Picture yourself by a small placid lake near the tallest and strongest trees in the forest. Like a young child, you lean down, pick up a pebble, and toss it into the mirrored surface of the lake. There is a small splash followed by ripples spreading in ever widening circles until the entire surface of the lake is disturbed. Empower the Family is a service project "a cut above" the rest. It is the *Tane Mahata and *National Geographic tree of community-oriented service projects. Empower the Family is a grass-roots path to world peace, as well. Preposterous? Not at all. Like a small pebble disturbing the whole lake, your Rotary club can impact the entire community with Empower the Family.  * See "Two Legends of the Forest"

The way to personal, community, and world peace is simple... but we tend to look beyond the mark. Think about it. From the world's centers of power, politicians have proposed plan after endless plan, wars have been started and ended, diplomats have deliberated, awards and prizes have been given, and judges have ruled. Yet, these laudable efforts seem to evaporate with the players. History confirms that lasting peace does not emanate from the centers of power. Too easily we look beyond the mark and forget this basic truth:

Empower the Family™ is a community service project created to strengthen the universal institution of family and encourage parents to "Put Family First™" in their lives. Designed specifically for Rotary Clubs, and dedicated to Rotary’s core strength of service, Empower the Family is a project that honors Rotary’s tradition of Service Above Self.

Rotary and Empower the Family share a mutual attribute. Rotary is an international organization of individuals that transcends the competing interests of many natural divisions in society including race, nationality, religion, political persuasion and geographic location. Likewise, families are the only common denominator for every community in the world. Strong, functional families living and teaching universal virtues raise responsible rising generations. Responsible rising generations steeped in universal virtues will seek peace.

Empower the Family is a community service project for Rotary clubs worldwide.  Its mission is to:

• Recognize and celebrate the benefits exemplary families provide the community in an annual community service project.
• Recognize and honor exemplary families, and family members, in local communities.
• Strengthen Rotary clubs and their members through community and club service.

 

What is the Project?

The basic program for an Empower the Family project includes activities and events that engage each of the community’s six primary organizations:

The Basic Program

* Family Hour ™ may be held on any of the four nights – Monday through Thursday. Some communities may want to set aside one evening during the week free of competing events and activities.

There are several add-ons to the basic program outlined in the Project Manual (see below). Empower the Family is designed as a flexible project to accommodate new ideas or events that work successfully.

 

Project Manual

Rotary clubs sponsoring the Empower the Family project will receive the 58-page Project Manual. Some of the items included in the Project Manual are:

• A brief history of “why and how” the project was initiated.
• Empower the Family guiding principles, including its mission statement, motto, the Three Nons Creed, and compatibility characteristics with the purposes of Rotary.
• Suggested Steering Committee organization.
• Project timeline.
• Description of website downloads for contest rules, press releases, project guidelines and forms.

• Recognizes and celebrates the benefits that strong, stable families offer a community.

• Gives the community a pro-family agenda and activity.

• Develops a forum for the exchange of ideas in the community.

• Provides community residents an opportunity to be involved in positive, family and children-oriented activities.

• Honors an outstanding exemplary family as Family of the Year.

• Celebrates marriage as a stable, desirable institution through the selection of an exemplary Longest Married Couple.

• Invites all community churches to participate in this family event through a Sacred Music Festival.

• Encourages businesses to focus on families.

• Sends the message to hundreds of children, through school participation, that families are important.

• Provides unique educational materials to the parents of newborns.
   

• It is unique

• It is revenue-neutral

• It strengthens family

• It serves a community need

• Any size club can do it

• It attracts new members

Empower the Family creates a positive ripple effect beginning with your local club and spreading through the entire community. Your entire community, under the leadership and direction of the local Rotary club, can enjoy a more peaceful, unified environment, bound together by fellowship and service.

In summary, this project involves the six primary organizations in every community:

• Family

• Local Government

• Church

• Business

• School

• Media

Your Rotary club can provide the "trigger" that initiates a ripple effect throughout your entire community…ultimately into every home. Educational and instructional "how-to" materials are now available to sponsoring clubs, including:

1. The initial orientation and training for club leadership (this will take approximately 2 hours).

2. A step-by-step Project Manual.

3. Telephonic consultation with World Peace Parents staff.

4. Downloadable project materials.

A Club Presentation Kit is available for use in presenting the Empower the Family project to your board of directors and/or club membership for approval and contains the following:

A 5-minute DVD used at the RI Chicago and Copenhagen Conventions, featuring members of the Project's Ohio Mother Rotary Club.

There is a modest charge for the Kit, and for shipping and handling. Order here.

The Name Of Your Rotary Club
Your Rotary District

Note: At this time materials for the Empower the Family project are available in English only. It will be offered in other languages in response to demand and the availability of financial resources.