As an architect, I quickly learned the need to develop a vision of the whole structure before designing a single room. Yet in Rotary, we have done just the opposite. We began with one room and then kept adding on others without asking if they served an authentic purpose or if the inhabitants of the house really wanted these rooms. We have adopted increasingly confining rules, created a complicated structure of sometimes overlapping programs, and allowed district appointments to proliferate to the extent that the governors face unnecessary conflicts-all without fully considering the need for any of these additions. And in doing so, we have further widened the gap between the Rotary leadership and the grassroots Rotarians who are doing the real work of Rotary.

This new century gives us the opportunity to examine Rotary International today and consider how much of the elaborate structure we have created has any bearing on our true mission to support effective Rotary clubs. Let us begin now to simplify Rotary, stripping away the tangle of rules and regulations that strangle our best efforts to grow and to serve.

In doing so, we must keep in mind that Rotary International is an association of 29,000 autonomous clubs. Autonomy implies trust, and trust cannot exist in an atmosphere of over-regulation and micro-management. It's time to trust our clubs again and give them the opportunity to make their own decisions. In truth, this association needs to establish only a few explicit rules that clubs must accept as a provision for membership in Rotary International.

Along with too many rules, we also have created too many programs-some of which serve similar or overlapping functions. Rotary International and Rotary Foundation programs are meant to be tools for Rotarian service, yet they have become so complicated that many clubs don't even attempt to implement them. We must streamline these programs so that they can perform their original purpose of helping Rotarians to better serve humanity.

Any efforts to simplify Rotary must be done in an international context. In my travels this year, I have seen how Rotary means different things in different parts of the world. This diversity extends Rotary's reach and greatly enriches our organization. However, it also could give rise to regionalism, which would threaten the unity that is our greatest strength. In this era of globalization, it is essential that Rotary leaders develop an international vision, considering carefully the ramifications their decisions will have in every part of the Rotary world.

By keeping Rotary simple, more flexible and transparent, we can create a more unified vision and make it easier for all Rotarians to Act With Consistency, Credibility and Continuity.