“A Good Rotary Club President”
2012 President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS)
Shared by Past Rotary International President, Wilfred Wilkinson

A good Rotary Club President must be a diplomat, an autocrat, an acrobat, and sometimes a doormat. They must have the ability to entertain politicians, princes of industry, pickpockets, gamblers, bookmarkers, pirates, philanthropists, District Governors, and prudes. They must be on both sides of the political fence and be able to jump that fence on occasions.

They should be, or have been, a footballer, golfer, bowler, tennis player, cricketer, dart player, sailor, pigeon fancier, motor racer, or linguist, as well as have good knowledge of any other sport including dice, cards, horses, and pool cues. As they sometimes have to settle arguments and squabbles, they must be a qualified boxer, wrestler, weight-lifter, sprinter, and peacemaker. Being a zoo keeper or animal trainer can also come in handy when dealing with raucous Rotarians.

They must always look immaculate, even after having been fire stormed when breaking breakfast bread with ladies and gentlemen who are bankers, swankers, bean counters, money counters, land dealers, card dealers, plumbers, bummers, mummers, late comers, carousers, rabble-rousers, morticians, opticians, lawyers, voyeurs, and the occasional Past District Governor, even though they may have just made peace between any two, four or more of the aforementioned.

To be successful they must keep their day full, the program full, the club treasury full, their wine cellar full, the members full, and not get too full of themselves. They must have an executive who are clean, honest, quick workers, quick thinkers, mathematicians, technicians, and are, at all times, on the President’s side, the member’s side, and the outside of the bar/wine cellar.

To sum it up ... a good Rotary Club President must be outside, inside, offside, glorified, sanctified, crucified, cross-eyed, and if they’re not he strong silent type, there’s always SUICIDE.