Incoming President Zober: "The Future is in Your Hands"

Mark Zober Speech July 8, 2009 Changeover Dinner

WELCOME

Past District Governors Yoram and Dvorah Cohen, David and Leah Neumann and Irene Lewitt, Assistant District Governor Shaul Cohen, Presidents Aryeh and Fiona Singer and Baruch Nunu, Past Presidents of our Club and fellow Rotarians and guests - it is a great honor and I am humbled you have come this evening to our Changeover Dinner.

Special thanks to our Guest Speaker and fellow Rotarian Yossi Harrosh, our Artists Maureen Fain, Bernice Beare Rosenberg, P/P Ruth Harris and Helene Stuart, Art Braunstein, P/P Sandi Darmon, Yaron Amitai, P/P Marilyn all who brought raffle prizes and those who make contributions tonight. And for our 3 wonderful presidents this year- David, Kern and Ruth.

“I regard it as a special honor to have been elected by my colleagues to the Presidency of the Jerusalem Rotary Club, the first Club of Israel.” - PDG Lucien Harris z”l- July 10th 1968. This certainly is how I feel tonight as I stand before you.

ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS- our PAST PRESIDENTS

You will see in the back of this evening’s program that our outstanding troika of Presidents – Kern, Ruth and David and many before them – 77 in all – have led the way for this Club since 1929. I am standing, albeit wobbly, on their strong, broad shoulders and I sense the awesome responsibility.

Special Recognition to Past Presidents Werner Loval and Moshe Raz for 40 years of exemplary Service to our Club. Let us give them a heartfelt round of applause.

YOUR SERVANT

Like 33,641 incoming Club presidents in over 170 countries around the world, I have been chosen and humbly accepted the responsibility to preside over our Club as your servant for the next year. I am a custodian for you to make sure that our Club functions as it should and that we promote FELLOWSHIP and SERVICE in the framework of ROTARY VALUES and OBJECTIVES over the next year.

Zober refers to his Leadership Team starting with his "right hand man" incoming Honorary Secretary Nezar Tannous. I ask for help for chairs for Vocational Service, Fund Raising and Fireside and Fellowship where we still do not have the needed Club leadership.

MY VOICE:

My leadership style is to focus on PRODUCTIVITY – striving to pursue worthwhile and achievable objectives while we HAVE LOTS OF FUN DOING IT.

With - GREAT WEEKLY MEETINGS -

WONDERFUL GUEST SPEAKERS- thanks goes to Art Braunstein and his team

GREAT MEALS and did a say - FUN.

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT – With P/P Dick Fain – “Each One Bring One”

We are now under 40 members for the first time in decades – this sends us a warning signal. Each of us needs to do all we can to focus on QUALITY AND QUANTITY in membership growth to bring in worthy new members.

FELLOWSHIP – And the Family of Rotary – Getting our Families involved – “The Joy of Association”

I would like to extend the circle of fellowship to the Jerusalem West Rotary Club and to the other Clubs in our Eshcol: Be’er Yaacov, Lod, Modi’in and Ramle

I will be dedicating this year to the memory of Shirley Seligman – a tremendous loss to the family of Rotary in Jerusalem.

Specific Objectives:
RI GOALS FOR THE YEAR- Presidenti8al Citation Criteria of RIP John Kenny

1.Eradicate Polio – Raise 4000 NIS for Polio Plus. Lead by Dr. Sophie Simons

2.Membership Growth – Quantity and Quality – Net Gain of 10 New Members this year. With the assistance of our Membership Chair P/P Dick Fain

3.Promote the Image of Rotary in Jerusalem – with our PR Chair P/P Werner Loval – Gain media coverage of our Club activities.

4.Revive our Vocational Services Objectives – Recognition of outstanding community professional of the year and restart mentorship program

5.Strengthen our Club Leadership - Develop Long Term Strategic Plan and promote participation in our district Rotary Leadership Institute.

6.Promote Service Projects with P/P Rafi Aldor… Successfully fund and implement our current projects and initiate and support on significant international project in Water and Sanitation and another in Health and Hunger or Literacy.

We will achieve these goals over the year with your help and earn the Presidential Citation Award for RY 2009-10.

It is great to have one of our past leaders in the household – thanks go out to P/P Marilyn as she accepts the reins of Club Services Chair.

THE FUTURE OF ROTARY, THE FUTURE OF OUR CLUB, IS IN YOUR HANDS.

LET’S HAVE A GREAT YEAR!!!!

THANK YOU ALL.