by: Rtn. Chuck
Montecillo
(a message from R.I. President, Carlo Ravizza. The Rotarian April 2000 Issue)
Keep Rotary Simple
Were Rotary's founding fathers to return
today, they would be amazed at the changes in Rotary. But along with marveling at the
organization's progress and growth, they might look with dismay at the bureaucracy that
has mushroomed throughout the years. Over the past few decades, Rotary has wrapped itself
in an increasingly complex and rigid structure of rules-many of which have little or no
relevance to the business of serving our communities.
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.
Carlo Ravizza
President, R.I. |