On the first episode of season 4, Joe Solway interviews Malaravan Balachandran. This young Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Scarborough is passionate about growing Rotary. Their conversation covers many membership-building initiatives – alternative club formats and strengthening our connection to Rotaract and Interact members.
Peter Tonge 0:20
Welcome to this episode of Talking Rotary. I’m Peter Tonge, and I’m a member of the Rotary Club of Winnipeg Charleswood.
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And I am Mandy Kwasnica, past president and also a member of the Rotary Club of Winnipeg Charleswood. We are so happy you have joined us here and I are so excited for this new podcast and thankful to our many listeners. Let’s start talking Rotary.
Joe Solway 1:05
And Hello there. My name is Joe Solloway. I am not Peter Tonge, the regular host of this show. I am in fact filling in for my good friend, Peter Welch. He prepares for and becomes the District Governor of district 5550, which is in Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, and parts of Saskatchewan. Peter and I met a couple of years ago at a district red zone conference actually. And we started chatting, we’ve become friends ever since then. And he said that he was going to be looking for somebody to take over this podcast and being a former journalist, broadcast journalist in a producer actually, in my former life before I retired and became an almost full time Rotarian. I decided that Sure, I could do that. And so I decided to reach out to a friend of mine. He’s a member of the Scarborough Rotary Club. Before that, he started out as a member of interact. Then he became a rotor actor, a Rotarian. And now he is actually once again a rotor actor. And I will explain coming up in our conversation with my friend Malaravavan Balachandran. Who because we’re friends, I’m going to call him Mal. Hi, Mal, how are you?
Malaravan Balachandran 2:25
I’m doing good. How about you?
Joe Solway 2:27
Brian? Thanks. Thanks so much for doing this. Uh, you know, this is a segue into a conversation about about friends, you’ve been a Rotarian for I don’t know, 10 years or so. How important is friendship in Rotary? I
Malaravan Balachandran 2:40
I will say friendship is one of the crucial points of Rotary. I think we come to Rotary to help others. We stay in Rotary because we make friends.
Joe Solway 2:48
Wonderful. That’s great. And so as I say, you’ve been a Rotarian you started out in in grade nine, that’s for people who are outside Canada, that’s ninth grade, or you’re about you were 14 years old. You’re 24. Now, what what keeps you in Rotary? What drives you to be a Rotarian?
Malaravan Balachandran 3:07
I feel like the biggest thing that drives me to to be a Rotarian is the aspect of helping others to aspect of service above self. From a very young age, I feel like, especially during my high school days, that motto has really resonated with me to the point where I have the four way test as a little card in my wallet that I carried around to this day. And I and I say that because service above self is literally everything a Rotarian is they take their time, and they help others. And that’s what I always love to do. I think it’s one of the cores of who what makes me a person who I am, is I love to help others. And rotary just gives me an avenue in which to do that. Where
Joe Solway 3:50
do you think you got that from?
Malaravan Balachandran 3:51
I think I just saw a lot of individuals that needed support in the world. Homelessness individuals, I grew up in not the best neighborhood. And I think as a result of that, I saw a lot of people struggling on a day to day basis. I myself have struggled when growing up as well. And I think the biggest thing for me is okay, it’s okay. But I will help others now to try to make others lives better. And especially around young people, I started it started with volunteering. That’s that was the key sort of component that started me off was volunteering. Okay, I’ll start by giving my time and then and then it became I start by leaping a leader leading some of these activities. And then now it’s a start by being a part of rotary in whatever capacity rotary takes me.
