Got to Believe in Magic!

July 1 is fast approaching. A little over three weeks from now, we will be unveiling a brand new Rotary year. Rotary International President-elect Stephanie Urchick has already announced that the 2024-25 presidential theme is “The Magic of Rotary”. She also called on Rotarians around the world to recognize and amplify the organization’s power to save lives.

What is the magic of Rotary? How does a Club manage to survive and sustain itself despite the headwinds and challenges? How does a Club continue to be an effective and inspiring tool for service to communities? Is there a magic behind all these?

If there is, the magic is most likely powered by volunteerism, the same animating spirit that has helped propel the Rotary Club of Manila to reach 105 years old. This is the kind of magic that engendered the RCM’s longevity, leadership, and legacy.

The magical sense of volunteerism of the members must be complemented by the inspiration infused by the leaders of the Club. Indeed, leadership plays a huge role in enabling an organization to meet its goals and objectives. For RCM, it is not just the leadership qualities of the President, but the collective leadership abilities and mindset of the elected members of the Board.

Leadership, as we all know, is a multifaceted concept that encompasses the ability to inspire, guide, and influence others towards achieving a common goal. It involves not just holding or occupying a position of authority, but also possessing the qualities and skills necessary to motivate and manage people effectively.

Specific to the Rotary Club of Manila, it may be good to ask: what exactly is the leadership style suited and needed to effectively make Asia’s First Club continue to grow and glow through memorable fellowships and meaningful service projects? How do we rally the troops, as they say? At its essence, leadership is all about setting a vision, communicating it clearly, and inspiring others to commit to that vision.

As the hope-creating year is about to come to an end, and as we are about to unfold The Magic of Rotary, it is good to see that the incoming RCM Board led by PE Jujut Enriquez is already seriously preparing to cast a magical spell that will enable the Club to soar and score big – not only in terms of life-changing projects, but also in terms of improving the over-all health of the organization.

This Rotary year has taught us that we can indeed create hope in the world. With this foundation, we can certainly believe in and cast our own magic, the spellbinding kind that can only spring from the deepest recesses of a true Rotarian’s heart.