Posted on Oct 20, 2017
 
As part of its empowerment programme for its community, the Rotary Club of Apapa, District 9110 has donated three domestic sewing machines to three beneficiaries.
 
The club leveraged on the official visit of the District Governor, Rotarian Dr. Wale Ogunbadejo to the club on Thursday, October 19, 2017, to carry out the donation exercise.
 
The Governor who was accompanied on the visit by the District Secretary, Rotarian Segun Adwewakun and some other district leaders, was warmly welcomed by the club president, Rotarian Djevwudu Riakporhe, the assistant governor to the club, Rotarian Toby Okoroafo, past presidents and some other members of the club.
 
One of the founding members of the club, Rotarian Dr. Michael Omolayole and some other elders of the 44-year-old club, who no longer attend club meetings regularly due to ageing, were present at the meeting to honour DG Ogunbadejo, who was once an Assistant Governor to the club.
 
The benefactors namely Mrs. Edith Aizebeokhai, Mrs. Rosemary N. Ekpo, and Oziegbe Emmanuel were full of smiles as they joyfully received their gifts, which were handed over to them by the DG on behalf of the club.
 
During the club assembly, the DG encouraged the club to improve its membership. He said that the club has what it takes to grow its membership, such as a rich history and a comfortable club venue. He encouraged the club members to bring in their spouses and family members, as well as friends but more especially, younger members.
 
According to the Governor, the younger members will help to follow up the club’s Rotaract and Interact clubs, which requires youthful energy. He also encouraged the club to organise training sessions for its members and invite district leaders to train them on the rudiments of club growth.
 
 
Rotarian Dr. Omolayole noted the stagnant number of Rotarians worldwide which has remained 1.2 million for “too long”, without any significant growth in the number of members between the age brackets of 40 and below. According to him, the reason for this is not alien to the fact that in a country like Nigeria for instance, many young people graduate from the higher institution and complete their National Youth Service at almost the age of 30. After service, a lot of them don’t get employed for a long time and even the ones that are employed don’t receive as much pay as they ought to.
 
 
The DG further advised the club members to invite people who live within Apapa where the club meeting venue is located so as to avoid excuses of traffic jam and distance by potential members.
 
DG Ogunbadejo however commended the club, describing it as one of the few clubs that are making use of the updated version of the constitution.
 
The club president, while responding to the DG’s observation revealed that the club has undertaken plans to integrate its Rotaract and Interact clubs into the system as they have been neglected for a couple of years now.
 
Rotarian Dr. Omolayole welcomed the DG to the club, explaining that inasmuch as he no longer attends club meetings regularly, he decided to honour the DG in recognition of the part he played in the club when he was the Assistant Governor to the club, by making himself present, although his presence was made possible through the help of Rotarian Dr. Ezekiel Aiabe, a fellow Rotarian of the club.
 
Rotarian Dr. Omolayole noted the stagnant number of Rotarians worldwide which has remained 1.2 million for “too long”, without any significant growth in the number of members between the age brackets of 40 and below.
 
According to him, the reason for this is not alien to the fact that in a country like Nigeria for instance, many young people graduate from the higher institution and complete their National Youth Service at almost the age of 30. After service, a lot of them don’t get employed for a long time and even the ones that are employed don’t receive as much pay as they ought to.
 
“If they are offered N50, 000 as monthly salary, they are happy”, he said, while explaining that because of the dues members are required to pay in Rotary, these young ones may not be financially buoyant enough to join. He urged Rotary to do something about that in order to grow its members, especially with the youths.
 
The Governor responded to Rotarian Dr. Omolayole’s observation, “In Rotary, we have associate members who are young people. They don’t pay anything but they attend club meetings and contribute to club activities”, he said.
 
He further explained that the club can decide to make one of its club meetings a social gathering, hold the meeting outside its usual meeting venue and also make it more fun and interesting. This, according to the DG, will attract new and younger members to the club.
 
He added that a Rotaractor can also be a Rotarian at the same time; it all depends on the club, but this must be stated in the club’s bye-laws because the club must practice what is in its bye-laws.
 
The club board members appreciated the DG’s intervention. Rotarian Dr. Omolayole presented a song which was composed by him to the club. He revealed that he got the inspiration to write the song during his last fellowship with the club three weeks ago.
 
The song reads thus:
We are better together; we are bigger together (Stanza One)
We are stronger together; we are safer together (Stanza Two)
We are abler together; we are fuller together (Stanza Three)
We are richer together; we are greater together (Stanza Four)
 
The DG, on request by a member of the club, promised the club to present the song to Rotary International to consider including it as part of Rotary songs, after proper preparations.
 
The club celebrated the wedding anniversary of one of its past presidents, Rotarian Matthew I. Udoffa, by presenting him a wedding anniversary card. The club also celebrated the assistant governor’s birthday by presenting him a birthday card.
 
The cards were presented to the celebrants by DG Ogunbadejo, on behalf of the club. Five intending Rotarians of the club were also identified and presented to the Governor.