Club Assembly -  A look back and a look forward

We gathered by Zoom at High Noon for a Club Assembly and Lunch Mob 3.0.
 
Outgoing Club President Chris Blasius provided us with a Rotary Review of 2019-2020 and President- Elect JW Matheson provided us with a look forward to the upcoming 2020-2021 Rotary Year.  
 
 
Chris reported on the status of the club's 2020 goals:
  1. Membership and engagement: with a goal of +4 new members, we ended the year with a -1 net loss. We achieved a 70 percent engagement rate (involvement in something beyond attending a meeting. Our goal of 12 social activitie was severely curtailed by COVID-19. One thing for certain: 2020 will be a year to remember.
  2. Rotary Foundation Giving: we gained an A+ on our goal, surpassing it by almost 107 percent.
  3. Service: We had a minimum of four projects and ended the year with eight, thanks to quick and creative thinking on part of members.

Along with the old, add something new

New projects added since the year began include:
  • Veteran's Park cleanup
  • Flag placement for the Optimist Club
  • RFSD Mental Health and Wellness
  • Lunch MOBs, which supported local business and were a wonderful morale boost during trying times. A big thank you to Chris and Steve Leitch for your hard work in making this endeavor run smoothly.
Looking ahead, we included some administrative changes:
  • Increased dues $10/quarter
  • Continue Noon (and Zoom) meetings
  • Added credit card capability to club dues payments
  • Added new club membership types.

Extending our reach

We also participated in International Projects led by both our own club member(s) and other area clubs:
  • School restrooms in Panama (NR club)
  • School classroom space in India (Hudson)
  • Water Cistern Costa Rica (White Bear Lake)
  • Safe Drinking Water in Honduras/Nicaragua (Rochester)
  • Ambulance in Nicaragua (THANK YOU, TONY!)

Onward

The conversation will continue, with topics that need to be covered this year and beyond:
 
We need a large fundraiser
• No 2020 Gala.
• Non-Gala Donation?
• What now?

Status of large project
• Not longer Glen Park focus.
• Possibly School Forest?
 
Incoming President JW is ready to take the reins. A big thank you to Chris, for her leadership during this most unique year in Rotary's history.