Rotary- The best business in the world

In the last two weeks that I have been in Venezuela, I have come to realize what a difference being a Rotarian ambassador makes in the experience of studying abroad. A few nights ago, my new apartment-mate Idalmis asked me what benefits and advantages one enjoys upon joining Rotary International. Why become a Rotarian? I was able to thoroughly answer her questions as a direct result of a speech given last week by the Rotary District 4370 District Governor, Pedro Pablo Puky to Rotary Club Petare and other experiences I have had with Rotary so far.

On Tuesday, September 15, I attended a Rotary Club Petare meeting with Dr. Aracelis Ortega, my temporary host counselor. I was nervous because it would be the first time that I would meet most of these Rotarians. So far I had only met Nelly Meléndez from Rotary Club Las Mercedes, and Aracelis. I shouldn't have been worried, because from the first moment I walked into the room, I was welcomed by the Rotarians, who had been looking forward to meeting me just as much as I was excited to meet them. DG Pedro Pablo Puky and I had emailed back and forth and he greeted me as he would an old friend, which made me feel at ease with him immediately. We had found common ground in our Hungarian ancestry a few months back. I found that Rotarians here love taking photographs as much as I do and had no problem getting everyone together for a group shot before the events began.

Some members of Rotary Club Petare.
The first on the left is Petare's assistant to the District Governor, Dr. Jaime Bolaños. The District Governor, Pedro Pablo Puky (not a member of RC Petare), is seated to my right and wearing a yellow tie. Dr. Aracelis Ortega is second from the left, next to Dr. Jaime Bolaños.

I was asked to hold the Venezuelan flag out while the Club sang the national anthem.

Before I continue, I want to stress that this meeting was significant for Rotary Club Petare because the District Governor is required to visit each local club one time during his year as DG and this was his first visit to the club.

The meeting started with reports to the DG Pedro Pablo Puky about the status of the club. I was particularly interested in learning about the service projects that the club is carrying out. One of their projects involves paying tuition for children in children's homes to attend private schools each month. The members of the club also visit the children and assist the centers in maintaining the building. The member commenting on this project stated the need to improve many of the facilities, including the bathrooms.

Another project was directed towards those who have poor vision and require glasses, but perhaps cannot afford them. Rotary Club Petare's goal is to help 1,000 locals get the glasses they need, whether it is by subsidizing the glasses or giving them to the needy outright.

The third project that was discussed was "Operación Kilo," a food drive for the needy. Throughout the month, donated food is gathered and stored at the Club president's house and once a month, members of the Club deliver the food to children living in the streets and other homeless persons.

In January, a chapter of Rotaract was formed in Caracas. Rotaract is a Rotary Club for young men and women aged 18-30 who want to make a difference through volunteer service. The club is still "in formation," as they have not yet reached the minimum number of members necessary to officially become a Rotaract club. I met Rodrigo and Yohana, current members of Rotaract. Although the club is still in formation, the members are involved in different service projects already, from a lottery to benefit children with cancer to assisting Rotary scholars who came from Mexico to Caracas to learn about Social Responsibilities for Businesses.

After giving a few suggestions and commenting on the projects that were presented, District Governor Pedro Pablo Puky began his speech that would provide the answer to my apartment-mate's questions. According to Pedro Pablo, everyone is concerned with helping his fellow man/woman. But why don't we just give money to beggars, why should we get together as a group rather than making individual contributions? His answer was that if each one of us helps out separately with a part, we still might not be able to achieve the goal. However, if we combine our efforts, strengths and abilities, we can multiply those individual parts and make the sum of the group's efforts much greater than the sum of the individuals' efforts. After all, one person can help a child, but a group can build an orphanage.


Combining efforts to carry out service projects is an important part of Rotary, but it is not the only reason to be a part of Rotary International. There are people that we see every day at work or at the store, but real friendship is hard to come by. Rotary offers the opportunity to meet people we may not have otherwise. In my case, I would never have met the majority of the people that I have met so far in Caracas. Most of them are Rotary contacts. The weekly meetings serve as a way to stay united and develop strong friendships. Rather than being a member of a homogenized group of persons in a service group (such as one formed through a workplace, etc), the contacts and friendships made through Rotary are diverse. In one night I met a surgeon, a lawyer, a pharmaceutical teacher, a chemical engineer and an architect! This diversity allows Rotary members to combine their skills and enrich each other, as well as be a more effective service group.

Pedro Pablo discussing Rotary International's theme for this year: "The Future of Rotary is in Our Hands"

Another unexpected advantage of Rotary is the improvement of public speaking skills. Even back in Ohio as a future Ambassadorial Scholar, I was put to the test and asked to give a speech before I left to my sponsor club, Rotary Club of Cleveland. During the meetings, at which there are usually at least 20-25 Rotary members present (sidenote: any Rotary member from any part of the world can attend any other Rotary Club meeting as a guest), one must lose his/her fear of speaking in front of a group to ask even the simplest question. Pedro Pablo told us about a very shy woman who became a member of his local Rotary Club who made an incredible transformation and now is one of the chattiest members. Through Rotary, one has the opportunity to better both him/herself as well as better the world around him/her.

Pedro Pablo ended by commenting that Rotary International is the best business in the world- the demand (for service/volunteerism) always exceeds the supply. That said, there's a lot of work to be done in the world to make it a better place for all. Consider visiting your local Rotary Club to see what Rotary International is all about- Rotarians love visitors and will make you feel welcome from the start!

A member of Rotary Club Petare, District Governor Pedro Pablo Puky and me after the meeting. Right before this picture was taken, I gave Pedro Pablo an Arch C. Klump medallion as a gift from the Rotary Club of Cleveland. He sends his thanks to the Rotary Club of Cleveland!