Rotary Club of Saint John
Service Above Self
Service Above Self
President’s Remarks Monday August 21, 2017
This spring in April 2017, I spent a day in Fredericton for Rotary at “Pets and Sets” training as they call it. I learned that it was only 30 years ago that women joined Rotary. Still only 20% of members are female. It will take 30 years for gender parity.
Paul Harris was 36 when he attended his first Rotary meeting in 1905. Today only 5% of Rotarians are under the age of 40. The need is apparent, that we need to encourage new, younger members, and more women into our clubs.
I want to ask our 26 members to reflect on what you think our goals will be this year?
I will tell you a few of my hopes. I hope this year we can focus on and accomplish better connections with our youth.
We started last week, by handing out two $1000 scholarships to a very deserving couple of students. What you didn’t get a chance to see, were the stacks of resumes and applications that we received. They were all from very incredible, very deserving students. The two we chose stood out, because one spoke about her connections to Rotary and the importance in our community, the other was a person on social assistance who wanted desperately to better herself, and get out of the clutches of poverty. I hope we can have those students come back some day and tell us how that scholarship changed their lives.
The other thing we are now looking at is a youth public speaking program with Gerry Pond. I am very excited about developing this opportunity this year. Pond recounted to us at our recent Rotary Gala in May, how he was very shy when he was young, but a Rotary public speaking contest changed his life and he will be forever grateful for that opportunity.
Retention is another major issue facing Rotary clubs. We have to offer a good club experience, and not be so traditional. I do not want being a Rotarian, to feel like a job. We are volunteers. I want us to make sure what we do, is what we love to do, and that it is “do-able”. No one should feel over whelmed with the task-at-hand. I want us all to help each other. You can do this right now, by each submitting one name of someone you would recommend as a future guest speaker, and then help arrange it.
We have to attract new members, NOT RECRUIT them. I have at least a dozen people I know who would join Rotary, but I feel it has become too expensive and viewed as too much of a responsibility. I hope to address this, this year with your help.
We have to make our clubs irresistible! So, that’s what I hope to do. I gave us a two-week break this summer and then kicked things off with a social night at the new renovated Saint John Marina. I hope we can continue this trend, where we get to be among the very first peope to check out the latest happenings in our city. I have already inquired about getting in for a Sept Monday luncheon meeting at the new Reversing Falls Restaurant and having the new owner Max speak to us. Stay tuned!
The number one reason people join Rotary? For networking. They are looking for connections and contacts. I want to make this club the kind of organization that people won’t want to miss out on! We have to be diverse, interesting, & be a reflection of our community.So, as your new rotary president, I hope I can help facilitate the journey to take our club to next level.
Last Monday, after our regular luncheon meeting, we had a meeting with our District Governor Iris Sullivan. Thursday I was on my first Rotary conference call. I learned that the Dieppe Club has just started their first “Food Truck Festival” on Sept 29,30. They are working closely with the City of Dieppe who approached their club and gave them the first opportunity to host the event.
The Rotary International Convention will be in Toronto June 23-27, 2018. I learned that the Sussex club have 12 people signed up to go! Is anyone in Saint John interested to attend?
I want to help make us a stronger more active club. I want to have fun, to be engaged, & set our goals together. How do we do this?
We need to communicate compelling stories. So I leave you with this thought. What is your “Rotary Moment”? That is your homework. I want one person every week to talk about what their Rotary moment was, and tell us what inspires you to take action?
Finally, I also want all of us to take the opportunity to do a better job of delivering our message about who we are and what we do.
Please go out into our community and tell someone else how we are making a difference and changing lives every day?