This week the Shimla Rotary Club visited Bishop Cotton School, Shimla (BCS) and launched a teen initiative for the school to be part of the community volunteering project – called Rotary Club ‘Interact’. (Wednesday 16th July 2024).
The chief guest for the occasion was MLA Harnish Janartha, who was also a pupil at BCS.
President: Rotary Club, Shimla – Mr. Saurabh R. Sood and his team of high profile businessmen informed the gathering about their successful initiatives in and around Shimla in helping those less fortunate with very practical help and welcomed the new Cottonian members to the Interact Club from BCS.
The Interact club is an international club that brings young people aged between 12-18 together to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of ‘Service Above Self’ in the community. The International scheme sees teenagers around the world helping out and volunteering in the community with guidance from the Rotary Club projects.
Thirty proud new BCS members were inaugurated by officials from the Shimla Rotary Club on stage in the Irwin Hall this week. They will represent the school in organizing volunteering in the community and already have a committee in place to help with Shimla area projects for those in need.
The senior boys were each presented with special pins by Chief Guest – Old Cottonian and MLA Harish Janartha and the BCS Director Mr Simon Weale.
In their addresses both highlighted that ‘helping others is a route to happiness’ and as BCS boys they have a ‘duty’, being from privileged families, to help others in society – especially as they attend a prestigious school such as Bishop Cotton School. The School encourages a broad character building mindset and this initiative will support this important work in society.
Many of the BCS boys come from other States around India (and the world) but they will stay members of the Rotary Club even after leaving school, to do good in the community.
The school has a history of helping out with community projects for those less fortunate, the Cottonians even started their own charity ‘The Cottonian Hope Foundation’ helping cancer patients, elderly and orphans, but this consolidates the work together with the Rotary Club for local projects with NGOs too.
Well done boys, we all look forward to hearing more about all your future endeavours around Shimla. Thanks goes to the Shimla Rotary Club officials and Harish Janartha for launching this initiative along with teacher Mrs Rose Lal who has been instrumental in arranging this project.
Interact Club information (From the Rotary Club website):
Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance but are self-governing and self-supporting. Club membership varies greatly. Clubs can be single-gender or mixed, large or small. They can draw from the student body of a single school or two or more schools in the same community.
Connect with leaders in your community and around the world to:
- Take action to make a difference in your school and community
- Discover new cultures and promote international understanding
- Become a leader in your school and community
- Have fun and make new friends from around the world
Rotary Club Background
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace worldwide. In more than 160 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 30,000 Rotary clubs. Rotary club membership represents a cross-section of the community’s business and professional men and women. The world’s Rotary clubs meet weekly and are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.
