The new Rotary year always begins on July 1 in the Rotary Almanac. This year is no exception. Our activities have long been based on a multi-year strategy and plan, which is why the changes in our operations are quite minor.
The main principles for the coming year come from Rotary International and are implemented at the district, region, and club levels. This allows us to keep our clubs active and close to their own communities. 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 year. In Finnish, it could be translated as Let’s Do Good Together!
What does that mean in practice? Our shared values and doing good are part of every club’s program. Sometimes we encounter situations where we cannot manage alone or do not have enough members, so it is a good idea to bring a friend along. A neighboring club, a neighboring area, or even several. Then we can succeed more easily. There are excellent examples of this and numerous successes. We have also encouraged this in previous years, for example during the terms of DG Aaron, Miko, and Anitank. Joint projects such as Peace Work, Homeless Night, participation in SuomiAreena, and the OKRA exhibition stand are good examples of successes. I hope that we will continue along these lines, in line with my predecessor DG Ilka. I hope that we will continue along these lines, in line with my predecessor, DG Ilkka.
About membership
Our membership numbers have now stabilized, but have not yet started to grow. This is one of our goals for the future. The attractiveness of the 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 that we are on the right track. We planned this together based on the experience of previous governors, and we believe we are on the right track. We will launch a new campaign in the fall to increase membership.
Peace work, the Foundation’s support for it, and the final eradication of polio remain our top priorities.
We have now invested in this, and we are starting the new year with new goals. We have invested in this and are starting the new year with new goals. News about this will be presented at the autumn seminar on September 13 at Forum Marinum. The district’s first Peace Pillar has been installed. 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. We are also introducing a climate calculator so that Rotarians can consider their own climate footprint and how it can be reduced. We are also introducing a climate calculator, which will allow us Rotarians to consider our own climate footprint and how we can reduce it. This is work for the future, for our children and grandchildren.
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. I believe that the coming year will be a good continuation of previous years. I hope that we will all look openly to the future, for the good of the whole community, so that our activities can grow actively, both in clubs, regions, our district, and throughout Finland. We already got off to a good start when the interviews conducted during our 120th anniversary celebrations received extensive media coverage.
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 summer and relax with your loved ones in July and August!
See you in September at the Autumn Seminar on September 13, 2025, at Forum Marinum in Turku, as well as at numerous club visits throughout the fall. You are welcome to join us for discussions.
Summer greetings
DG Matti
