While at the Rotary International Convention in Taipei in June, Rotarians had big decisions to make: Which breakout sessions should they attend? Topics range from the basics of Rotary’s Annual Fund to mentoring young leaders, from using technology to enhance learning to responsible grant management.
Because of Rotary’s focus on eradicating polio, local Rotarians Mary-Justine Lanyon and Armand LeSage chose to attend the session titled “Join the Experts: A Polio-Free World Is Possible.”
Mike McGovern, the chair of the Rotary International PolioPlus Committee, was joined by Valarie Wafer, who will succeed him as chair; Andre Suharto, the End Polio Now coordinator for 2023-2026; Aziz Memon of the Rotary Club of Karachi, a member of the International PolioPlus Committee; and Johrita Solari, chair of the Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force for the U.S.
“There are fewer cases this year than last,” McGovern said. “We will get this done. Together we will end polio.” And why? “Because we made a promise.”
Globally the cases of wild polio have been slashed from 350,000 cases to just seven as of June 2026 – four in Pakistan and three in Afghanistan.
“We live in a world full of bad news,” Solari said. “Polio eradication is some rare good news,” noting cases have been reduced by 99.9 percent.
Memon pointed to the importance of clean drinking water as “so many diseases are water borne. Hygiene is a big issue.”
All the speakers underscored the importance of getting out the message that there is nothing wrong with the vaccine.
Three Rotary International presidents: Olayinka “Yinka” Babalola of Nigeria, Francesco Arezzo of Italy and Larry Lunsford of the U.S.
The panel for “Beyond Burnout” included past RI President Gordon McInally. According to the World Health Organization, burnout “is a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” It includes three dimensions: physical and emotional exhaustion, mental distance and reduced effectiveness.
“We need to nurture our members,” McInally said. He noted he loves to garden. “I have to make sure a plant develops its roots.”
McInally went on to say we don’t become Rotarians immediately. What makes people stay in a club? “They stay because of belonging, being allowed to fulfill a passion.
“I encourage leaders to delegate,” he added. “Delegation is not abdication – it helps develop future leaders.”
Above all, McInally said, “make sure there is fun.”
“Managing Hard Conversations” was presented by husband and wife Ian and Jennifer Scott. They asked, what makes a conversation difficult? They pointed to three factors: high stakes, opposing opinions and strong emotions.
You need to ask yourself, the Scotts said, what the purpose of having the conversation is, what you hope to accomplish and what the ideal outcome would be.
Among the tips they offered were to have the conversation as soon as possible after whatever is triggering it. The time and place where you have the conversation is important. And use “I’ statements, not “you.”
The “Get to Know Your Presidents” session was informative and entertaining. The camaraderie between Francesco Arezzo, Olayinka “Yinka” Babalola and Larry Lunsford was apparent to the full house.
Lunsford, who will be the 2027-2028 RI president, announced the goal of achieving 1.25 million members by 2030, the 125th anniversary of Rotary. “We need to create an intentional desire to grow as a service project to ourselves,” he said.
Yinka, the 2026-2027 RI president, noted that a “new member is not just a member – they are an asset.” As for newly formed clubs, he said some people see them as competition. Instead, Yinka said, “they open up opportunities.”
When Arezzo, the 2025-2026 RI president, asked how important diversity is to a new club, Lunsford said that “we embrace diversity. We are in a better place than we’ve ever been.” We all need to ask ourselves this question, he said: “If your club reflective of your community or reflective of the community you’ve built in your club?”
“We’ve learned a lot about peace this year,” Arezzo said. “What can we do?”
“Sometimes I think it’s too big for me,” Yinka said. “With everything we do, we need to ask how it can lead to peace. Will this make things better?”
In addition to attending general sessions, breakout sessions and the House of Friendship, Rotarians from District 5330 got together at The Grand Hotel for a district dinner. The buffet offered more selections than any one person could eat. The evening gave us all a chance to compare notes on what we had learned, new connections we had made and suggestions we were taking home with us.
Next stop: Barcelona, June 26-30, 2027.
To become involved with Rotary at the local level, contact one of the three Rim-area clubs:
- Crestline-Lake Gregory, President Mary-Justine Lanyon
- Lake Arrowhead, President Jeri Simpson
- Lake Arrowhead Mountain Sunrise, President Corina Colan
0 Comments