Back to the Basics
20 January 2003

Later this week Governor Elect Jones Wong will join governor elects all over the world to attend the International Assembly at Anaheim. This is the much celebrated and talked about training for all incoming governors and their spouse and is mandatory.

One of the highlights would be the unveiling of next year's theme by President Elect Jonathan Majiyagbe. One can safely assume that by this time next week, Rotarians all over the world should know the theme and emphases of the incoming leader, if they are minded to find out.

Since President Bhichai Rattakul took office, he had repeatedly reminded us that he had consciously and deliberately not introduced any new programme so that Rotarians could concentrate on the basics enshrined in the four Avenues of Service, adding that it would be these basics which would result in a strong well-balanced club.

Our institution has survived nearly 100 years and has generated numerous leaders, and many of them have left us wisdom that could last our organization a very long time. Just as successive leaders have always expounded Rotary's Ideals of Service and tried to make Rotary more relevant with the times, the annual theme must therefore be seen in this context, or more specifically as a tool to help us learn more about Rotary through service.

It follows that Rotarians must always follow through the projects they have committed to carry out, at club level and at district level. At the end of the day, it will be the work of Rotarians that would make Rotary visible or felt in the community. It follows that if each club in a district does the basics well, we would have a strong district, and so on. It is therefore logical that each club should respond positively to the appeal of President Bhichai Rattakul to organize a centennial community project as a collective gift to the world to mark Rotary's centennary.