Rotary International forms new club in Lagos

By Rasaq Adebayo

Rotary Club International, District 9110, has formed the first club consisting only the past Rotaractors.

The club was chartered in Lagos on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 while the members were formally inducted into the club.

The newest club – Rotary Club of New Lagos, Ikeja, according to the District Governor, Rotarian Bola Oyebade, is the twelfth out of 17 new clubs to be chartered in the Rotary year but the first to consist only the past Rotaractors.

He urged other clubs to give room for the creation of more chapters and give more opportunities to intending Rotarians to enjoy the club.

The club, whose sponsor club is Rotary Club of Maryland, Ikeja, was chartered with 27 members with Rotarian Oladele Agbebiyi as its Charter President.

During the presentation of the charter certificate, induction of charter board of directors and members, some of whom partook virtually, Oyebade urged the novel club to live up to the expectation its moniker “The Trendsetters” has brought on it by setting positive trends and he urged each and every members to put together their wealth of experience as past Rotaractors to lay solid foundations by executing great projects on all fronts of Rotary’s area of focus and uphold the core values of the service club.

In his speech, the past District Governor, Adewale Ogunbadejo, encouraged the club’s members to strive to leave trademark legacies as the charter members as he urged them to dedicate their time and resources to the growth of the club.

In his acceptance speech, Agbebiyi emphasised on the club’s determination to live by the year’s theme which says ‘Serve to change lives,” and sustainably be an inspiration to others.

He revealed that the club shall employ the dynamism of teamwork to achieve its goals in order to leave long-lasting legacies, impact lives positively and for the betterment of the ecosystem.

“We are unflinchingly committed to not just changing lives but ensuring they become change agents themselves to give our world and make it a better place to live. It is evident from the aforementioned that we will only be able to drive home this goal if ‘Charity begins from home’. Hence, these lives changes will begin from us and spread it outward. Fellow Rotarians of great expertise and resources, our rotary chapter, will not only thrive but stand as a cynosure, changing lives and our ecosystem for better a place to live and work.”

Other dignitaries at the event include the club’s adviser, Rotarian Dr. Femi Akodu; President of Rotary Club of Maryland, Rotarian Obafemi Obadina among others.