Rod McDougall

      President 2006-7

        Rotary Club of Strathfield

       The President's View

     Wednesday 20 June 2007

My thanks to Kevin Beltrame for an excellent travelling Rotarian presentation last week. After his talk, I almost felt as though I had been to Vietnam.

Another Rotary year draws to a close, and another president reflects on how "his year" has gone. I have certainly enjoyed my year and will report on the club's activities in the changeover bulletin. I hope that members will allow a little personal reflection in this my final bulletin column.

Looking back, apart from the opportunity to lead the club as it pursued its service initiatives, perhaps the most personally rewarding aspects of the year were the growth in my understanding of how Rotary achieves so much – and the opportunity to meet a great number of amazing people committed to the organisation.

Although a Rotarian for 13 years (yes, some will say, still a new-comer) my experience had been very much limited to the Rotary Club of Strathfield.

RI President Bill Boyd commented recently that Rotary has more influence in some parts of the world than the World Bank. After a year as president, and with the broadening of my Rotary horizons, I can now appreciate why this is so.

I encourage every member to consider standing for president. I know your life will be enriched by the experience.

I benefited this year from working with some exceptional people in the club. Individuals who, when a job needs doing, do not know how to say no. Presidents quickly learn who these people are - and rely on them, as I did, almost too heavily. I will thank each of them later.

Harley Tarrant is in this category and I enjoyed a benefit available to few presidents: I was able to lift the telephone and ask for help from a club member, who just happened to be the district governor!

The club now looks forward to a new president, a new board and new initiatives. I wish Brian Johnson and his team the best of success as they take us forward and show us how "Rotary Shares".

It has been a privilege to serve the club this year and I thank all members for the honour. I can truly attest that "It's great to be a Rotary .... president!"

President Rod