Joe Solway 4:40
I was reading somewhere that you actually got interested in rotary itself. When in school, you got dictionaries from rotary it, talk about that. Tell me that story. That happened. So
Malaravan Balachandran 4:54
I’m actually really glad that you brought this up, Joe. So the correct call I’m with the Rotary Club of Scarborough, pretty much does a dictionary drive for local elementary schools, guess who was in elementary school and receive one of those dictionaries? Yours truly. And I truly love the fact that I sort of went full circle with the with the Rotary Club of Scarborough, I started off as a little little child getting a dictionary from the Rotary Club of Scarborough, not even knowing really what rotary was, I was just so happy to get a dictionary. And this was this was quite a while, long ago. So a dictionary back then was really precious. Because it was it was I was, I was searching through it, I was highlighting words I liked. And I was really enjoying that experience. And I was like, Who is this clue who’s this organization that just decided to give a bunch of dictionaries to kids. And then I didn’t really get into rotary until I was in high school to interact. And interact was just one of those programs where, oh, a couple of my friends said, Hey, I’m doing this little cool, volunteer thing. And that was already in other volunteer activities when I was in high school. But it was pretty much Oh, there’s more volunteer opportunities. So I’m like, Okay, I’ll give it a shot. So that’s what I did. And I got back into rotary, and it’s specifically the Rotary Club of Scarborough, I have went full circle with this club, from childhood to now. And now I’m probably Rotarian of this club. That’s,
Joe Solway 6:22
that’s fantastic. When you talk about you brought up the word cool. People think people of my generation and I’m not going to tell you that well. Suffice it to say I’m older. We’d like to say, oh, you know, every generation does this. Every generation says Kids these days are blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And it’s usually not very complimentary. Talk about whether or not or or was it cool to be when you were in high school, a volunteer,
Malaravan Balachandran 6:49
I would say, I think that was sort of the perks of sort of my generation, I feel I was specifically in an IB program, the International Baccalaureate program in at St. Louis, and they call it a college gate Institute, the high school, not the university. And pretty much the IB program was one of the requirements of it was CAS hours. So CAS hours was more expensive volunteer hours. But I didn’t do volunteering just for that. I didn’t even know that we had to do CAS hours until my third and fourth year of high school. But I realized that I genuinely loved volunteering. I genuinely loved helping others and being a part of something greater than myself. And I think as soon as I got the opportunity to do and I wasn’t the only one, I think I was more accepted, like a higher in terms of like motivations and passion to volunteer. But I definitely did see others of my generation that decided, hey, let’s do something cool. Let’s do a cool activity, a cool extracurricular, cool volunteering opportunity. And but for me, I was kind of the the gung ho version of that. So I was just involved in everything at that young age,
Joe Solway 8:00
essentially leadership style following me over the hill, I would
Malaravan Balachandran 8:04
say so, but I’m also a really good listener, I feel as well. I like hearing all the different opinions and all the different perspectives. It really helps open me up and helps me be a good leader.
Joe Solway 8:14
You see, you did a lot of volunteering. Can we read a couple of the things that stick out to you remember, that you did as a volunteer in high school.
Malaravan Balachandran 8:23
So specifically, I would say when I was in high school, I was in no club called volunteer now, let’s say and we would just do specific big volunteer events throughout the city like CIBC run for the cure, cancer awareness events, ALS, awareness events, all those big events that require a lot of volunteers, I used to do those. In addition, I used to volunteer for Pathways education, because I was a part of pathways education, and pathways education is just a youth development program that helps underprivileged youth sort of succeed in high school. And I was a part of that helping out a part of the program. But I was also taking on leadership roles within that program as well of volunteering my time wherever I could, but in addition, interact. So to interact, I volunteered, did food drives, clothing drives, and I remember one key international initiative that still stays with me to this day, Steve Rutledge, very well known Rotarian for his water filters project in Laos, and as a young interact I think this was probably the the foundation of all the international projects that motivated me to pursue rotary internationally was this project alone as we saved up a meager I would say to $400 or $20. And we were able to buy one of these water filters. And I remember distinctly getting a photo from the family and that was so motivation, I still have the photo to stay. It’s I saw the direct impact of what one of these water filters did and what our club did in the greater international community. That’s really empowering for a young person.
Joe Solway 9:58
Yeah, you know, let’s let’s just Give a shout out to Steve. I mean, I know him as well. He’s in a rotary club, just a couple of counts away from, from me and our club. And I personally support Steve. And the thing that people don’t know about Steve, if he’s listening, Steve, if you’re listening is when you go to, you know, a local event, or a local Rotary event like a Rib Fest in another club or whatever. Steve’s always there, Steve, Steve volunteers in all the neighboring you know, events, and you see him everywhere. So a shout out to you, Steve, and thanks for all you do. And thanks for all you do to mail. You went from interact to rotary back, we started natural progression for you at Lakehead. University in Thunder Bay. So
Malaravan Balachandran 10:43
I would say yes, because I think the final year of high school for me, I was already like, I sort of already knew where I want to go, I did want to get away and pursue an education outside of where I used to live in what I knew. And immediately the very first thing I did was go up to the Rotarians and ask them, Hey, do you know any Rotary Clubs in this area? And for example, for this area? I’m in Thunder Bay. Do you know any Rotary Clubs in Thunder Bay? If so, can you connect me with them? And that is exactly what they did. I got connections. So what the moment I landed in Thunder Bay, I was able to start in rubber act.
