Forty Years of Service to the Global Community
Dear Sir,
Every year, World Rotaract Week honors the chartering of the first club in North Carolina, USA, on 13 March 1968. This week, we celebrate 40 years of service to our global community.
Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. Rotaract clubs are either community or university based, and are sponsored by a local Rotary club. This makes us true "partners in service" and key members of the family of Rotary. As one of Rotary's most significant and fastest-growing service programs, with more than 7,000 clubs in about 163 countries and geographical areas, Rotaract has become a worldwide phenomenon.
For the first time in the history of our islands, the Cayman Islands boasts two successful, thriving Rotaract Clubs - the Rotaract Club of Grand Cayman (sponsored by the Rotary Sunrise) and Rotaract Blue, Cayman Islands (sponsored by Rotary Central).
Made up of a diverse mix of young persons, Rotaract Clubs begin at the local, grassroots level, with members addressing their communities' physical and social needs while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service.
Over the past six months alone, local Rotaract Club projects have included refurbishing multiple homes damaged by Hurricane Ivan; visiting and providing various treat or sponsored days out to the children living at the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, the Nadine Andreas Children's Home, the Frances Bodden Children's Home, the Bonaventure Boys' Homes and the Young Parents' Program; partnering with a local business to sponsor and mentor a Junior Achievement company; partnering with the Lean on Me Foundation to raise funds for persons facing medical emergencies; delivering food with Meals on Wheels; beach clean ups; beautification projects; partnering with the Humane Society - the list goes on.
Crucially, Rotaractors make many more quiet contributions that simply go unreported but which make our community and our world a better place to live.
The dedication of Cayman's Rotaractors flies in the face of all notions that ours is a wasted generation. Here are two distinct groups of young people who commit each week, despite a million temptations to do otherwise, to the one Rotaract Motto - Fellowship through Service. They delicately balance family, study and career obligations to meet needs that would otherwise go un-met.
As we mark 40 years of "Rotaracting", please join me in applauding, encouraging and celebrating our Cayman Rotaract Clubs and the Rotarians who selflessly mentor and support them.
Rotaractors are not the leaders of tomorrow. We are the dedicated and passionate change-makers of today.
Dorothy Scott
Asst. Rotaract District Governor - District 7020.