Dear members of the Rotary family,
May is Rotary's month of Youth Service - a time to
focus on young people, their talents, their questions, their energy and their
future. Rotary's youth programs, including Youth Exchange, RYLA and Rotaract,
help young people develop leadership, service, international understanding and
lasting relationships.
Last year, iPDG Christoph Blaser reminded us that
young people are not only our future; they are also the people who will keep
Rotary alive and carry it forward. That message remains highly relevant. We
must not only support young people - we must also listen to them and involve
them.
The analysis of 75 action plans - 69 Rotary clubs and 6
Rotaract clubs - shows a strong and encouraging picture: Youth Service in
District 1980 is alive, diverse and deeply rooted. It is visible in Youth
Exchange, where clubs open doors to the world. It is visible in RYLA, where
young adults develop confidence, leadership and responsibility. It is visible
in Rotaract, where young people do not merely receive Rotary's support, but
actively shape service themselves.
Youth Service is also visible in ROKJ, in KidsCamp,
and in vocational projects such as VISITE, LIFT, Schnuppi/Schnuppy, Meet the
Boss, Meet the Professionals and Berufswahl-Speeddating. These initiatives help
young people find their path, understand the world of work and build trust in
their own abilities.
A particularly inspiring part of our district's Youth
Service landscape is the promotion of young talent through music contests and
prizes. Examples from the club action plans include Prix Rotary Music, the
Rotary Musikpreis Unterwalden, Prix Rotary Select / Prix-Rotary Sélection, and
other local school, music and talent awards. These projects show that Youth
Service is not only about solving problems. It is also about recognizing
potential, encouraging excellence and giving young people a stage.
What impresses me most is the breadth of engagement.
In some clubs, Youth Service means sponsoring exchange students or RYLA
participants. In others, it means supporting disadvantaged children, organizing
camps, helping young people find apprenticeships, awarding prizes for music or
school achievements, or simply giving a young person the chance to speak with
adults who believe in them.
There
is no single correct model. A large club may support several programs. A
smaller club may begin with one RYLA participant, one ROKJ case, one school
project, one music prize or one Rotaract activity. What matters is not the size
of the project, but the seriousness of our commitment.
Youth Service also works best when we Team Up. Clubs
cooperate regionally in Youth Exchange, ROKJ, vocational orientation, music
prizes and fundraising. Rotary clubs work with schools, municipalities, social
organizations, apprenticeship networks and families. Rotaractors join hands-on
projects, bring fresh ideas and remind us how Rotary looks through the eyes of
a younger generation.
This is also a membership question. If Rotary wants to
remain relevant, we must stay close to young people. Invite them. Mentor them.
Give them responsibility. Ask them what they see that we may not yet see. A
former exchange student, a RYLA participant, a Rotaractor or a young
professional involved in a vocational project may become a lifelong friend of
Rotary - and perhaps one day a Rotarian.
For the month of May, I invite every club in District
1980 to take one concrete Youth Service step: sponsor a RYLA participant, host
a former exchange student, invite Rotaract to a project, support ROKJ, offer a
career conversation, or recognize young talent in music, school, sport or
service.
Youth Service begins when we stop speaking only about
and to young people and start speaking with them. When we do this, we
strengthen not only young people - we strengthen Rotary itself.
Let us Team Up with the next generation.
With warm Rotary greetings,
Unite for Good – Team Up!
John