Joe Solway 11:19
Amazing. And you were instantly became the president of that club. Yes,
Malaravan Balachandran 11:23
I was proud ly president of that club, it was during COVID. Of course, we didn’t get to do as much projects that as we would would like. But honestly, every single project we didn’t cover it was super impactful. For example, we did a facemask making project like many of the other clubs out there, and we were able to distribute, oh, countless, we it was an ongoing project, we were able to distribute countless facemasks to the local community and the indigenous reserves that needed it. And
Joe Solway 11:55
for people who don’t know, Thunder Bay is on the north shore of Lake Superior, which is is that the largest freshwater. Also maybe the deepest, you when I sit on the Anjar district, District 707 O, which is the screen of the Toronto area. My club is just east of Toronto, you and I sit on the membership committee and one of the things that we talk about is the challenge of having rotary or started the challenge of having Rotaract clubs are based in a school because there’s such a turnover. Is that is that Thunder Bay Club still going Lakehead University and how big a challenge is that in terms of keeping clubs going at, at colleges and universities. So
Malaravan Balachandran 12:43
I’m very proud to say that particular club is really successful. It still does amazing projects, I see them on their Instagram feed, and the projects that they’re doing, they’re still doing the same things, but it’s and other things of course as well, but they’re still as impactful as prevalent as active as I when I was there. The unique situation of the thunderbay Rotaract Club is that one. They have three rotary sponsor clubs, not just one, three, so they had a lot of support from Rotarians and they continue to have a lot of support from Rotarians. The level of rotary to rotary connectiveness I saw in Thunder Bay is what I’m trying to emulate here in district 7070. And I say that because the Rotarians would often invite the rotaractors to their events. For example, the dew drop in project which would be a food serving project for a local homeless shelter, they would go out initially when we started that project, we were doing that together. So we would do the same day but now we have adopted an individual they’d last Sunday of every single month to go there and volunteer as rotaractors ourselves but also we do that in conjunction with our with one of the rotary clubs there, in addition to several other rotary Rotaract events that we that we participate in, and whenever we need support for any of our events, the Rotarians show up on mass basically, whether that be physically monetarily volunteer, as a volunteer, whatever it might be, they show up on mass. We’ve had bar nights slash events, slash fundraisers, that we would have countless Rotarian show up to and help us support us and also be a part of that social experience. Tell us more about rotary and create that nice warm atmosphere that we know
Joe Solway 14:36
what is it that you’d like Rotarians that’s people who aren’t in rotor rack to know about rotaractors Because I know that you know, you speak to one of the things I hear from rotaractors is Oh, the only time we hear from them is when they want something done, you know that has to do with computers, you know or something digital that they can understand And what what is it that you want rotor Rotarians and I use that you know district Rotarian, your members of rotary clubs to know about rotaractors. Simply
Malaravan Balachandran 15:10
treat them as you would any other Rotarian Rotarians out there, you would go to an international convention and you would meet someone new, another Rotarian from another part of the world or out or a zone convention and you meet people, other Rotarians, the level of collaboration that you feel with some of the clubs, especially in the poorer parts of the world, I want you to take that energy, and I want you to put that into roduct as well. Because Roadtrek needs that energy rotor Acme, it’s that same level of passion that you put into any of your other projects into rotor act itself. But in addition, rotaractors will be there to support you in any capacity going forward. That is the relationship between rotor act and Rotary, right, there are certain strengths and weaknesses to both individual organizations. And together, we help cover those strengths and weaknesses. And we get to do more, we get to do more as Rotarians and rotaractors, as rotary as a whole.
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Joe Solway 16:38
jump ahead now you last year, you became a member of the Scarborough Rotary Club, which is where you grew up in where you live. Now, in a sense, you did say you came full circle. And you like this is the club that gave you those dictionaries? Is there anybody from that club? There? Now who might have given you that dictionary? I mean, is that it comes full circle was that?
