The Power of Unity
Paul Bagai, International Chair
Sierra Passport Rotary Club
Rotary’s vision is “Service Above Self”, which is beautifully demonstrated when clubs work together for a common purpose to make a difference in the world. As the International Chair for my club, I experienced this firsthand.
For the last two years I worked collaboratively with two other clubs in our area to put on a Bingo Night fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting international projects, such as Shelter Box. In addition to Bingo, the night included dinner, a silent auction and bird tours, as we held the event at a local business, which has a plethora of exotic birds. Donations were secured from local businesses, and each person on our planning committee was responsible for a particular area of the event.
One of the many benefits of working together was having volunteers from several clubs meeting one another, building relationships and making meaningful connections. In addition, due to multiple clubs working together, our publicity and reach into the community was far greater than it would have been had one only club been sponsoring the event. Networking together also demonstrated to non-Rotarians the heart of Rotary as we lived out not only our vision but the Four-Way Test -- we spoke the truth about international needs, were fair to all involved, built good will, better friendships and benefited all concerned. The event also generated enthusiasm and energy not merely in our clubs but in the community as evidenced by the hundreds of people who attended and the tens of thousands of dollars raised for various projects. We truly can become something together that we are not as a mere collection of individuals, and in the process experience the power of unity!
