Rotary's 2014-15 Presidential Theme: Light Up Rotary

“It is better to light a single candle than to sit and curse the darkness.” -- ConfuciusImage

With the pop and flash of electronic fireworks, Rotary International President-elect Gary C. K. Huang announced the Rotary presidential theme for 2014-15: Light Up Rotary.  Speaking at the International Assembly in San Diego, Huang, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Taipei, Taiwan, quoted Confucius (above), and added:

"The Rotary way is the Confucius way. The Rotary way is to light a candle. I light one, you light one, 1.2 million Rotarians light one. Together, we light up the world."

Huang addressed the 537 District Governors for 2014-15 and their spouses/partners attending the International Assembly, which is held each year to provide training for the incoming District Governors for all Rotary districts worldwide.  District Governor-elect (DGE) and Plaza Rotarian Cassy Venters,who will take office on July 1, and PDG Jerry Venters attended.  Plaza Rotarian and Rotary International Director Larry Lunsford conducted the opening flag ceremony, flawlessly reading the names of the nearly 200 countries and territories in which Rotary has a presence as their flags were presented.

"The International Assembly is truly inspiring," Cassy said. "At one English-speaking roundtable, DGEs from India, Denmark, Hungary, Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Zambia, Thailand, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Sweden, and the U.S. discussed how to carry out our Rotary programs to do good things in the world. The internationality of Rotary really is inspiring."