Malaravan Balachandran 17:04
Yes. So I actually don’t know the exact person but I have I have I have an inkling I just don’t remember enough to top my head. But it was John and John Barrett, I love these two Rotarians to to my days to come. Because they’ve tremendously shaped me as an interrupter as a row director, and as a Rotarian now, as well. And I’m so happy to see that they’re still active in the club. They’ve also taken on leadership positions. John is our incoming president elect for the Rotary Club of Scarborough second time coming. And it’s amazing because it’s still, I think, what keeps me in that club and what keeps me in rotary as a whole is the love and support I personally received from Rotarians. For example, Joe, I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to go speak on this radio show. If it wasn’t for you probably. And I think that’s the key, right? It’s Rotarians see sort of the value that I personally can bring to the table as a rota actor as a Rotarian. But not only that, I see that they genuinely empathetically care about a young person’s development about a young person’s growth. And through mentorship to I’ve never been treated wrongly in rotary in any capacity, I’ve always been treated like one of the family, one of the one of the individuals in in that club in that organization, to the point where I feel like I’ve been adopted by the Rotary Club of Scarborough.
Joe Solway 18:40
Well, you’ve you’ve you’ve been adopted, but how do you? How do you go from being adopted? You know, with still with that, you know, label maybe Oh, yeah, he’s the guy from murderer. How do you go from there to being a leader in your club? Because some good clubs that I know, one of the things that I really love about them is that they have so many leaders that individually, you know, any people work together, obviously, but people have there’s so much leadership within these clubs. How do you how do you see yourself in that club? Other than being adopted by them?
Malaravan Balachandran 19:14
Yeah, so one of the biggest things is probably Rotaract. I would say that, so leadership, for me is pretty much I will do what what I am skilled at and what I may be able to do as I build up those skills, I will continue to grow and within the organization within the club for me right now my skills role direct. I’ve had hands on skills of doing of doing road directing the district doing road rock in my old district, District 5580. And so that is my skill set. And I’m bringing the same model that I that I grew up in five, five days. Oh, oh into 7070. And I think that is immense. For me. That is the leadership capacity in which I’m in My club at the current point in time, but not only that, I’m taking initiative to be a part of the Rib Fest committee. For years and years running. I’ve been participating at Rib Fest in several different leadership capacities to the point where the for the last two years I was in charge of all the all the drinks, all the coolers all the trucks, and all the orders for any about this stuff. And to this year, again, I’m taking a bit more responsibility, a bit more leadership through experience building, right. And I think that is the goal. For me, as a leader, I use the skills I have, I grew up to new skills, and I take more responsibility.
Joe Solway 20:33
That’s one of the things that that’s really great about rotary is that you can take responsibility of your own little piece of whatever project you’re working on, or maybe you’re heading up football project. And I find that there’s so many opportunities that, you know, I sometimes call it, you know, the land of opportunity. It’s the light of service, but it’s also the land of opportunity for personal growth. And I know for me, you know, I get ideas, and I work on things that I never knew I had that skill. I kind of knew I had that. But but you know, it’s kind of like a net I discover. And I think we all discover skills that maybe we you know, we’ve been preparing for it, but we never knew we had, is that the way you see it? Yeah,
Malaravan Balachandran 21:16
definitely, I think I’ve gained a lot more confidence over the years in rotary as a whole. And I’ve gained so many different skills that I can’t even put a thumb on it. To understand exactly what I’ve gained. It’s Rotary has been become a core fragment of my identity itself. And I feel like that is crucial, right? I identify as a Rotarian as a role director. And I’m so happy to use those labels to describe myself and the skills that come with it because rotary is a microcosm for the for the world, the way the way the world is. Right. And because of that all those skills I gained in rotary are transferable to any other aspect of my life.
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Joe Solway 22:30
live breathe, Rotary, Rotary and Rotaract to the point where you have started a Rotaract club. Tell us about that. Because you you know, this is a this is a monumental thing you’ve got not everyone can start a club. So tell me about the club.
