President Nate conducted the first Club Assembly of the new year by asking members to discuss two important issues: club membership and committee involvement. Before doing that, however, he shared with the audience an update of accomplishments for the last 6 months of 2017 and what is planned for the last half of his year.
He referenced the Presidential Citation (See below) and said that we were fulfilling many of the requirements for it but a possible gap is our membership. We started the year at 52 members and added 3 new members but dropped 2 when the Simays departed. We need 6 to 7 new members by June 30th to qualify for recognition.
This was a great segue into what President Nate wanted members to accomplish during this Club Assembly. He asked certain tables to brainstorm suggestions as to how they thought the club could increase its membership numbers.
He asked other tables to discuss committee structure and what suggestions members might offer to strengthen current committees and insure that they be more active moving forward in addition to how we could get more members to get involved. Nate also asked tables to discuss other possible programs we might want to support that require little if any financial support.
Following a ten minute discussion among the tables, spokespeople from each table reported out highlights of their time together. Here are the various suggestions:
MEMBERSHIP GROWTH
A suggestion was made that each current member should take responsibility within their own environments to ask people to join the club while giving consideration to extending the invitation to younger prospects.
Our club might want to advertise the fact that they are looking for people who have a service project idea, ask them to present it on a stage at a possible forum at, say, Adrian High School, and our club would select the best one while the leader automatically becomes a member of the club and the project would be approved and launched.
Since the makeup of our club does not reflect the true diversity of people or even businesses within this community, it was suggested that we work to identify people within manufacturing, education (local colleges and university arena), food service industry, medical profession, retail, etc.
In answer to the question what we could do to make membership more attractive it was suggested that we post a Happy Hour, plan it and schedule a date for it.
Another suggestion offered was that the club advertise in the Chamber Newsletter and Lenawee Now newsletter and Daily Telegram.
Yet another suggestion was that we need to have our new prospect brochure available to members who have prospects in mind.
Also, since so many people are on Facebook, it is important that we increase our FB presence so that more people know what we do as a club and are encouraged to join. To do this, it was suggested, that we add more members to the list of “administrators” who have access so more info can be posted like daily.
Other suggestion were: post our weekly bulletin on our FB page and give coupon for a free lunch out to all speaker/presenters.
COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
It was suggested that no new committees needed to be created but that our energies should be focused on getting the current committees already in place to become more active and not add any new responsibilities to them but insure that we have strong leadership in place to carry out the responsibilities they already have.
Another suggestion was to get more people involved in the club with projects but if they cannot attend their specific meetings, they could at least help out in some other way with that project. An example was the Bike Tour – a person might not be able to make a meeting(s) but they could actively seek out people who might want to participate in the actual event. In the case of the New Year’s Eve celebration members could, at the very least, donate a silent auction item. In other words, there are many other ways to get involved in some small way without having to be part of any club committee or even attend the event.
Another suggestion was to require committee chairs to report out periodically to the full membership on what they are planning as well as the success of the project once it is completed. In this way, members would know what each committee was doing.
It was suggested that each board member would be assigned to a specific committee and responsible for keeping in contact with its chairperson to insure they are active and meeting on a regular basis.
Another table suggested that the club develop a separate monthly or quarterly newsletter on which committees could describe what they were engaged in and what they had planned.
Fluency Friends Open House – Mary reported that it was a great time was had by all! Thanks to all who attended. And thanks to Mary for chairing this successful event again this year and to all members who participated! Our donation this year allowed us to purchase 600 books that will allow every student to take 5-6 books home with them this summer to read. President Nate thanks Mary for spearheading this program again this year. Kathy Sielsky and Anne LaCasse will be making a formal presentation at one of our meetings in August. Thanks to Prez Bob Gordon for the pictures below:
Bike Tour 2018 – The next meeting will be May 30th at the Armory at 5:30pm.
E-RaceStigma5k Run – The event took place last Sunday (see our FB page for photos) and record-breaking numbers came out to run the Kid’s Dash and the 5k. Thanks to Greg Adams for organizing and to all members who helped that day.
Strokes for Students Golf Outing – Kevin reported that everyone had a good time.
Launch Lenawee – Prez Nate mentioned that we have submitted yet another grant from the district for this program. We’ll be asking members to help.
RI Foundation – Mike Olsaver announced that we are within reach of our club goal of $5,600.
Rotarian of the Year Award – Be thinking of a worthy person to receive the award this year. Forms are available from Prez Nate. Winner will be announced at the Changeover Dinner in June.
Meals on Wheels - They are in critical need of volunteers between May 29 and June I. It takes about an hour and a half and you get paid mileage. Please see routes below:
Upcoming Programs:
May 31 - Kathye Herrera - M.A.D.D.
June 7 - DG Rick Caron
June 14 - Nicole Coulter - Haiti
June 21 - Changeover Dinner (NO REGULAR MEETING THAT DAY)
June 16 – Devil’s Lake Festival of the Arts – Chair Brent Mercer said there will be a sign-up sheet next week and that the entertainment for that weekend will be Alias (Mark’s band) and Caitlan Louise. More info coming.
June 21 – Joint Changeover Dinner - with the Morning Club and to be held at the Adrian Armory. More info coming. Kathye said she will be sending everyone an e-mail asking who will be attending and if members will be bring their spouses or a guest. The meal this year will be catered. Governor Rick will be in attendance! Awards will be presented, new board members introduced and the gavel will be passed from Nate to Kathye. You don’t want to miss it.
September 22 – Lenawee Bike Tour - If you cannot serve on the committee but can help out during the actual one-day event on Saturday, September 22nd, please send Chip an e-mail to let him know. This year’s event will be a “timed” event for the more serious riders and begin at the Armory! Along with that, something for families and children (like a “slow” ride and scavenger hunt) is being planned.
September 22 – Lenawee Bike Tour - If you cannot serve on the committee but can help out during the actual one-day event on Saturday, September 22nd, please send Chip an e-mail to let him know. This year’s event will be a “timed” event for the more serious riders and begin at the Armory! Along with that, something for families and children (like a “slow” ride and scavenger hunt) is being planned.
GUESTS: Jane's granddaughter, Jen; Braden Weidner, guest of Barry; Cindy Sutherland, guest of Sue Lewis; Melissa, guest of Nate who just submitted her app to join the club!!
2018-19 RI President Barry Rassin wants Rotary members to Be the Inspiration
Rassin, a member of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, unveiled the 2018-19 presidential theme, Be the Inspiration, to incoming district governors at Rotary’s International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA. “I want you to inspire in your clubs, your Rotarians, that desire for something greater. The drive to do more, to be more, to create something that will live beyond each of us.”
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