First lady District Governor Lata Subraidu visits the 30th largest Club in the world
Lata Subraidu
It is an absolute delight to introduce , the first lady Governor of District 3140. From being the first woman to serve as President of the Club in 1994 to becoming the first lady District Governor, Lata has achieved success due to her hard work and commitment towards Rotary’s principles. She is a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow and recipient of the “RI Four Avenues of Service” award. Her oratory skills and shayaris are a lethal combination. She has a flair for languages and is well-versed in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telegu, German
and French.
Lata was born in Delhi and did her schooling in JB Vachha Wadia High School, Mumbai. She runs a property firm called Larrissa Properties. She is happily married to Ram, an export consultant, and the couple has two children – Sanjay and Sangeeta. Her granddaughter Sakshi is the apple of her eye.
Lata chased her dreams and turned them into reality by becoming the first lady District Governor. Let’s engage Rotary and change lives.
— AG Dharmendra Gursahani
Thank you for that lovely introduction. My dear President Nirav, long-lasting Secretary Deepak, all other dignitaries on the dais, off the dais and my incoming President Shailesh bhai, who I think is one of the most dynamic persons I have met after Nirav. Let me not take away anything from Nirav at this moment. He is committed, motivated and nothing puts him off. He may be soft-spoken but is strong in his conviction. He may not have been able to fulfil all his dreams in the year 2013-14 but I am sure with Shailesh bhai next year he will complete them, because they work in sync. I think Nirav, Shailesh and Sonya are absolutely in sync.
Other clubs look up to the structured programmes of the Rotary Club of Bombay. They all want to emulate the way you do things rather than just what you do. A classic example is your Bhavishya Yaan project, which every club wants to do but only a few of them are able to. Others are waiting to get the funds to do it. I am happy that the President-Elect has new ideas of making the Bhavishya Yaan project more economical.
We now come to the two main topics that the Rotary International (RI) President wants every Governor to talk about. The first one is membership development. Ever since I joined Rotary, I have heard the figure of 1.2 million Rotarians all over the world. From 1993 to 2013, it’s the same figure. In last year’s convention, the President told us that by 2016 there should be 1.3 million members. I am happy to announce that till yesterday we are the largest district in the world with 7027 members. I am sure in 2016 we will reach the figure RI wants us to with the help of the Presidents. Of course, quality comes first. I think we just have to look at the right place at the right time to grow in numbers.
The second topic that RI is looking at is a good District Conference. The only point remaining is our contribution to the Rotary Foundation (TRF), where we lag behind. RI has recognised the weaknesses of India because whenever you talk to an Indian, the minute you ask about TRF the first question is “why should I give it to TRF? I have so much to do in my own country.”
So they have come up with the “Term Gift”, a one-time giving exercise. The minimum amount is 30,000 dollars. You give 30,000 dollars to TRF and you have an agreement that the money will come back to your Club for the project you want to contribute to under the Six Areas of Focus. We have a lot of philanthropists who want their names to be given to a particular project. With this Term Gift, it is now possible.
I must thank Rotarians from this Club who have strengthened my arms in
2013-14 and helped me make a mark in District 3140. The year ends but we will continue to remain friends. Our team, my team, Assistant Governor, District Secretaries and Avenue Chairs will always be with you whenever you need any help or assistance. It’s District 3140 that counts.
Next year’s motto is “Light up Rotary” and Rotary can be lit only with the work that we do. The Bhavishya Yaan project, Talwada project, Rotaractors and Interactors are all doing a wonderful job. I cannot forget members of the Inner Wheel Club. The “partners in service” truly work together as partners and have their own identity. Their small club, with 25 to 30 members, has raised funds up to seven lakhs. This is women power, which was evident in Shakti, my district conference as well. People said they were no celebrities, but I feel that every speaker in my District Conference is a celebrity because of the way they have worked and have come out shining. I thank all those who appreciated and attended it. This time there were no elections so there were less people from Mumbai who attended the conference. So I wish there is an election every year.
Thank you for sponsoring 20 Rotary Kutirs and the community hall, which will be useful for the community. I wish all of you the very best, especially Shailesh, for 2014-15 and look forward to co-operation from the Rotary Club of Bombay, like always.
Vote of thanks by President-Elect Rtn. Shailesh Haribhakti:
I think it is very rare to find a District Governor, who speaks so eloquently about what we have come to recognise in our country as a favourite word — “inclusiveness”. Everything that she spoke embodies the spirit of inclusiveness, whether it is community service, participation in District affairs or the programmes that we conduct. I would like to assure her, on behalf of us, that we are aware about the need to enhance the quality of membership for our Club and I am sure we have the processes in place to make it happen. We are also conscious about her advice on having more far-reaching programmes, which will help more people. It shall be our endeavour to ensure that our help reaches all those we can find. We will continue to look up to you for your guidance, support and participation. I would like all of us to give Lataji a standing ovation for all that she has done for the Club.
Rotary Club Assembly
The Rotary Club Assembly for District 3140 was conducted on Monday, February 24. The meeting was held at C. K. Nayudu Hall, Cricket Club of India from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and was followed by dinner. We bring you a series of photos so you can see how the event unfolded.