Dear Polio Survivors Rotary Action Group (PSRAG) Leaders,
I am reaching out to you with news from the RI Board of Directors. As you are aware, RI’s standards for Action Groups have evolved over the past decade in response to changing organizational needs and priorities. Rotary Action Groups provide engagement opportunities for subject-matter experts to support clubs and districts with large-scale humanitarian projects and programs while offering professional and personal development opportunities through its global network. In addition to these evolving expectations of Action Groups, the Covid-19 pandemic further added to the challenges of maintaining a robust global Action Group. As the effects of the pandemic have slowed down, and with many Groups having adjusted to a new normal of engaging, connecting, and supporting clubs and districts in a hybrid model, the RI Board is compelled to hold Rotary Action Groups to Rotary’s policies.
At its April 2023 meeting, the RI Board reviewed PSRAG’s reported activities from the last several years. The RI Board and the secretariat express deep appreciation to PSRAG for its 17 years of service as a Rotary Action Group. The review concluded that PSRAG has been unable to meet RI’s criteria for Rotary Action Groups. As part of its decision, the RI Board:
- Expresses its appreciation for the Polio Survivors Rotary Action Group’s work since becoming an Action Group in 2006;
- recognizes the Polio Survivors Rotary Action Group is no longer able to meet RI’s criteria to maintain Rotary Action Group status and agrees to terminate the group;
- encourages the Action Group’s leaders to form a Rotary Fellowship to continue to globally connect polio survivors and raise awareness of disabilities resulting from polio;
- invites the group to submit a proposal for a Rotary Action Group on mobility and accessibility.
In keeping with the Board’s decision, the general secretary asks the officers of the PSRAG to take the following actions:
- Discontinue the Action Group’s website and any affiliated pages/groups on social media, discussion boards, etc.
- Discontinue using the Rotary Mark and references to the PSRAG “Rotary Action Group” in any communications and publications
- Donate any remaining funds to The Rotary Foundation
- Notify the Action Group members that the group has been terminated, advise them on how the group’s remaining funds will be utilized, and invite them to join your endeavor to reorganize as a Fellowship if you wish to continue cultivating a global Rotary community of polio survivors and supporters.
The RI Board strongly encourages you to form a Rotary Fellowship to continue connecting polio survivors and raising awareness about polio eradication efforts. If you wish to do, my team and I are more than happy to guide you through this process. We also look forward to supporting you working on your proposal for a Rotary Action Group on mobility and accessibility.
As one of the first groups to evolve from a Rotary Fellowship to a Rotarian Action Group, we thank your members and leaders for your years of service and wish you well in your respective endeavors.
Thank you for your cooperation and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Best regards,
………………………………………………
Zuhal Sharp (she/her/hers)
Rotary Service and Engagement
27 April 2023