RI President Elect Gary Huang Addresses RFPD at AGM in Lisbon

"People say that there are as many reasons to be in Rotary, as there are Rotarians. Everyone has their own reason why they joined Rotary, and their own reasons why they stay.

I think this is also true for Rotary conventions. Everyone has their own reasons, why they like to come. Usually, more than one reason! But my favorite reasons to come to convention, are to see old friends, make new friends, and find out more about Rotary.

It doesn't matter how many years you have been a Rotarian, there is always something new to learn. And even if you've only been a Rotarian for a few years, if you go to a convention, you always see some friends. And a convention is a great opportunity for the Rotary Action Groups to do both - to get together, to see each other, and to talk about their work.

There are so many good Rotary Action Groups, and you serve a very important role - giving people with similar interests a way to get together, to share their ideas and experience, and to bring Rotary service to a higher level.

Right now, I think that this RAG is more important than ever, as we get ready for the full roll out of Future Vision. We are going to be talking so much about sustainability. And this is something that you have already been talking about for many years, and know so much about. I know that you will be a valuable resource, in helping to educate other Rotarians who are just starting to think about sustainability.

Rotary is a very old organization. We've been working for one hundred and eight years, to try to make the world better. And we know, that in order to really make a difference, you have to be thinking long term - not just how to help today, but how to help in a way that will still make things better ten, twenty, fifty years from now.

That's just what you are doing here - talking about the things we can do to keep our planet a place where we can all live, in health and safety, for many years to come. So I want to thank you for everything you are doing, and I wish you a wonderful convention, and a very successful new Rotary year."

Rotary International President elect Gary Huang Addresses RFPD membership at Annual General Meeting in Lisbon