Malaravan Balachandran 22:49
So the club started to address a couple of key issues, the one key issue that we faced. So just just a little bit of context, I came back from Thunder Bay about about two years ago, close to two years now. And I found that there was no real there was no real Rotaract Club for me to join. And I wanted to join Rotaract. So so badly here in in Toronto, and the club that was close to me was too far away. They had odd meetings just didn’t work with my schedule. And then the current clubs that used to exist didn’t actually exist anymore. Because of post COVID recovery. A lot of the clubs shut down, we lost connections to a lot of the clubs. So I took the leadership opportunity for Rotaract to become Rodak district, Ambassador rotaractors to cheer for 7070 around for at the start of this rotary year. Two point we’ve successfully identified and revived all the road rock clubs that are existing now in the GTA area in district 7070. But as a result of that, we found that we only had five clubs that were active. What about all the districts 7070 is large? What about all of those small communities that don’t have no direct programs? How would we address that the E Club was the perfect solution to address that we would meet virtually so you could meet from anywhere and we would gather individuals together based upon their availability their time to participate in a rotary program, whatever that might entail. And the club also had a very particular goal as well to pull together all the all the events, opportunities, volunteer opportunities, etc. From rotary including Rotarian Rotary Clubs and rotary clubs all across the district so that anyone in the district would know automatically what is going on in their community with respect to rotary rotary act. And that was immense because even now, we’re starting at one of our very first volunteer opportunities, and we have rotaractors across the district. Going to this volunteer opportunity and the volunteer opportunity isn’t Rotary. To run a rotary one, by the way, it’s run by a local organization in the local hospital in the community. And it is an international project. That is the kind of stuff that we can do by pooling together a bunch of different clubs together by using the Rotaract II club as the the central board, let’s say, or the gathering place of all these different clubs. And I do this by including the liaisons. So one representative from every single existing Rotary Club will also participate in the club as well, Rotarians are widely invited to the club. And we’re sort of unifying rotor Act, the rotor act and rotary mindset across the district, which is a match this is the results that this will bring is immeasurable. I’m
Joe Solway 25:44
so impressed with your passion for this, you know, one of the things I like to do when I meet any Rotarian, you know, when I meet a Rotarian for the first time, who’s perhaps did I don’t know, it at a conference or something like that, or an event? I often ask, what’s your passion project? Because everybody has, I think, you know, in Rotary, everyone has one or if they haven’t yet, found it, they will. Your this is obviously your passion project. And, you know, I’m so impressed with the fact that this is your passion project. How do you how do you make what what do you tell people? What’s your pitch to people who, you know, who don’t know anything about this? But what’s your what’s your pitch to them without, without scaring them off? Of course, yeah,
Malaravan Balachandran 26:32
I would say, this is a place for young people and young professionals and university students to collaborate together on Rotaract, whether they’re a part of a rotary club, whether they are part of a rotary club, whether they’re a part of just a general volunteer member in the community, this is where they can come together, and do whatever else, whatever they want to do, in terms of volunteer events, in terms of community building, in terms of whatever, whatever they’re passionate about. And then, and then this is the starting place, the E club is the starting place, the starting place for all other clubs that I believe will be formed in the future. If we’re at five clubs right now, through the club, I hope we can build, let’s say, 50 other clubs in the future, if possible, and maybe get up to that 55 number that we currently have with the rotary clubs in the current district. That’s,
Joe Solway 27:26
that’s, that’s, that’s really fantastic. And one of the reasons is that I know that I’m for our district, this is a lot of inside stuff for people who were listening to this for our district on our membership committee. I’m the one who, who goes through all the leads from Rotary International Visitors Center district, and I can’t tell you how many in that will, you know, because I send them to you in the past few months are people who are, you know, I guess Rotaract, aged 19 to 29, or 18 to 29. And, and it’s really gratifying to see how much thirst there is for service among people who are much younger than I am, who are in your age group. And that’s really gratifying. And it makes me optimistic about the future.
Malaravan Balachandran 28:10
Yeah, and on that, no, the leads that you send me, Joe, I have successfully implemented puts several of them into into Roadtrek programs. And I always make sure I try to determine their program based on availability based on where they’re located based on several other key factors, what they’re interested in, stuff like that. And I will pick the best club in the district for them to join. If they’re not like, fit for Rotaract. I will also connect them back to rotary and stuff like that. But all these leads I get from Joe, they are, they end up in a club that they feel truly belong to. And that can also I’ve also been reaching out to the president of that club to ensure that all of these individuals get that warm welcome. That warm rotary welcome that they deserved.
