Training workshops energise Rotaractors

It is a big challenge for DRR Ganesh Bhat, RID 3181, to convince and coax all the 1,200 Rotaractors from 58 Rotaract clubs to register themselves at My Rotary, the RI website for members to upload projects and network across the world.

At present, only 180 Rotaractors have registered, but “most of them including club presidents and secretaries don’t know the procedure and are lukewarm to this idea,” says Ganesh Bhat. However, a series of workshops and seminars are being lined up from July to motivate Rotaractors, impress upon them the need to register their names in RI website and bind them as a united force through district events.

For the first time, the district Rotaract organised a two-day PETS/SETS and a training session for district officials (DOTS) in July. Jimry Henry, past president of RSAMDIO, its Director PDRR Naveen Senna (3190), IPDRR Selvakumar (3201) and PDRR Vijay Sundar (3202) were the resource persons. While 50 club presidents and secretaries took part in the PETS event, DOTS had 23 district officials from various clubs of RID 3181.

All the four Rotaract zones in the district hosted the Zonal ­Office-bearers Orientation and Training Seminar (ZOOTS) and the events were held at Mysuru, Hunsur, Mangaluru and Puttur. The sessions were chaired by DRCC Yatish Baikambady.“Rotarians gave an overview of Rotary’s global reach and projects,” says Bhat.

Swachh Bharat activities

Rotaract teams have taken up ­Swachh Bharat campaigns reaching out to schools, staging rallies and painting walls in public space. “While 2–3 clubs are doing wall painting, some clubs are joining hands with local groups and volunteers to clean-up residential areas, streets and congested lanes on a regular basis.” So far, the awareness campaign was held at two government schools, and more schools and colleges will be covered by the end of this Rotary year, he says.

Flood relief

Around ₹80,000 worth relief material including grocery items, ready-to-eat foods, water bottles and blankets were despatched in private vans and government buses to a shelter camp in Uttar Kannada from where they were distributed to other flood-affected families. The district is planning an All-India ­Rotaract Athletic Meet in March 2020, as part of the World Rotaract Week. It is an annual event designed to create bonding among Rotaractors across the country.  “We are looking ­forward to host at least 500 athletes, as against 250 last year,” says Bhat who is a regional manager, Reliance Geo, in Mangaluru. A zonal cultural programme, slated for ­October, will enable Rotaractors to showcase their diverse talent in fine arts and stage events.

In the near future, Bhat is aiming to increase district membership to 2,000 and registered members to at least 1,000 by June-end.  “DG Joseph Mathew is helping us to improve the quality of our projects through effective community outreach. Funds are also not a constraint as our parent Rotary clubs are supporting us with enough resources,” says Bhat.