I would like to express my deep honour in serving as President and my excitement for the upcoming Rotary year. Rotary International has chosen an inspiring motto for this year: "Create Hope in the World." After enduring several challenging years, this motto truly resonates with me. I believe that we can start by inspiring hope within ourselves and then extend that hope to our community.

I am proud to say that our club has already made significant strides in this regard. Over the years, our outreach efforts, such as the successful fundraisers like Tour de Guelph and the Pasta Dinner, as well as smaller initiatives like the Chalmers Baskets at Christmas and our recent work on combating human trafficking, have made a tangible impact. These endeavours demonstrate our club's commitment to reaching out and making a positive change in the world.

My hope for this year is that we can foster a sense of compassion and a spirit of giving within our own club. Let us extend a helping hand to our fellow members when they are in need, offering them the same grace and support that we so readily provide to our community.  Secondly, I would like to continue our recent efforts in promoting and sharing our stories. Rotary is a gift that I personally did not fully appreciate until recently, and by showcasing the positive impact of Rotary, we can offer this gift of giving back to our entire community. By doing so, we are likely to attract like-minded individuals who may not have known they were searching for an opportunity like this.

 

Let's make this year a remarkable one where we work together as friends, welcoming new individuals and embracing all they have to offer with grace and charm. By creating hope within our club and community, we will undoubtedly contribute to creating hope in the world.