Joe Solway 28:56
It’s fabulous. You mentioned that I want you want to circle back again. You mentioned that the club has its first project. It’s to do with hospitals, it’s international. Can you describe exactly what it is?
Malaravan Balachandran 29:07
So it’s what the Scarborough Health Network. They have yearly medical and dental packing event that where they pack medical and dental supplies for I believe, this year, it’s Kenya and Uganda, both places that really need aid at this current point in time. And so it was it was an event run by them. They reached out to a fellow rotary president for volunteers and stuff like that. And then they that road rock President shared it with me and then I shared it with all the other rotary clubs in the district as well. And also other young people I know of course, but this isn’t an event run by rotary it is not an event run by Rotary. But as rotaractors we are able to volunteer our time at this local event to to make an international impact. And I think this is major because it doesn’t necessarily need to be a rotary won a bet it could be a any other organization that you know, that needs volunteers, and I can arrange or what’s the strength of Rodak, maybe we can find some volunteers for you for that event.
Joe Solway 30:10
And, and you know, that’s so important because when people talk about, Oh, it’s too too big a project for us, we can’t do that. I mean, in whatever community you’re in, when you’re listening to this, whatever community you’re in, there are people doing amazing projects, and they need help for it. And you and you arrange to either personally or to have your club, get some volunteers for that, for that project for that organization. Make sure you wear your, you know, your rotary hat, or whatever it is to identify yourself, you know, as Rotary, and that’s one of the not only you’re, you’re doing service, but you’re also you know, letting people know that you know who rotary is, which is really important. Yeah,
Malaravan Balachandran 30:49
and this is a great, greatest way to make new members, because people that flock to these types of events, or make the best Rotarians from my personal Lodge, I’ve seen Rotarians abroad or actors. And I hope at this event that we can make some several new rotaractors to join the road rock cars in the district as well. Why
Joe Solway 31:07
would a road director become a Rotarian? Because, you know, like, what, what is your I mean, you know, it cost more, you know, we’re a little more formal, we’re a little older, why would a rotor act to become a Rotarian. So
Malaravan Balachandran 31:23
with respect to Rotaractors, becoming Rotarians, I would say, we’re not looking at the immediate change from a rotor actor to Rotarian this is probably going to take about 10 years of their lifetime to transition from rotary back to rotary. And I say this, because these are young individuals that just starting a career for the first time or have just only been working in a career for a short period of time. The reason that rotaractors more attracted to them as because they’re around people around their age, they’re around people with similar goals and mindsets of them. They’re also around individuals that also understand that, oh, I’m working a full time job I can’t necessarily commit, commit to lunchtime meetings, or breakfast meetings, and stuff like that. But what I can solidly say is when these individuals are in a position to, let’s say, are more farther along in their career, whatever that might look like, and they’re starting to earn more money, they have savings, they’re able to have that free time to do whatever else they need to do, they will become Rotarians because they will see that as an attractive opportunity, because they had an a great experience in rotary motor act. And then thus, Rotary will always be closely connected to rotor act, and thus, it just need to follow the natural progression, the natural progression of time, whatever that looks like for that individual.
Joe Solway 32:47
But you are both you’re both a retiree and and a rotor actor. I mean, is that, are you unique? Or are there a lot of you like that? No,
Malaravan Balachandran 32:58
there are definitely Rotoractors that would choose to become a Rotarian well in advance, I am one of them. I do know several others. I think, for me, I just love rotary to the point where we’re I don’t mind spending that money for the views. I don’t mind becoming a member of the Rotary Club of Scarborough because I love the Rotary Club of Scarborough. Its priority. So I think you have to get individuals to that point, it took me 10 years to get to that point, right? Where I love rotary to that degree, right? That no matter where I am in life, I will always be a part of Rotary. And as a Rotarian, I just feel like I’ve come full circle with that. There might be several other individuals that grew up in rotary or might be might have been Rotarians outside in and other organizations or in other countries and stuff like that, that have emigrated, let’s say to Canada, as a student or something and they want to remain a rotary member as well. That’s, I see that through the leads that we get, some of them choose to be in Rotary, even though they are of a younger age, even though they are Rotaract age, and it’s completely personalized based upon the individual.
