The district leadership began its term at the seminar in Hanasaari on August 8–9, 2025. The seminar was attended by members of the district council, different committee chairs and assistant governors. The district council consists of the district governor (DG), immediate past governor (IPDG), past governor (PDG), governor elect (DGE), district governor nominee (DGN), vice governor, district secretary and chair of the finance committee. Discussions were held in the spirit of this year’s theme: “Unite for Good”.
The program included group work on district leadership, visibility, membership recruitment, and strengthening the foundations for future activities.
Closer committee cooperation hoped for
The seminar noted that the district has a long-term strategy as well as an annual leadership plan, which is presented at the spring meeting to all members. However, even closer cooperation between committees was desired.
The role of The Rotary Foundation was emphasized as an enabler of change. Although the district cannot carry out everything on its own, it can fund significant projects.
Finland and Estonia belong to the same District 1420, and cooperation between clubs in the two countries was seen as an important part of Rotary’s international values.
The district governor has established a working group to promote cooperation between Finland and Estonia.
Club activities require courage to try new things
Membership recruitment and the development of activities were considered to require knowledge of the values and interests of both current and potential members. The importance of communication – both internal and external – was stressed.
The seminar encouraged trying new club models. One example mentioned was so-called Passport Clubs, where activities are based on visits to multiple clubs.
Also, theme clubs, such as a “Sauna Club,” were seen as interesting experiment. Rotaract clubs were also highlighted as desirable.
It was emphasized, however, that the foundation of activities is the individual Rotarian belonging to a club – other initiatives support the vitality of the Rotary movement in the future.
Internationality as a resource
Sari Miettinen from the Rotary office for Europe and Africa presented the international situation: the world has 516 districts, with 1,134,303 members in a total of 36,508 clubs across 221 countries.
Rotary in Finland belongs to Zone 17, which connects several districts and acts as a link to Rotary International. The experts of the Zone also support districts in their work.
Values and the joy of doing things together unite us
Rotarians share a common value: Service Above Self. The MyRotary portal contains a wealth of information, and the seminar reminded participants that every Rotarian should register for the service.
It was suggested that clubs refresh their Rotary knowledge annually, and the district will provide suitable materials for this. It was also noted that the traditional Four-Way Test could be supplemented with a fifth question: Are we having fun?
