Service Award and the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World from The Rotary Foundation.

A Rotarian since 1978, Riseley has served as treasurer, director, Foundation trustee, and member and chair of numerous RI and Foundation committees.

He and his wife, Juliet, a past district governor, are Major Donors and Bequest Society members of The Rotary Foundation. They live on seven hectares at Moorooduc, where they practice their personal philosophy of sustainable and organic living. They have two children and four grandchildren.

Presidential Message - May 2017

John F. Germ
President 2016-17

As you read these lines, final preparations are well underway for our 108th Rotary International Convention, 10-14 June in Atlanta. We're looking forward to one of the biggest and best Rotary conventions yet, as we celebrate not only a wonderful year of Rotary Serving Humanity, but a full century of Doing Good in the World through The Rotary Foundation.

If you haven't already made plans to attend, it's not too late to register at riconvention.org. There is simply no better way to round off another great year in Rotary than by coming together with 40,000 or so of your fellow Rotarians to share ideas, find inspiration, and have a great time together.

We're excited to have Bill Gates, a friend and partner in our work to eradicate polio, speaking at our convention this year. And it's worth arriving early to attend a special Presidential Peace Conference, scheduled for 9-10 June and featuring Bernice A. King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.

I'm proud to host a convention that is practically in my own backyard: Atlanta is a vibrant, modern state capital just a two-hour drive from my home city of Chattanooga, Tenn., and it's a great place to experience the famous hospitality of the American South. Our Host Organization Committee has a great week planned, starting with the "Blue Jeans and Bluegrass" kickoff event on Saturday night.

Come on over to Centennial Olympic Park, right across from the House of Friendship, and get in a dancing mood with Grammy Award winner Ricky Skaggs and his Kentucky Thunder band. Meet up with friends old and new at the Centennial Celebration Block Party or on the Peace Tour of Atlanta. Roll up your sleeves for the Habitat Home Build, or tie up your laces to take part in the 3K Walk/Run to End Polio Now. And before you say goodbye, come back to the House of Friendship for one more party: our Foundation's 100th birthday party, with (of course!) cake and ice cream.

It's going to be an incredible experience, and Judy and I are looking forward to celebrating with you – or, as we say in the South, with y'all! See you in Atlanta!

The Four-Way Test

Of the things we think, say or do:

1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Rotary's Mottos are:
Service Above Self and One Profits Most Who Serves Best

RI Presidents Theme 2017/2018