Rotary Serving Humanity - Presidential theme for 2016/17 announced
Posted
on Jan 18, 2016
Rotary International President-elect, John F Germ, unveiled the annual Presidential theme for the Rotary year 2016/17 at the International Assembly in San Diego, California. Rotary Serving Humanity highlights the service focus of Rotary and its global dimension and reach.
On the 1st of July of every year, Rotary effects a change of leadership within all 34,000 Clubs worldwide, within all the Districts and at the International level. With this change comes new ideas, new people, adjustments to objectives and goals within the longer term strategic plans and also a new theme. The annual rotation, from which Rotary gets its name, is a reset process along a clear path.
change comes new ideas, new people, adjustments to objectives and goals within the longer term strategic plans and also a new theme. The annual rotation, from which Rotary gets its name, is a reset process along a clear path.While there has been much thought about how effective it may be to have this level of frequency of change in leadership, the annual term of leaders has proven to focus their attention to get their agenda implemented within their year.
With the annual change comes a change in the presidential theme. While this change brings new theme logos that accompany the consistent Rotary branding, the theme is much more than a logo. It is also a sense of direction and emphasis for that year. Rotary International President-elect John F Germ, a member of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, unveiled the 2016-17 presidential theme, Rotary Serving Humanity, to incoming district governors on 18 January 2016 at the International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA.
“I believe everyone recognizes the opportunity to serve Rotary for what it truly is: not a small opportunity, but a great one; an opportunity of a lifetime to change the world 
for the better, forever through Rotary’s service to humanity,” said Germ. Rotary members around the globe are serving humanity by providing clean water to underdeveloped communities, promoting peace in conflict areas, and strengthening communities through basic education and literacy. But none more important than our work to eradicate polio worldwide, he said. The key words of Serving and Humanity highlight the service mission of Rotary and its global reach and capabilities which are unsurpassed by any other NGO with over 1.2 million Rotarians in the field.
for the better, forever through Rotary’s service to humanity,” said Germ. Rotary members around the globe are serving humanity by providing clean water to underdeveloped communities, promoting peace in conflict areas, and strengthening communities through basic education and literacy. But none more important than our work to eradicate polio worldwide, he said. The key words of Serving and Humanity highlight the service mission of Rotary and its global reach and capabilities which are unsurpassed by any other NGO with over 1.2 million Rotarians in the field.After a historic year in which transmission of the wild poliovirus was stopped in Nigeria and all of Africa, Germ said we are closer than ever to ending polio. “We are at a crossroads in Rotary,” he added. “We are looking ahead at a year that may one day be known as the greatest year in Rotary’s history: the year that sees the world’s last case of polio.”
Last year’s milestones leave just two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the virus still circulates. Polio would be only the second human disease ever to be eradicated.
Germ, a member of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, encouraged attendees to return to their clubs and communities and spread the word about Rotary’s role in the fight for a polio-free world. “People who want to do good will see that Rotary is a place where they can change the world. Every Rotary club needs to be ready to give them that opportunity,” Germ said. He added: “We need more willing hands, more caring hearts, and more bright minds to move our work forward.”
Rotary International News Story re Theme 2016-2017