私は大阪北ＲＣに入会させて頂いて今年で２３年目になります。

その間多くのクラブ行事や会合や懇親会の出席を通じて最も強く感じた事はロータリーと言うのは実に巨大な異業種交流の場であると言うことです。

今まで実に多種多様な職業の方々や人生の偉大な先輩達との交流を通じて、知識・見聞を広めることが出来、その事が私にとって目に見えない大切な、大きな資産になっております。

逆に言えばその事こそ、私にとってのロータリーの大きな存在価値であると強く感じております。

ロータリーの綱領の中身を簡単に要約すると｢奉仕と親睦｣ということになりますが、｢職業奉仕｣の精神を理解する事は当然の事として、綱領のその①にある｢知り合いを広めること｣すなわち｢親睦｣ということの意味はまさに前述の会員同士の交流を通じて会員それぞれが目に見えない資産を蓄えることではないでしょうか。

以上の私自身の認識を踏まえて、本年度のスローガンを｢ＥＮＪＯＹ ＲＯＴＡＲＹ！｣－友情を深めよう－ と致しました。

出来るだけ多くの会員の方々がクラブの公式行事や懇親会の出席に努めて頂き、友情を深める事によって、それぞれの会員にとってのロータリーライフを価値あるものにして欲しいと考えております。

It’s been 23 years since I joined Rotary Club of Osaka-North. The impression that stays with me the most after all the many club events, meetings, and social gatherings I’ve attended during that time is of Rotary as an invaluable opportunity for interaction and exchange among different industries. By interacting with people from an enormous array of occupations and fields as well as older individuals who have accomplished great things during their lives, I’ve been able to broaden my own knowledge and experience. The result is an outwardly invisible but enormous and important asset.

To put this differently, I feel strongly that this opportunity for fellowship is Rotary’s greatest value.

The Object of Rotary can be summarized simply as service and friendship. Naturally, members need to have an understanding of the spirit of vocational service. Regarding friendship, I believe that the meaning of the development of acquaintance—in short, the broadening of one’s group of friends—as described in part (1) of the Object of Rotary refers precisely to the accumulation of assets that are no less valuable for being outwardly invisible as members interact with other members as described above.

It was on the basis of this understanding that I selected “Enjoy Rotary! Fasten Friendships” as this year’s slogan. I hope to see as many members as possible in attendance at official club events and social gatherings so that individual members can make the most of their Rotary life by deepening friendships.