Greetings from the chairman and secretary

I am Yoshinobu Shimokawa, who has been appointed as the president of the Tokyo Riverside Rotary Club this year. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for being appointed to this honorable position.

My theme for this year is "Continuity."
We chose this word as our theme because, 28 years after the club was founded, we are determined to continue the ideals that our successive presidents have pursued, such as "contributing to society" and "fostering friendship among members," and to pass on to our juniors the Riverside pride that has been built from the ground up.

This year, we will be supporting the Arakawa Ward table tennis club "Tortoise," which we were given the direction to do last year, continuing to support the Kamaishi Youth Baseball Club, and supporting students at Tokyo University of the Arts, all of which are volunteer activities unique to Riverside. Going forward, with the guidance and encouragement of all members, including the officers and directors, we will strive to run the club in a way that deepens the interaction between veteran and young members and brings out "Riverside Pride" through enthusiastic activities. Finally, I am 77 years old now, so I would like to ask Secretary Nishiyama and everyone else for their continued support.

My name is Nishiyama Takashi, and I have been appointed by Chairman Shimokawa to serve as secretary for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

I am not from Arakawa, nor did I start a business here, so I am something of an "outsider," so to speak, but since 2020 I have had the opportunity to be connected to the Tokyo Riverside Rotary Club, and have been looked after by everyone there. At this club, I have learned from my seniors and peers of the same generation what friendship is and what service is. Now that I am approaching the second half of my life, I am deeply grateful for the great guidepost I have been given, "humanity."

The theme for this year, as set by President Shimokawa, is "continuity." We believe this means inheriting the thoughts of all the previous presidents who have lived through turbulent times, and passing it on to the future. President Goda's year was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Shintani's year was the midst of the spread of infection, President Suzuki's year was a time when an exit was in sight but still a period of exploration, President Fujii's year was a time of transition when the venue was changed to Seiyoken, and President Konezawa's year was a time when the club was energetically boosted.

This year, as a continuation of these activities, we will support the "Arakawa Table Tennis School, Tortoise," which we announced a policy for last year, and continue to support the "Kamaishi Little League Baseball Club, Sports and Sports Club." Furthermore, we will also focus on volunteer activities unique to the Tokyo Riverside Rotary Club, such as supporting students at Tokyo University of the Arts.

This year, with the guidance and cooperation of the directors, executives, and members, we will continue to aim to operate the club in a way that allows veterans and young members to have deeper interactions through enthusiastic activities. We would like to work together with you to build a club that embodies "Riverside Pride." Thank you for your continued support this year.