Rotary- Rotaract

U nder the
Micros cope
Sunday 26 August, 2007
By PDG Dr Paul C
K Lee
 Rotaracting di ffer s
in di ff erent
count ri es

Rotaract is very strong

eg India, Hong Kong, Philippines
Rotaracters there are very active,
well qualified & financially strong
Rotaracters in our district 3300
and maybe 3310 are different
In D istri ct
3300

We have both
community based
Rotaract Clubs
and
institution based
Rotaract Clubs
 Communit y base d
Rota ract C lubs
face many
challenges

1. They have longer years in Rotaract

2. They have less stringent rules to
abide with
BUT ….
• They have difficulties to get members
• Thus their membership is small
 Institution based
Rotaract Clubs face
even more challenges
1. Their members are not working;
thus have financial problems
2. Their membership can be very big
but only a handful are active
3. They have great difficulties to
maintain the existence of the
Rotaract Club if no aggressive
membership drive takes place
every year
 Sponso ring
Rotar y C lu bs

1. Many sponsoring Rotary Clubs are

themselves very weak in membership
2. Many are not financially strong to
provide financial assistance to their
Rotaract Club
3. Sponsoring Rotary Clubs do not have
enough Rotarians to serve as Advisers
in their Rotaract Clubs
4. Many Rotary Clubs appoint the
youngest and newest Rotarian to be
advisers who very often have
insufficient knowledge of Rotaract
and not to mention Rotary
5. Rotaract Clubs are thus left to “swim”
on their own and solve their problems
on membership and funding
 Rotary
Di stri ct
1. District Governors are very keen to be
“I” specialists
2. They charter new Rotaract Clubs just to
get credit that they have sponsored
many Rotaract Clubs during their year
as Governor
3. They do not seek the help of Rotaract
District Leaders in training and guiding
the new Rotaract Clubs before they are
chartered.
4. They do not seek views on the Rotaract
District Leaders on whether the new Rotaract
Clubs are viable to be chartered
5. Some District Governors have very little
knowledge or experience with Rotaract
activities
6. Some Rotary District Officers appointed to
serve in the Rotary District Rotaract
Committees are often themselves not well
informed of Rotaract
 Rotaract Clubs
& Rotaracters
1. Rotaract Clubs want independence with no
interference from Sponsoring Rotary Clubs
2. Rotaracters want to be treated as young
professionals
BUT ……
6. They expect Rotary to provide them assistance
like finance
2. They expect to be given preferential treatment
in Rotary programmes
3. They lack knowledge in Rotary
 Ro taract
Di str ic t

1. Lack proper policies and structure

in administration ex: election of
DRR, credentials verification, voting,
propose resolutions
2. Lack of knowledge in RI policies in
Rotaract
3. Lack of funds and weak financial
administration
 Malaysian Law on
Registration of Clubs
1. Rotaract Clubs can register separately with
the Malaysian Registrar of Societies
2. Upon registering, they are “independent”
3. Thus they “can” even exist in the context of
Malaysian Law even if the sponsoring
Rotary Club withdraws the sponsorship
4. They have to by law submit their annual report
of AGM, Accounts, Board of Directors etc
5. Many clubs have been advised by some past
governors to register and have subsequently
ran foul of the law and thus were deregistered
Re ctifi cation
1. Introduce Rotary’s system of verification
of credentials, election procedures,
proposal of resolutions
2. Appoint past Rotaracters or Rotarians
whose clubs have Rotaract Clubs to be
on the Rotary District Rotaract
Committee
3. Proper structured Training Modules for
the Rotaract Club Leaders at the District
Rotaract Assembly
4. Proper training provided for the Rotaract
Group Discussion Leaders who will
conduct the training sessions at the
District Rotaract Assembly
5. Rotary District provide financial
assistance to the District Rotaract
Representative (DRR) to carry out his/her
duties during the year
6. Invite District Rotaract Representative (DRR)

to the Rotary District Conference and

7. Give due consideration to Rotaracters to be
members of GSE Team or Youth Exchange
8. Advise sponsoring Rotary Clubs to appoint
senior and knowledgeable Rotarians as
Rotaract Club Advisers
9. Invite Rotaract Club members to their weekly
meetings
10. Provide financial assistance to their Rotaract
Club Leaders to attend the District Rotaract
Assembly
11. Implement joint projects with the Rotaracters
or involve them in the Rotary Club’s projects
and activities
12. Encourage Rotarians to bring their children
and staff to join Rotaract