Does your club sponsor a Rotaract Club? Are there one or more in your District? Your clubs’ investment in publicizing its work and in developing new leaders through Rotaract clubs can lead to places you’d never dream.

In 1984, a young Nigerian in his second year of college was invited by a member of the Public Image Chairman of his local Rotary club to help form a Rotaract club at his university. He recalled that years earlier he’d been impressed by a man he’d seen on TV talking about Rotary.

That young man went on to become the Rotaract club’s charter president. Later, he’d meet his future wife (also a Rotaractor) through a Rotaract event. One of their children became the charter president of her school’s Interact club and after college, joined the Rotary Club of Winnipeg. A second daughter followed in the family’s footsteps and became the president of her university’s Rotaract club.

Ten years after starting his Rotaract club and graduating from university, he joined Rotary, moving through various positions to eventually become his District’s Governor. Was later elected to R.I.’s Board of Directors before serving as Rotary’s Vice-President. Through his service he’s received the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World, the Service Above Self Award, and a Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service. He and his wife, Preba, are Arch Klumph Society members.

This July, that young Rotaractor, Olayinka “Yinka” Hakeem Babalola, will begin his term as Rotary International’s President. And it all started with a district’s attention to Rotary’s Public Image and a local club’s chartering of a Rotaract club. So ask yourself, is there a Rotaract Club sponsored by your Rotary Club? Are there one or more in your District? YOU can shape the future of your club, your district, and Rotary International.