Club President Page

PRESIDENT'S COMMENTS

International President Kalyan Banerjee

REACH WITHIN TO EMBRACE HUMANITY

Club President David Tirard

Hilton Head Rotary club has a proud history, dating back to 1967. Its members have given much to the community over the years, and we are proud to be part of the larger family of Rotary worldwide. This year’s Rotary International motto, “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity” wonderfully reflects our actions and aspirations, year to year.

Traditionally our members get out into the community, and perform “hands on” projects. This might be support for the Literacy Volunteers of the Low Country at their “Cooks and Books” event, or laying a path at Honey Horn for the Coastal Discovery Museum. This year, our Community Services Committee is working on an exciting new project. We will be building a “Safety Town”, which seeks to educate 5 and 6 year old children about traffic safety. Apart from the construction of the town, we will seek help from the Interact clubs during the actual training, giving them an opportunity to develop their mentoring skills also.

Fund raising is a necessary part of our endeavors, and we are grateful that we are able to serve at the Heritage Professional Golf Tournament again this year. Running the Will Call operation for many hours each day, providing greeters on the shuttle buses and fore-caddies for the pro-am tournaments, stretches our membership fully. We are pleased that this gives us an opportunity to be excellent ambassadors for the Island of Hilton Head. Amongst other fund raising events, we give much time each year, ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at Christmas time. We are proud to be one of their largest contributors in the Low Country.

The Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s charity. Our members give generously to it on an ongoing basis. For over twenty years, Rotary has partnered with the Centers for Disease and Control, UNICEF and the World Health Organization, in an effort to stamp out polio throughout the world. We are almost there, with only a few cases being reported in as little as four countries. We will be having a walk on the beach on October 8, to raise funds for our Foundation and this worthy initiative. No club can survive without a continuous stream of new, enthusiastic members. Our members have been tasked with looking for young professionals to keep Rotary relevant to today’s ever changing world, and to seek greater diversity in all its aspects.

As Rotary is international, we are in over 200 countries, we play our part in international education by hosting a young person of High School age for a year, under Rotary’s Youth Exchange program. It is humbling to be part of a major change in a young person’s life. This year our student is Marie Pean from France.

We are excited to be partnering with Bluffton Rotary Club, in the formation of a new Rotaract Club at the Technical College of the Low Country. This will add to our youth responsibilities, already being mentors to the Interact clubs at Hilton head High School and Hilton Head Prep.

All in all we are in for an exciting, fulfilling year. With all our 150+ members being encouraged to take part on at least one committee, we will continue be a considerable force for good on Hilton Head Island.

David Tirard
President