My dear Rotary District 3131 Family,

Warm Greetings from First Lady Rtn PP Dr Tanuuja and me!!

I take this opportunity to convey my thoughts for the first time as the District Governor  2025-26 to you through our GML. It is an honour indeed.

It is with great enthusiasm and humility that I welcome you to Rotary Year 2025–2026. Ours is one of the most prestigious and vibrant District in the Rotary World. My predecessors, with your support and commitment have established a strong legacy of ever escalating achievements year after year.  I am excited and look forward to serve this  District as Governor for the Rotary Year 2025-2026.

Rotarians across the globe recently got the most unexpected news that of resignation of our RIPE Mario Cesar Martins de Cama for personal reasons. We, all the 2025-26 District Governors, had developed a close bond with Mario over the last 2.5-3 years. I had the opportunity to interact with him on one-to one basis- our talk was around membership retention and strengthening clubs.

Our strong organisation and leadership was quick to respond and we now have a new RIPE Francessco Arezzo, an orthodontist, from Italy. The message given to us by Mario ‘Unite for Good’ remains.

This inspiring message “Unite for Good” in just three words, captures the very essence of what Rotary stands for, i.e. bringing people together to create positive and lasting change. The spirit and tone of his message itself shows a direction in which we should focus our efforts during the ensuing Rotary year.

Let us understand who we are – we are a global network of people of action, coming together across clubs, professions, and communities to create lasting change. In Rotary, we know that working in synergy is key to success—our greatest impact comes when we align our efforts and combine our strengths.

As District Governor, I will be working closely with clubs across our district to strengthen our impact, grow our membership, and lead with innovation. But real change starts right here — in clubs like yours; all our members are our strength.

We should have synergy amongst our clubs, work with other NGOs and institutions to create an impact in the society. Let us identify good projects that would truly benefit the community.

Let us unite for a clear, shared purpose.

This year, our various District Teams have planned very interesting and impact creating projects for you -

Protect the Environment – Lead projects that reduce our carbon footprint, promote sustainability, and preserve natural resources.

Ensure Clean Water and Sanitation – Help communities gain access to safe, reliable water and better hygiene.

Improve Health and Well-being – Health initiatives with a focus on disease prevention, mental wellness, and equitable care.

Plan Projects with Proper Need Assessments – Engage communities, listen to their needs, and design impactful, sustainable solutions.

Partner with Grassroot NGOs – Collaborate with local organizations that understand community dynamics and can help to deepen our reach.

Invite and involve Community in our projects and programs.

Provide Well-Informed Leadership – Equip leaders at every level in Rotary organisation with appropriate training, vision, and resources needed to guide clubs forward.

Strengthen Our Clubs – Focus on sustaining membership by engaging new members meaningfully, retaining experienced ones, and ensuring Rotary remains vibrant, inclusive, and relevant. Build strong bonds between our Rotary families. Leave no member neglected.

Encourage Active Participation – Involve every Member in service, leadership, and fellowship. Engagement is the key to member satisfaction. Motivate members for impactful activities and appreciate them with your kind gestures.

Celebrate Fellowship – Nurture friendships and joyful moments that make Rotary life enriching.

Support The Rotary Foundation – When we give to our Foundation, we empower ourselves to do bigger and better service—locally and globally. ‘The Rotary Foundation transforms our gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world’.

We are a proud part of an organisation which since it was founded has invested more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. Doing Good for the underprivileged has always been our effort.

This year, let us Unite for Good— Good for people, for the planet, for peace, and for Rotary itself. Let’s serve with our heart in our service, lead with wisdom, and grow together with purpose. Our actions should make each one of us proud.

Wishing you all a year of meaningful action, strong partnerships, and joyful fellowship.

Yours in Rotary Service,

Rtn Santosh Marathe

District Governor 2025-26

RID 3131