“The youth is the hope of our future” – Dr. Jose Rizal
Like Rotary International, our very own national hero Dr. Jose Rizal believed in the Youth, way before Rotarians decided to celebrate every May as Youth Service Month.
Youth Service Month gives Rotarians the opportunity to highlight programs we embark in our club/district in developing the next generation of leaders. Our programs like RYLA, Interact Clubs, and Rotaract Clubs help younger leaders build leadership skills, expand education and learn the value of service.
The youth has the power to create change therefore Rotarians should be involved because they hold the key to the future of prosperity and peace. The youth are our community development partners. Thus, we should give them chances to speak and guide them because they have new idealism, enthusiasm, and courage to make our world better.
We should allow the youth/new generations to create change and challenge themto be the real hope of our future. Rotarians can do this by being the best role models or mentors to Interactors and Rotaractors. The youth sees what we do and hear what we say. We influence them a lot.
Although sometimes, it is the other way around. Interactors and Rotaract club members infuse fresh and young blood into the rotary clubs, pumping the hearts with enthusiasm and vigor to continue life-changing projects. They are, therefore, not the leaders of tomorrow. They are the leaders now, which the youth should really be.
Youth can be either literal or psychological. While we consider the Interactors and Rotaractors, younger than us, Rotarians, by age, we must know that youth is a state of mind and so we can still belong to the “youth”. I say this without sounding like I want to be young forever, which most of us wish we are. Nobody needs to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world or make it better.
“Youth has no age”, according to the famous painter, Pablo Picasso who was born in 1881. He was a most influential Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. The diversity of what he did amazes people up to this age.
Recently, the District 3850 took pride when the Rotaract Club of Bacolod Marapara won a bagful of trophies at the 2022 Pilipinas GEAR Awards for outstanding and exemplary Rotaract Clubs held in Pasay City.
RAC Bacolod-Marapara, one of some 500 Rotaract Clubs in the Philippines, took top honors in the category of the most outstanding Rotaract Club project in basic education and literacy with the club's extensive computer literacy program for disadvantaged children.
The Pilipinas Rotaract Awards Committee said the program was relevant, effective and efficiently implemented, collaborative, and innovative, and provides a sustainable impact to the local community.
The committee further recognized Marapara as an exemplary club with strong leadership through club president Carmela Kristina Dueñas and past president Lander Leonillo, who received a Meritorious Service Award.
In another note, as I journey towards the end of my term as District Governor of RID 3850, I am elated with the achievements in terms of giving to The Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Club of Zamboanga City West exceeded expectations and was bitten by the “love for Rotary” bug and emerged as the club with the highest all-time giving to The Rotary Foundation of District 3850 as of May 24, 2022.
The Rotary Club of Metro Iloilo came second, but perhaps when I visit them in June 2022 they will surpass their goals and maintain their status as the club with the highest TRF giving in District 3850. The Rotary Club of Zamboanga City, my home club, is third in rank. We will do our best to improve our district ranking. I am so thankful for the generosity of the members of these clubs and may God bless them more. This June, I will reach out to clubs once again and encourage the clubs to be Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) club.
The latest TRF Annual Fund giving as of May 24, 2022 now stands at USD 250,893.00, 13% more than our TRF goal of USD 222,222.22. Fascinating, the figures keep on changing every week. My heart has been overflowing with gratitude.
What is very significant is that the per capita giving has reached $187.12 dollars. In Zone 10A, Philippines, District 3850 ranks second in Per Capita giving. This is a remarkable and outstanding feat, a measure of the District’s strength and as I always say the triumph of the generous spirits of Rotarians in our district.Every Rotarian deserves a pat on the back. Thank you.
I am humbled by the unity and generosity of life-changing Rotarians of District 3850. I will continue to campaign for TRF contribution because I know 50% of the TRF Annual Fund will come to District 3850 by RY 2025-2026 to do good in our community.
Lastly, our “Life Changing Rotary Wheelchair” through TRF District Grant is still ongoing. We are awaiting full delivery of four wheelchairs for all 54 Rotary Clubs and 2 Satellite clubs in District 3850. We expect to change 224 lives through this Rotary district grant amounting to USD28,300.00.
With a month to go, we will continue to do our best to serve and change lives, then I will hand over the baton of leadership to Incoming District Governor John Michael “Kano” Ng, RFMD, who is now in full steam training our district’s dream team to imagine and do more good in this world.
Life Changing Rotarians, let us continue doing good in this world for the Rotary Years to come, let us support the incoming dream team of District 3850 in every way we can!!!
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