Three things become crystal clear to me as I became the newest member of the DG Track. One is, people expect a lot from the sitting District Governor, two, people poke a lot of fun at the DGND. The “wanna – be” is the joking term. My response to most of it was, no, not wanna-be, gotta-be. The third item: we need to change to survive. This is the biggie.
My goal in planning and moving through the DG track is two fold:
1) To change the perception of Rotary to people on the outside. By giving the general population a diametric opposite visual of the stereotypical Rotary leader, it is my hope that they will see the organization as diversified. The reality is, it is. We are probably one of the most diversified organizations in the world, but noone except those in Rotary know that.
2) To change the perception of the leadership within the district. Most of our members have little idea what “the district” actually does. Most DG’s visit clubs with their hand out – reminding them of the importance of giving to the foundation, their “duty”, etc. I want to flip that around and remind the clubs that the district is here to serve them. Have a project idea – we can help. Need information – we can point you in the right direction. The district exists to support the clubs – end of story. We fail at that, we fail at everything.
I also want members to see that it is more then possible to maintain a life and still be a big part of the district leadership. It is my hope, that if I do this well, that more leaders will step up and volunteer for district positions. That is the only way change will take place. While PDG’s are certainally valuable mentors, having all district positions filled by them is counter-productive to progress. Most are set in their ways, most rely on experience, most rely on what has worked in the past. And while it is not my intention to devalue those experiences, we need to encourage new blood to come in to offer their skill set and move forward.
It’s a balancing act indeed.
The 2 installments of you article make an interesting read. I laughed at the “I do not fit the typical DG profile”. Conforming to the typical profile is what makes Rotary remain the best kept SECRET which is not what the organization needs.
I quite agree with your opinions on the relationship of the District and the Club. It will be great if more District Leaders recognize (and practice) that the District exists to support the Club in meeting their goals.
I think that more district efforts should be expended on providing this assistance to Clubs rather than trying to do “District Projects” that are not local club-related or done in conjunction with any local Rotary Club.