How Green was my Valley/club!

KJ offered to resign more then a month ago. Though it was a shock to everyone but still will confess that it was relief for me. As posted earlier, in case of RCTE, it was case of ‘frankly dear i don't give a damn’. Therefore the fact that I simply did not care that our club was headless and was having no future did not amaze me. And why so indifference? The reason is simple. I knew this was coming. I was as certain of club going down, as I was earlier, of my club going to top.

The reasons, as I stated before, were simple to seek. The club and especially new members were embracing and idolizing wrong ideals and principals. This was ensuring a short term artificial success or temporary ‘feel good’ factor. Any intellectual person knows that Long term vision is not built on personal ambitions of one or two persons. Not on ‘I am the only one great’ attitude and certainly not on ‘I only win and u all lose’ situations. In spite of my repeated warning and cautioning against targeting for short-term gains, still everyone was engulfed by the obscene greed of fast success and fame.

One fact is indisputable. A great club is built on teamwork of experienced PPs, effective BOD and energetic new members. It is built on love and harmony. It involves rotary training and grooming of juniors by knowledgeable seniors and also giving support and confidence to President by key persons of club. This is where our club was lacking. And the club also suffered because persons like me who knew what was happening and what needs to be done were not bothered by the turn of events.
Though DP has accepted to be PE but I know it will be difficult for the club to find its bearings again. The club will never be able to recapture its innocence, its enthusiasm, the bonding, the harmony, the joy of discovering each other and the happiness of just being in each others company. Unless a new breed of 15-20 exciting members are inducted together, the lost era of our club may never be regained.
When I try to look back at my initial years in RCTE, I realize with dismay how it has changed in such a short time and also realized what I will be missing. Initially the members knew each other personally, incl their families. There was innermost fierce desire to meet informally for fellowship at someone’s place. I remember the various times I enjoyed at PP RJ house, the simple ice-cream fellowship in my small office where SA DS AA VS late RP, late Khanna etc used to come frquently and where we used to just chat/gupshap. Now looking back, I realize rotary was more simple but enjoyable in those days. There was sense of both solace and satisfaction in doing something for club members and the club. Personal ambition was nowhere on the horizon. And it is for these loving affectionate members that I tried to build a tajmahal of our club. It was my tribute to the lovely times I have shared with these members. But I now know that I was defeated in my purpose by ambitions of few persons. But I have to now reluctantly accept that as my failure and move on.
Some how the magic of those days will never return

……. That is until another magician appears on the avenue