Rotary International President (2011-2012) Message

11 August 2009

Kalyan Banerjee, a member of the Rotary Club of Vapi, Gujarat, India, since 1972, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International in 2011-12. Banerjee will become the president-nominee on 1 October if there are no challenging candidates.

Banerjee said he would like to see Rotary "blossom from being the world's most recognized service organization to being the most important NGO [nongovernmental organization] in the world.

"Rotary, it is said, has the strength of a government and the tenderness of a parent," he added.

Banerjee is a director of United Phosphorus Limited, the largest agrochemical manufacturer in India, and the chair of United Phosphorus (Bangladesh) Limited. He is a member of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society, a past president of Vapi Industries Association, and former chair of the Gujarat chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry. He earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, in 1964.

Banerjee has served Rotary as a director, Rotary Foundation trustee, committee and task force chair, International Assembly group discussion leader, president's representative, and district governor.

The chair of the Southeast Asia Regional PolioPlus Committee, Banerjee has served as a member of the International PolioPlus Committee for many years and has attended international meetings with the World Health Organization and UNICEF in that capacity.

Banerjee is a Major Donor, Benefactor, and Bequest Society member, and has been awarded the Foundation's Citation for Meritorious Service and its Distinguished Service Award.

Banerjee also serves as a trustee of Rotary club-sponsored trusts that support many educational and community development programs in India, including a 250-bed hospital.

He noted that Rotary's strengths include its ability to attract leaders from different vocations around the world, as well as its role in promoting peace. "Rotary needs to become the preferred organization for today's generation to join and participate in, to make the world better and safer and happier," he said.

Banerjee's wife, Binota, is a social worker and Inner Wheel club member. The couple have two children and four grandchildren.

The 2009-10 nominating committee members are: John F. Germ (chair), USA; Lennart Arfwidsson, Sweden; Keith Barnard-Jones, England; Ronald L. Beaubien, USA; Jacques Berthet, France; Robert O. Brickman, USA; Peter Bundgaard, Denmark; Ron D. Burton, USA; Gerson Gonçalves, Brazil; Jerry L. Hall, USA; Horst Heiner Hellge, Germany; Gary C.K. Huang, Taiwan; Toshio Itabashi, Japan; Kwang Tae Kim, Korea; Peter Krön, Austria; Donald L. Mebus, USA; Gerald A. Meigs, USA; Carlo Monticelli, Italy; Daniel W. Mooers, USA; David D. Morgan, Wales; G. Kenneth Morgan, USA; Samuel A. Okudzeto, Ghana; Luiz Coelho de Oliveira, Brazil; Kazuhiko Ozawa, Japan; Noraseth Pathmanand, Thailand; Barry Rassin, Bahamas; Ian H.S. Riseley, Australia; Robert S. Scott, Canada; Robert A. Stuart Jr., USA; Stan Tempelaars, The Netherlands; P.C. Thomas, India; O.P. Vaish, India; and Yoshimasa Watanabe, Japan.

Kalyan Banerjee
President, Rotary International


11 AUG CELEBRATIONS

On late night of 11th august, 2009 kalyan banerjee was declared nominated for the rotary international for the year 2011-2012. Dist - governor major sharma and pdg ashis roy invited many pdgs and rotarians from the surrounding clubs to enjoy the moment.

the celebrations were in damanganga resort and champagne was opened and the cake was cut.

1ST OCTOBER , 2009 CELEBRATIONS AT DEVKA BEACH

After the confirmation of Kalyan Banerjee informal gathering of the rotary stalwarts like Prip Raja Saboo, Rri Director Ravi Ravindran, Prid OP Vaish, Prid Sushilgupta, PDG Vinay Kulkarni and many pdgs of dist 3060, DG Maj Sharma, Major Donor Raju Shroff and Smt Sandra Shroff and galaxy of rotary 3060 dist with members of rotary club of vapi celebrated the nomination of Kalyan Banerjee. Rotary stalwarts and cocktails were the highlights of the evening. The photos speak for themselves.

CELEBRATION OF 2ND OCTOBER

Rotary international president nominee declared on early hours of 2nd oct, 2009 and hence rotary club of vapi decided to have a grand celebration. Under the chairman ship of PDG Ashis Roy the members of rotary club of vapi worked day and night to make this programme a great success. It was a mini jalsa in true sense. Many stalwarts of the rotary world were present. It was for the first time that great rotary leaders like Prip Raja Saboo, Prid OP Vaish, Prid Sushil Gupta, incoming directors YP Das , Shekhar Mehta and galaxy of past dist governors along with Ri Director Ravi Ravindrana and district governor Major Sharma made the celebration very speacial and were present in a common function.

The entire felicitation was very well organised and the interludes in form of dance form of gajia and singing by proffesional artist made the programme very enjoyable.