Difficult to be a Rotarian

This is a difficult time to be a Rotarian, as neither Fellowship nor Service to Others are particularly easy to practise in these days of enforced “social distancing” and/ or “self-isolation”.

So, does that mean that Rotary is suspended for the foreseeable future?

Certainly not! Rotarians are nothing if not resilient and able to adapt to circumstances.

There are ways to continue fellowship without face-to-face meetings.

Clubs are forming WhatsApp groups and using both phone conferencing and video conferencing to hold meetings. Sometimes all Club Members, sometimes members of Club Committees join in, so that both fellowship and planning for the future can continue.

Similarly, our national governing body, Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland, has circulated guidance on how Rotarians can work with local groups supporting the vulnerable and isolated, including practical tasks such as delivering food parcels and emergency supplies to older people.

So, you may not see Rotarians, identifiable as such, out on the streets collecting money for our “End Polio Now” campaign or running Charity Golf Tournaments, as many would be doing in a normal spring and summer, but rest assured that they are still meeting, planning and performing “Service above Self”.

These are the things that Rotarians do best!

For more information on this and any other aspect of Rotary contact secretary@rotary1020.org.