District Governor's Inaugural Address

1.	Introduction
2.	Areas of Emphases
3.	Rotary Foundation
4.	Membership
5.	Conclusion

 

INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY MATTHIAS OLADEINDE SHOGA
AT HIS INSTALLATION AS DISTRICT GOVERNOR
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 9110, NIGERIA
ON SATURDAY JULY 17, 2010 AT MUSON CENTRE, ONIKAN, LAGOS

INTRODUCTION

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this event which marks my formal installation as the District Governor of     Rotary International, District 9110, Nigeria. To begin with, for the umpteenth time, I hereby declare my total commitment to the service of Rotary International District 9110, as District Governor for 2010-11 Rotary year.

When I was declared the District Governor for 2010 – 2011 on  February 18, 2008, it was one of the most exciting and joyful moments of my life. As the day drew nearer, more responsibilities came with that declaration. This is true for any elected or appointed leader, as he has to make his plans and set his goals.

I joined the Rotary family in 1994. Since then, it has enhanced my circle of friends, locally, regionally and internationally. It has raised my self-worth by allowing me to contribute to others in need. I truly feel that my presence on this earth can make a difference in the happiness of others. The Rotary wheel tells the world that we can be trusted and this is a responsibility that we all accept as Rotarians. Through Rotary, the ordinary has a chance to become extra ordinary as mankind is our business. Borrowing from the words of the great sage Nelson Mandela “I have discovered a secret that after climbing a great hill one only finds that there are many more hills to climb” so it is in service to Rotary.

For the sake of our guests, I wish to give a short introduction of Rotary. Rotary is the first and largest service organization in the World. Founded in 1905 by Paul Harris, it is made up of over 32,800 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. There     are 532 Districts, with membership of 1.2million Rotarians, rendering humanitarian and educational services in their communities. It’s motto is “Service Above Self”.
         
 Every Rotary year, the Rotary International President chooses a theme and declares his areas of emphases. This Rotary year, the theme is “Building Communities Bridging Continents” and the areas of emphases are:

• Disease Prevention And Treatment
• Water And Sanitation
• Maternal And Child Health
• Basic Education And Literacy
• Economic And Community Development
• Peace And Conflict Prevention/Resolution

>>Areas of Emphases