Posted: 2 years ago

A REPORT FROM THE MONTREAL ROTARY  INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION: A FACILITATOR SESSION ON IDEA EXCHANGE WITH THE SUBJECT OF ‘ROTARY GLOBAL HISTORY’- GIVEN JUNE 21, 2010 by Joe Kagle

 On Sunday, RI assembled all the facilitators (approx. 25) and worked with us for an hour on what RI expected from the Idea Exchanges (the first time this kind of session was used at the Convention, I believe). The Conventions, in the recent past, have had ‘break out sessions’ on specific topics before but not sessions where the discussion was open and could lead down paths that no one expected. The main job of each facilitator was to stimulate conversation around a given general topic. Mine was Rotary Global History (and I know this was the first time that this subject was used for discussion at a convention).

The other areas that we discussed among the facilitators was: how to use questions to get the broadest response, how to use silence as a tool to get the participant to consider asking questions or telling stories as examples, how to work for a ‘middle ground’ when there was a conflict, how to use body language (and select language) to allow individuals to join the group in fellowship around an idea, and how to manufacture discussion by the nature of the questions, how to use time (and allocate it fairly), how to move a discussion to a new point when it was apparent that the idea had been covered, how to begin the pre-meeting by meeting each participant at the door and finding out a little about them and how to end the meeting. Many of those chosen had years of experience in this kind of Idea Exchange but the session was important in so far as one learned some new ideas about the methods and techniques of others.

I went to Three Cups of Tea on Monday (a discussion of a book about starting schools for girls in Afganistan by Greg Mortenson- a New York Times Best Seller), although I had not read the book but knew and admired the facilitator: Geri Appel (wishing to see how she handle this subject and how she might include those of us who did not know the book), before starting my session which was next door in the next hour and a half. I learned much at this session, not just about the book, but about the process of getting a girl’s school stated in a middle eastern country where that was not the tradition. Geri was exceptional.

In fact that influenced how I began my session, after greeting everyone at the door (Canada, USA, Korea, Columbia, Peru, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, etc.- approx. 60). I asked each citizen if they had a paper bill of currently in their pocket and would they take it out, showing it to those around them. They did and I asked them what the symbols on the bill meant in terms of history. Some knew a great deal (like a Canadian Rotary archivist who is also archivist for his city) and some very little, but each did not go much beyond the surface of history. For instance, when I asked a Michael to turn over a one dollar bill and tell what was there, I got: “An eagle on one side and a pyramid on the other.” “What do you think they mean?” I asked, “Someone choose these special symbols for some reason, don’t you think?” “Yes,” he said, “the eagle is our national bird and the pyramid comes from Egypt!” “Very good observation,” I continued, “but what is behind their choice?” “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Can anyone else guess what these might mean?” I asked.

A young lady from Tokyo said, “Maybe the eagle is there so that Americans can fly.” “Good,” I said, “and what does flying mean for this country? Could it be that we are not restricted to the earth with our minds, bodies, and dreams?” “Yes,” she said, “it means that your country is built on freedom.” And I turned away from her (because she let me know by body language that she was finished talking) and asked another section of the audience, “And what about the meaning behind the pyramid with the eye of Ra at its apex? Who is Ra?” One historian said, “He was the supreme god of the Egyptians.” “And was the pharaoh also called Ra?” I asked. Several shook their heads, ‘yes’, so I went on: “And what is the pyramid in our political system? What is at the apex of our history?” No one answered right away. They thought that I had strayed from Rotary Global History to something else (I could tell by their facial gestures). “If one side is freedom on the One Dollar bill, is the other side a kind of balance: power?”

Seeing lights go off in some eyes and the smiles that accompanied that awareness, “Isn’t the writing or the symbols chosen from history always about that culture and how it was born and what significance we place in those symbols? Isn’t the first Rotary Club in Chicago with Paul Harris a power group of businessmen getting together to extend service to the world (freedom of choice on who, what and how to serve) and then moving out from their pyramid of power to the freedom of fellowship, goodwill and service? In a room of Rotarians, I need not ask for an answer! Except, I wish you all to consider the structure of RI in terms of power and freedom. How many women are on the Rotary Board of Directors?”

But I got great interchanges of discussion after that, started by a young woman from Nigeria, who said, “Yes, women in my country have been left outside those symbols. YOU can have those symbols because they were chosen by Americans who won from the British? All men,” she added. “The winners always have their freedom to write the history, in books and legends,” she said as she concluded.  A young man from Columbia wanted to take up this subject and so I recognized Eduardo to give his story and his ideas. So it went for an hour and a half. Three of our eClub members, besides me, were in the audience: Francoise and Gerard from France, Jack Selway (who was a fellow board member of Rotary Global History Fellowship- and its founder, who gave many instances from RGH about how history was shaped by individual Rotarians who used their freedom to change the world).

This discussion lead to ideas about member retention, how to bring new, young members into the Rotary fold, how to find retired Rotarians and give them something for which to serve in the future, how projects had been financed and money raised, stories upon stories from all over the globe about how Rotary history could help paved the road to the future, and finally, what was this groups’ concern about Rotary Globe History that was being lost or suppressed each day.

I learned much from that afternoon session and, I think, those who came to the session did get an ‘Idea Exchange’ about Rotary Global History, their own Rotary clubs, their strengths and weaknesses (plus how using RGH can help to retain members, give members passion through knowing that they walk, at times, in the footprints of ordinary Rotarians who did extraordinary feats of service to this globe. It will be interesting to hear from Francoise, Gerard and Jack about what they thought was accomplished and how this subject is vital to the future of Rotary (both locally and globally).   

Posted: 2 years ago

Joe ,

this session you report on has been terribly lively;I was attending,as you mention,and I must confess that you have been a fantastic animator;many questions,answers,including that "thank you "conclusion ,as a design to discover!!!funny

now I look at bills differently...

congratulation to the facilitator,who happened to be ...our President today!!!

Gerard (Gerry) EPIN

GERRY(Gérard EPIN)

Membership Committee Chairman 2011/12

France