Programme for week commencing 4th December, 2014

Click 4 Action eRotary Secretary and District 1100 Membership Chair Tim Mason, develops his passion for how Rotary can really be an organisation that boasts ‘We’re for Communities’ in the 21st Century.

Interestingly yesterday the UK headlines have been about the Chancellor’s Statement, no we are not going to get political, however we are going to advocate realism and recognition. The world finds itself in financial turmoil, austerity the order of the day, funding is no longer plentiful and new directions are being sought just to keep services going.

So perhaps what is needed is not loads of moans and groans, but new thinking and a readiness to develop projects where sustainability and self-sufficiency is the order of the day.

Rotary and Rotarians can be in the forefront of helping to change how communities do things and encourage enterprise, so the people living in our communities are in control of how it develops and cares for each other. We in Click 4 Action eRotary love the ideas of the Transition Network and ABCD Asset Building, here we believe Rotary should and can be a key player.

Why don’t we as Rotary consider a new way of funding projects through Social Impact Investment? Let’s get involved in the game and get others to join our team as well…..

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bpe_dAOL2M?rel=0]

So what can we do as Rotary?

• Question where does our Club store its money? Are we using ethical and social investment bodies? If not, should we change?
• If we raise funds should we give it as a gift or as a loan through a micro-financing scheme or crowd funding opportunity?
• Who do we partner with in our communities, can we help develop new vision and ways of doing things?

Rotary believed by importing the Visioning Scheme from Australia we could start thinking of a new way forward for Rotary and growing our membership. Perhaps we need to think more about Social Investment Impact and how this might help us become a key player in Community Development that encourages sustainability and self-sufficiency?

Rotary is built on Service

Much of the reason why Rotary and Rotarians have been so successful over the years has been our commitment through action to Social Investment, the ethos of Service above Self and using our vocational skills, experience and talents. To continue we must stick to these key objectives and encourage others to join in, recognising we need to change with the financial climate and helping others to change how we do things. If we are to continue to help with raising funds in our communities, let’s get onboard the Social Investment Wagon and help to get our communities involved in self-investment.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP5X6vYrI4U?rel=0]

We advocate that Rotary promotes the concept of Collective Impact – less gazing at our navels, but engaging with our communities and advocating change. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Rotary Conferences were all about Social Investment and how we can help facilitate this revolution in doing good?