President’s Address
December 27, 2017
Mr. Tomijiro Morita
President, Rotary Club of Tokyo
Let me say a few words at this last Weekly Meeting for the year 2017.
Six months have passed since I succeeded the Presidency in July. Let me express my sincere gratitude to Vice-President Mr. Okada, Secretary Mr. Ohoka, officers, directors and chairmen and member Rotarians for your cooperation that facilitated the smooth management of our meetings, events and activities. I was delighted to have 243 Rotarians, family members and guests join our Christmas Family Party last week.
While multiple natural disasters hit Japan from summer to autumn, including torrential rains in northern Kyushu, our economic climate has remained stable. GDP maintains positive growth for seven consecutive quarters since the first quarter of 2016. Tankan survey of the Bank of Japan for this December shows confidence among Japanese major manufacturers at an eleven-year high as well as improvement for small and mid-sized enterprises. The global economy as a whole has a positive outlook thanks to monetary easing policies taken by governments and central banks to stabilize the economy. The latest IMF estimate shows positive growth for all G20 countries after seven years. Having said that, we must not overlook geopolitical risk factors including North Korea, China and the Middle East that can have serious economic repercussions.
We appreciate this sense of stability that solidifies a firm base for the overall Rotary activities. Tokyo RC has set the Club theme for this RY to be “Hand in Hand” and worked to encourage active participation of our members in various Club initiatives, including weekly meetings, and to promote membership development. Thanks to your cooperation, we have welcomed a considerable number of new members during the first half of this RY. On the other hand, we witness a downturn in attendance at weekly meetings, below 50% at home and 60% after make-up, much lower than other RCs in Japan. I understand many Rotarians of this Club engage in professional duties and are pressed for time. But our Club will celebrate its Centennial Anniversary in three years’ time and we must set a good precedent for others with active engagement and participation. The Board members and Attendance Committee members will have extensive discussions to identify the cause of low attendance rate and make suggestions for improvement during the latter half of this RY. Let me ask for your continuous support. I would like to conclude my speech by wishing you all a wonderful New Year full of joy and happiness.