Joe Solway 34:05
One of the things that we we are concerned about, I mean, let’s be honest here is membership growth in some cases, you know, the lack of growth, in some cases, the regression of growth, what’s the future for rotary as you see it,
Malaravan Balachandran 34:20
the future for rotary as I see it, is we need to become an organization that is more I would say, like accessible for lack of a better word, accessible to all right? So in some capacity, I don’t see the rotary program as just Rotarians. as a whole. I see the rotary program as early actors interactors, rotaractors and Rotarians. Right? I see the progression of let’s get people while they are young, into rotary, so they understand the power of rotary and they grow through rotary so that they are always involved in rotary for the future, whatever that might look But of course at different aspects you might get more people in, you might get less people in etc. clubs may close, this is a nature, natural progression of life clubs may close clubs may start up again, we might create new clubs. This is a natural progression of any existing organization. Think of it as fast food restaurants, and fast food restaurant isn’t getting enough customers, I’ll probably close the stores and move to another area, that it is more it can it can thrive in in another area that it can try thrive in, right. And that is the same nature of Rotarians. But the point is, let’s make even for Rotarians, let’s make ie clubs that they can join, let’s make different types of satellite clubs or cause based clubs that they can join. And let’s ensure that from Rotary Club to rotary club, from Rotary Club to rotary club, from Rotary Club from Rotary Club or interact club to any of the above that that’s transition is mood that we’re breaking down the barriers that might be present related to those transitions. And so that we are able to go anywhere in the world and be a part of rotary in some capacity.
Joe Solway 36:08
We have to think more creatively. Yes,
Malaravan Balachandran 36:11
I definitely think so.
Joe Solway 36:13
It’s one thing for me, you know, I’ve only been a Rotarian for cheese. Coming up on I guess, six years now. 20 Yeah, coming up on six years. But you know, I’m much older. And you know, we’ve got to me, you kind of have to change the face of Rotary, from, you know, from me to more of you, I think, you know, can make it more attractive for young people, you know, because it seems it would seem to me that, you know, like my daughter, she goes, Well, do I really want to be in there in that club with a bunch of old farts? I mean, you know, and that’s, I shouldn’t be saying that in this broadcast. But, you know, that may be the impression that a lot of people have, you know, yeah, so we have to change that. I think we definitely do.
Malaravan Balachandran 36:58
But I also think we got to embrace it as well. Right? If even if, even if, as you said rotary is full of old farts, I love these old spice dearly, in my class, I love
Joe Solway 37:08
them dearly. But we can’t be set in our ways. That’s the thing, though. When young people come in, and they go, why don’t you try doing this? You know, we can’t go oh, well, that’s the way we’ve always done it. You know, and just so you know, go away and tell us, what, 10 years, you know, we can’t be doing that anymore. And
Malaravan Balachandran 37:24
I think that’s major. That’s a good point that you brought up, Joe, because that is how I feel in the Rotary Club I’m currently a part of, and I think probably if I went to another Rotary Club, I might not get the same welcoming mentality that this rotary club has given me because even now, this rotary club active trot, you tries to grow me as a person and helps with my development, and helps with anything else. I need support. Right, I can trust them. I know they care about me. I feel like a family in Rotary. I feel like the younger son adopted by Rotary, as I said, right. And I think that’s major.
Joe Solway 38:02
I’m sure you give back. And what you bring is is just as much if not greater than what you get. So because your URL about service and service above self, listen, I just want to wrap this up. I want to thank you for doing this. You’ve made my first broadcast. Right. And we will be seeing you soon. Yeah,
Malaravan Balachandran 38:24
definitely. Thank you, Joe, for this opportunity. And feel free to reach out out to me if you have any more questions that you want to learn more about my story. I’m always available to you guys. And of course, I have my contacts in club runner so you can find me as a member of the Rotary Club of Scarborough. I thank you for your time, Joe.
Joe Solway 38:41
Okay, speak to you soon. Thanks. Bye now.
Malaravan Balachandran 38:44
Bye for now.
Mandy Kwasnica 39:03
Thank you so much for joining us on another great episode of talking Rotary. We would love to hear from you. Please send us your comments and story ideas and you can share with us easily by sending us an email at feedback at talking rotary.org Let’s keep talking Rotary.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai