A new year of activity in our district is now beginning as clubs become active in August. It has been nice to see that we have been active in various areas during July, participating in regional summer events. This is extremely important, because it is at the club level that the essential good work is done.
UNITE FOR GOOD is the theme for the coming year. In Finnish, it could be translated as Let’s Do Good Together! Hopefully, the warm summer months have recharged our batteries and given us new energy for our club activities. I have been following the reservations for various events and Rotary materials for clubs, and I am delighted to see that the reservation books are now quite full for August and September. GREAT! So, there are numerous member and public events coming up where we will be visibly present as a community. This is an important part of supporting membership recruitment and promoting our public image.
We will launch a new campaign in the fall to increase our membership.
Our membership numbers have now stabilized, but we have not yet seen growth. This is one of our goals for the future. The attractiveness of our clubs and regional cooperation play a key role in this. For this reason, we made a small redistribution of our regions for the coming year, slightly modifying the areas of the assistant governors in order to improve the proximity of clubs and opportunities for cooperation, for example in the Salo area, Satakunta, and the Turku region. We made the plans together based on the experience of previous governors, and we believe we are on the right track. We did the planning together based on the experience of previous governors, and we believe we are on the right track.
In August and September, we will have a strong presence in the Salo region with Ankatkin mukana! (Ducks too!), in the Loimaa region, in Satakunta, in Vakka-Suomi, and in the Turku and surrounding area. In June and July, we gained excellent visibility at SuomiAreena in Pori and at the OKRA event in Oripää. It is important for us to also participate in larger events, where we can use our booth to reach the mainstream and tell people about ourselves. I encourage every club to think about which local events they could attend, either alone or together with a neighboring club. These could be evening markets, local market days, charity events, etc. where there are lots of people. At the autumn seminar on September 13 in Turku, we will see examples of how to participate in these events. Tents, flags, and other support materials are an easy way to increase visibility.
Key projects
Peace work, the Foundation’s support for it, and the final eradication of polio remain our key projects. We have invested in this and are starting the new year with new goals. The district’s first Peace Pillar is in place and more new accredited Peace Clubs are on the way.
Our environmental program is seeking new opportunities. We are exploring Global Grant cooperation and are also investing in regional activities such as beach clean-ups, blue-green algae monitoring, and continuing to provide water bags to schools. On Baltic Sea Day, together with John Nurminen nationally and now across the Baltic Sea, we are strongly involved on August 28. Come and join us with your club at Forum Marinum’s main event in Southwest Finland. This summer’s blue-green algae situation has mercilessly revealed the grim reality of the situation. Each of us can help with small actions in our everyday lives.
Internationally, we have also decided to commit to several Global Grant projects that support Rotary’s main areas of focus: health and clean water, peace, the environment, and education. Clubs can also participate in these projects by providing support through the district. We will hear more about this at the autumn seminar.
The season begins
Club programs will begin in earnest in the coming weeks. I look forward to visiting each club, where we can focus on opportunities and development in line with changes in society. I hope that we can all look openly to the future, for the good of the whole community, so that our activities can enter a phase of active growth, both in the clubs, in the regions, in our district, and throughout Finland. Reading the clubs’ plans, I am proud of you and your active support for good causes!
At this point, I would like to thank each and every one of you for every gesture, every minute, and every donation you have made.
I would also like to thank all of you who have pledged your time and resources for the common good as club and district officials.
UNITE FOR GOOD! Let’s do good together!
Have a great start to the fall, and I hope to see you soon during my visits. I hope to meet as many of you as possible in person at a club event.
See you also in September at the Autumn Seminar on September 13, 2025, at Forum Marinum in Turku. Registration is already open in the Eventio system.
With best regards for the end of summer
DG Matti
