ROTARY INTERNATIONAL WORLD HEADQUARTERS:
One Rotary Centre, 1560 Sherman Ave, Evanston, Illinois, 60201, U.S.
Telephone: 847 866 3000. Fax: 847 328 8554.

General officers of R.I. for 2004-05
President, Glenn E. Estess, Sr., Shades Valley, Ala., U.S.A.; President-elect, Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar, Goteborg, Sweden; Vice President, John F. Germ, Chattanooga, Tenn., U.S.A.; Treasurer, David D. Morgan, Porthcawl, Wales; Directors, Ronald L. Beaubien, Coronado, Calif., U.S.A.; Jocelyn I. Bolante, Paranaque South, Philippines; John J. Eberhard, London, Ont., Canada; Serge Gouteyron, Denain-Bouchain, France; Sushil Gupta, Delhi Midwest, India; Solve Kernell, Kalmar, Sweden; David Linett, Somerville and Bridgewater, N.J., U.S.A.; Michael D. McCullough, Trenton, Mich., U.S.A.; Yoshikazu Minamisono, Hofu, Japan; G. Kenneth Morgan, Chapel Hill, N.C., U.S.A.; Luiz Coelho De Oliveira, Limeira-Leste, Brazil; Jose Antonio Salazar Cruz, Bogota Occidente, Colombia; Sakuji Tanaka, Yashio, Japan; Constant A.G.M. Tempelaars, Vianen-Vreeswijk, The Netherlands; Rodger W. Wagner, Scottsdale, Ariz., U.S.A. General Secretary: Edwin H. Futa, East Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.

R.I. South Pacific, Philippines Office
McNamara Centre, Level 2, 100 George Street, Parramatta, N.S.W., 2150 or P.O. Box 1415, Parramatta, N.S.W., 2124. Telephone: (02) 9635 3537. Fax: (02) 9689 3169. Office hours: Open daily from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except weekends and public holidays. Administration: Manager, John Tucker; Co-ordinator, Leanne Mackenzie; Literature Clerk, Michelle Fuller; Receptionist, Barbara Stuart. Club and District Administration (formerly service): Supervisor, Tony Quinn; Correspondent, Sherrine de Silva: Finance Supervisor, Brian Carroll; Co-ordinators, John Jiang and Wendy Tran; Assistant, Rebecca Tucker; Junior finance assistant, Cecille Costelo; The Rotary Foundation: Supervisor, Terry Davies; TRF Assistant, Amabel Pante. How to e-mail staff: Start with the staff member's last name (up to seven letters), then add first letter of the first name, except John Jiang (jiangx) followed by @rotaryintl.org Example: smithj@rotaryintl.org for John Smith.
R.I. Internet address:www.rotary.org

Rotary Down Under - The Council
R.I. Past Director John Thorne, District Governors Axel Handevitt-Haar (D9450), John Iriks (D9460), Hugh Langridge (D9470), Katina Jones (D9500), Euan Miller (D9520), Trevor Williams (D9550), John Ker (D9570), Robert Jeffery (D9600), Des Lawson (D9630), Margaret Hayes (D9640), Harry Durey (D9650), Michael McNamara (D9670), Bruce Allen (D9680), Lloyd Roever (D9690), Bruce Barber (D9700), Bob Greeney (D9710), Robert Richards (D9750), Cathy Roth (D9780), Mani Seneviratne (D9790), Judy Nettleton (D9800), Denis Hyland (D9810), David Louden (D9820), Muriel Heron (D9830), Ken Linkhorn (D9910), Beryl Robinson (D9920), Bruce Scott (D9930), Barbara Williams (D9940), Alex Murray (D9970), Martin Chappell (D9980).

The Committee: R.I. Past Director Bill Boyd, R.I. Past Director John Thorne, R.I. Director Jocelyn Bolante (co-opted), Past District Governors Paul Gillett, Vance Hilton, Colin Thorniley, Terry Edwards, Peter Williams and Bob Aitken (secretary) and Rotarian Barry Antees (general manager).

Advisory Committee New Zealand, Pacific Islands: R.I. Past Director Bill Boyd (chairman), R.I. Past Director Grattan O'Connell, Past District Governors Geoff Dainty, Rob Crabtree, Fergus Cumming, Allan Birrell and Stuart Heal and Rotarian Rex Moms..

December now is Rotary’s Family Month Dear fellow Rotarians, Almost 100 years ago, a lonely young lawyer named Paul P. Harris decided to start a club with three of his friends. Although they represented different vocations, they all had one thing in common – they originally came from small towns. Living in the bustling city of Chicago, the four missed the warm, small-town hospitality and camaraderie of their youth. Harris wrote in My Road to Rotary in 1948 ‘‘To the members of the small group which came together in the big city of Chicago, Rotary was like an oasis in the desert’’.

In an attempt to recreate an atmosphere of caring, Paul Harris formed a club that created a sense of family and community that would become the bedrock of Rotary. Since Rotary’s beginning with the original four founders, the organisation has become a ‘‘world family’’ with members from all walks of life in 166 countries.

During this Rotary Centennial year, I would like to continue the family of Rotary initiative introduced by R.I. President Jonathan Majiyagbe in 2003-04. The R.I. Board has designated December as Family Month, an ideal time to reach out to family members and involve them in Rotary. The Family of Rotary Task Force is providing information and support to Rotary clubs and Districts in an effort to emphasise the first Object of Rotary ‘‘to encourage and foster the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service’’.

Rotary offers many ways to celebrate Family Month. Members can visit Rotarians who are ill, encourage spouses and children to take part in service projects and fellowship events, and invite qualified family members to join a Rotary club. We also should make a special effort to remember the families of deceased Rotarians, who may need our care and support.

It is important to integrate our own families into the family of Rotary. Rotary should be something that brings families together - not a force that pulls them apart. Rotary clubs and Districts can offer diverse service and social activities that appeal to all members. This is critical if we want to attract younger members, who may have children and other demands on their time.

I am from the American South, where family is the highest priority. All three of my children and eight grandchildren live within driving distance. I grew up in a Rotary family as five of my brothers were Rotarians. Three served as club presidents. Our son is also a Rotarian.

When I moved to new cities early in my business career, Rotary helped to open doors and make the transition easier. When I joined a local Rotary club, I was welcomed and felt a sense of belonging. I was able to meet top business leaders, who asked me to call them by their first names. We were instantly part of the community.

I have met many outstanding individuals during my 44 years as a Rotarian. For me, the best part of Rotary has always been the fellowship. Even when I visit clubs in other countries, I feel as though I’m among friends.

Paul Harris once said: ‘‘Friendship was the foundation rock on which Rotary was built and tolerance is the element which holds it together.’’
Invite a relative, friend or business colleague to share in the joys of Rotary. During this Centennial year, celebrate your membership in the largest family in the world.

Glenn E. Estess Sr.
President, Rotary International.

Glen E Estess Snr. President. Rotary International