Speeches :
INAUGURAL ADDRESS – GETS
Welcome to Rotary’s University of training the leaders of tomorrow.
Training is not the main thing ensuring success. It is the ONLY thing and we are gathered here today to implant the seeds of success in the year ahead.
If you want a beautiful bouquet to be presented to you when
you enter your most important year in Rotary, you need colorful, beautiful and
even fragrant flowers. If you want these flowers, you need the seeds of the
plant to be planted well ahead of time. We are here today to plant seeds of
success in your year of office. 
These seeds need to nurtured, watered, exposed to sun and rain. This seminar is the beginning of nurturing your ambitions, goals and thrusts you may want to stress when you assume your office.
It is the goal of this seminar to help you achieve a vision of your year to come. Leadership requires a vision and a commitment to succeed. You must know what you wish to achieve. The musician must actually hear the sound in his mind before he blows the trumpet. The athlete must visualize every movement before he pole-vaults seventeen feet. The golfer must clearly visualize how closely the ball will come to the flag. The sculpture must mentally see the figure enclosed in a block of granite, before he strikes the mallet.
In the same way, a great leader must have a vision of his job. He must have a newest information, creative ideas, and opportunities to sharpen his skills and techniques of leadership.
To achieve that vision of leadership as a Rotary District Governor is the opportunity you have at this Seminar.
I commend you for your willingness to become that leader of Rotary. The real work of Rotary is done by the few individuals who are willing to walk the lonely and rocky road of personal leadership and dedicated service.
In every Rotary Club, there are many members who are content to have their service measured merely by attending the meetings, eating the lunch, enjoying the fellowship, and listening to the speaker. I am not critical of those members. Rotarians are some of the finest people on earth and we respect them as fellow members. But, we also know that the Rotary programmes of humanitarian service would not occur if we depend solely upon that type of Rotary membership. The magnificent work of Rotary is done by those very special leaders who have captured a vision and exercise the determination to make their Club a service organization.
You are those leaders. Rotary must count on you. But, more than that, millions of men, women and children who live a life of poverty, sickness, illiteracy, and hopelessness are counting on you. That is the reason you are here.
Friends! , success is ensured- not only by the quality of seeds but also by your personal attention. We may expose you to a formula of success but truly gratifying results will come only from your personal involvement, personal efforts and personal care. Each one present here wishes for a successful year. If wishes were horses. anybody would ride them. Wishes are to be transformed into success stories by your efforts and involvement.
There is an ancient story told of three horsemen riding across the desert plains in the bright moonlight. Suddenly they came to a small stream which the horses could easily walk across. As they reached the opposite side of the stream a strange voice was heard which seem to come from a bush or small tree.
“Halt,” the voice commanded. And the horsemen pulled up. “Dismount your horses,”came the strange command. The three horsemen dismounted as directed. Then the hollow voice directed the night riders to reach to the ground and put some of the pebbles in their pockets.
In the darkness, the horsemen followed the instructions and grabbed a handful of pebbles along the stream. “Now, mount your horses and proceed with your journey.” came the command. As they settled back to their saddles, the voice once again was heard. “Go your way. And at sunrise you will be both happy and sad. ” The horsemen rode on puzzled by the unusual message – “you will be both happy and sad”.
In a few hours the galloping horsemen began to see the sunlight of the new day. When they stopped to rest their horses, they remembered the strange message they heard in the darkness. So they reached into their pockets to see the unusual pebbles they had picked up from the edge of the stream.
To their amazement, the pebbles were emeralds, rubies, diamonds and other precious gems. And, the meaning of the midnight messenger became clear - “At day break you will be both happy and sad.” And sure enough, the horsemen were so happy they had the precious jewels – but so sad they had picked up so a few.
I promise you that when you go back to your respective Districts next Sunday, every one of you will be happy and sad. Happy that you have completed one of the greatest experiences of your life – attending the GETS (Governor Elect Training Seminar) and the Institute - but sad that you did not take advantage of even more of the wonderful opportunities to learn more about Rotary.
I urge every one of you to pick up as many gems as you possibly can in these days ahead. Every gem you take home will make your year a more successful one.
The faculty of your training consists of all very successful, very communicative and very wise leaders who have learnt the art of training exhaustively and who are capable of making a very strong team out of you. I implore you to take full advantage of their expertise and knowledge. Your year as the supreme head of your District will undoubtedly bring pride and a flush of joy not only on your face but also on the faces of the world leaders.
I feel proudly privileged to be here with you today and I feel doubly privileged to welcome the outstanding leaders of Rotary, whose training abilities are second to none and whose attachment to Rotary’s success is unparallel.
Let us go forth and do our bit.
Good Luck, Thank You.
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