President's Message
Pete Hallworth
For anyone who is an English-speaking professional, newly arrived in Malmö or fellow Rotarians visiting Malmö on business, then MIRC meetings on a Monday evening are a great way to kick off your assimilation into Sweden and Swedish culture. You will learn new things in a friendly and welcoming environment and be able to start building your social and business network without having to worry about speaking Swedish.
To be President of our Rotary Club, Malmö International, is an honor and I am humbled by the trust that members have put in me. There is a lot to love about our club! Mostly I think it’s the people. I love the positive attitude of openness and curiosity. It is always nice when guests tell us how much they felt welcomed. We also receive feedback that we have a good standard regarding the weekly program and other events. The 25th-anniversary celebrations in 2022 were phenomenal.
We aim to be a community that enjoys meeting, finds growth and development together and enables us to support those in need both locally and in other parts of the world. I am hugely grateful to my predecessors Iva, Devica, Ray and Debbie who have presided over the club during my time as a member. They have navigated us successfully to where we are today. We have a lot to celebrate thanks to their passion and commitment.
Thanks too, to all the team who have served and continue to serve on the board and committees. Your dedication, creativity and engagement is the glue that holds us all together. And of course, thanks to all members for your support.
In terms of goals and ambitions, I find that the ambitions that Debbie published in 2019 still hold true.
Namely:
- To create an atmosphere in our club which makes our members look forward to Monday evenings.
- To make guests, speakers and potential members feel welcome in every way.
- To establish succession planning in our key Board roles to ensure we are building a strong club for the future.
- To reach out to local organizations where we can make a difference in our own community.
- To visit other clubs in other cultures and see what we can learn from them.
In addition, two aspects that I am personally putting a focus on are:
- Membership care – to make sure we continue to grow and to take care of each other
- Projects and Fundraising – to make sure we are actively providing support for those in need.
As we look ahead to 2024 and beyond, I urge all members of MIRC to ask themselves,“What can I do more to help”? It’s your club. So, what do you want it to be or become? Future success is in our hands. Dear friends and fellow Rotarians, I invite you to “climb aboard”.
Pete Hallworth
President MIRC, 2023/24