Margo Buchanan - President Address

Margo Buchanan, our new club president challenged us to pick up the call to become a club that is Bigger, Bolder and Better .... 

Bigger, Bolder and Better

These are the words of our International President Ray Klinginsmith at the convention this Year and words that I feel are an excellent starting point for our club for this new Rotary year.

This is a year for our club to look at how we do things and determine what we need to keep and what we need to change. There are traditions that we have had for many years and some of these will remain as they have served us well, however if we wish to become a club that is BIGGER BOLDER AND BETTER we need to challenge everything that we do and determine if it will continue to serve us in the years to come.

President Klinginsmith speaks about keeping it Simple, he felt that maybe over the years Rotary especially at the International Level have become too complex.  He has asked Rotarians to use "cowboy logic".  The fundamental principles of cowboy logic is

Ø  Taking pride in our work

Ø  Talking less and saying more

Ø  Doing what has to be done
Ø  Remembering that some things are not for sale.

What does BIGGER BOLDER AND BETTER mean for the Saint John Rotary Club during the next year?

Bigger:  Presently we have 52 active members on our membership list, when was the last time you attended a meeting or an event where we have even 50% of that number attending. So bigger means getting our attendance levels up to a respectable level. This will mean challenging members who do not actively attend about their commitment to Rotary.  We will have to ask the difficult questions and then as a club make the tough decisions.  So bigger may mean increasing membership, increasing attendance or it may be decreasing membership so that our attendance and the participation of our members improves.

Bolder:  Let's start asking each member their vision of our Rotary club for this year for the next five years and further into the future.  A full review of our strategic plan with the input of all members will be the starting point.   Let's start dreaming about the possibilities be it in membership growth, types of projects, visibility of our Rotary club, . Let's not be satisfied with doing the same things every year. If we continue to do what we have always done we will continue to get what we have always gotten.

Better: Change is always a scary word, but the board will be developing a team who will review our processes (i.e.: meeting structure, formats, location, membership recruitment etc). This committee will provide recommendations to the board within the next 60days, which will be shared with all Rotarians when completed. Some of you will like the recommendations, some of you will question it which is good and some of you will not be happy.

If we are to continue to be a strong rotary club with a long history of service to our community both locally and internationally and if we are to remain viable and vibrant into the next century , we have to be able to ask the tough questions and make the difficult decisions.

That is the only way that we will BECOME:      BIGGER, BOLDER AND BETTER

One thing that I haven't mentioned and is very important to the transition of our Club to a bigger, bolder and better Club is that we have to have FUN.   So I ask for your support and cooperation during what will be a v ery interesting year. As the Saint John Rotary Club becomes " BIGGER, BOLDER AND BETTER"

I would like to leave you with this quote:  Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and most importantly to act.