Public Relations is essential to Rotary's growth and expansion, says past director

  Tell us about Rotary's history and early growth.

Ans: If Rotary has survived for more than 100 years, survived two world wars, survived major threats to Peace, survived depressions and survived competition it is because of one single factor — people need Rotary. People rely on Rotary. People have faith in Rotary.

Maybe we could do much more, maybe we could be a stronger force, maybe we could grow phenomenally, maybe we could be global but the fact remains that for an organisation not only to survive but also to grow numerically and geographically, we need the support of the community in which we exist.

This does not mean that we have been totally accepted, totally believed in, totally admired. No! We have a long way to go but we are in the right direction. What we need is a little more speed, a little more volume, a little more recognition and a little more community partnership in service. What we want, we can achieve through more effective public relations.

How do you define PR for Rotarians?

Ans: Public relations is not merely wearing a Rotary lapel pin in public, in fact, not too many do this. Public relations is not a few photographs in newspapers or a write up of your club’s activities.

We have some success in this field. Public relation is recognition by the community and cooperation by the community to fight problems with greater vigour, with greater success and with a greater sense of involvement.

The visibility of Rotary in the community is vital. The visibility of Rotary in conquering major problems of immunisation , health, environment, drug abuse, AIDS and many others is essential.

But, then, an individual club is unable to fight these problems. It has only local problems to fight. Rotary’s involvement in local spheres of service is therefore equally vital . Infact I believe that this is more vital. The role of a Rotary club in promoting Public Relations is intimately linked with its effort to serve the needs of the local community in addition to contributing its mite to serve the needs of the global community. What is needed, therefore, is an enthusiastic and informed membership.

Tell us about the role of individual members in promoting Rotary's image and the need for professional help.

Ans: Rotary is also judged by its individual members. A Rotarian who is known in the community as a ‘good’ man or woman, a Rotarian who is considered by the community to be reliable, honest and dependable will bring glory not only to himself or herself but also to Rotary. And these good, reliable, honest and dependable Rotarians should communicate with the community and tell them that they are Rotarians, that Rotary has many more of these ‘good’ people whose primary concern is the need of the community.

We may need professionals to promote public relations but what we need more are Rotarians who individually and collectively project to the community that they care, they are available, they are concerned and they are trying to help.

Of course, we need professionals to do the things right but we need Rotarians to do the right things first. On that depends our credibility in the community that Rotary shares.