The Rotary is the world’s biggest Club - it has presence in over 200 countries numbering over 33,000 Clubs. Its Membership stands at over 1.2 million, worldwide. In Bhutan we have one Club: The Rotary Club of Thimphu, with 28 Members as of July 1, 2019.
I just received a mail from The Rotary Foundation, Evanston, Illinois, USA, recognizing our Club’s contribution to the Rotary cause. It is a BIG DAY for the Rotary Club of Thimphu and its 28 Members, for being noted for our contributions. My name appears on the Recognition Mail since in my capacity as the Club’s Secretary, I serve as the Primary Contact for all the Foundation’s many Grants to Bhutan.
Please double click on the image to enlarge it:
Please double click on the image to enlarge it:
Note of Thank You from The Rotary Foundation (TRF)
The truth ofcourse is that we - Bhutan and the Bhutanese people - receive a thousand fold more than what our Club Members contribute to the Foundation. For proof of the Foundation’s giving to us, look at the following:
Most of the above has been achieved from the Grants our Club received from The Rotary Foundation
Thank you The Rotary Foundation. You continue to make a difference in the lives of the Bhutanese people. Even as I write this, there is a Rotary Foundation Grant of US$ 51,000.00 being implemented to benefit a Farmers’ Group in Bongo Gewog, Chhukha Dzongkhag: in the agriculture sector.
All said, why is Bhutan's Rotary Club under the administrative control of Nepal? This is one thing that gets me- India representing Bhutan or Bangladesh representing Bhutan in whatever organizations it may be. Why not Bhutan represent itself?
ReplyDeleteDear Anon,
DeleteI understand your confusion since you do not know how Rotary functions. As the head of the Club administration, I am duty bound to explain the matter to you so that you have a better understanding of the issue.
Let me explain that no Rotary Club anywhere in the world is under any administrative control of any Club or District or institution. Each Rotary Club in any part of the world is an independent entity - it is not controlled or guided or managed or administered by any one or any institution. Any institution or entity does not fund its existence. The Club Members of the Clubs fund the Clubs administration and functioning. Not a single Cent is received by Rotary Clubs for its survival or administration.
Yes, collectively Rotary has certain core values – areas of focus in the services that we provide. Those are generally universal across the board. Other than that – the guiding principals – each Club has its on rules, by-laws and practices that are unique to it. No authority dictates any Rotary Club – no entity anywhere has any authority over any Club. No Club needs to follow any specific rules – each Club has its own financial and administrative rules. Only when funding is obtained from the Rotary Foundation, then there are certain guidelines that need to be followed. Other than that, each Club can implement projects exactly in the way it pleases. No Rotary Club is obligated to any one or any institution. Any Club can sponsor the creation of a new Club – any Club can shut down any time it pleases.
For instance, the Rotary Club of Thimphu does not accept Membership from politicians, religious personalities and none-nationals. Our Club does not engage in projects that are even remotely connected to religion. Even if one Member objects to accepting a certain person as a Club Member, Membership is denied to that person. But these rules are not applicable to other Clubs – these rules are specific to the Rotary Club of Thimphu and we are free to change it by majority consensus, any time, if need be.
Thus the term to employ here – when you talk about Nepal – is that Nepal and Bhutan “share” the same district. In other words, we belong to the same District. The reason why we belong to the same district is because Bhutan has only one Club – and one Club cannot be a District onto itself.
Bhutan and Nepal sharing the same district is not unique – this is the same case with other countries. This sharing is necessitated by a number of compulsions, not necessarily for numerical reasons. For instance, Rotary International District 3310 is shared by East Malaysia, Singapore, Johor, Malacca, Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan, and Brunei.
Rotary is a massive international network with close to 1.3 million members in over 200 countries. Thus it is organized into 34 Zones and 529 Districts. Bhutan is clubbed with other countries of Zone 6 that covers parts of India (South) Bhutan and Nepal. Bhutan and Nepal’s District No. is 3292.