Please confirm your 2022-23 leadership team is updated in your organization chart on Club Runner. This is critical when the district or other clubs need to contact to your club leaders. This is the last reminder before we start creating the district directory. Don't be shut out!
Nominations are still being accepted for the honor of being the District 6440 Governor for the 2025-26 Rotary Year. Information for those interested and the nominating forms are available on the district website by clicking here. Completed nominating forms must be submitted by Monday, September 5th. Please connect with any member of the Governor line if you have questions.
Wanted: Enthusiastic Past President in the north/northwest area of the district with a willingness to demonstrate Service Above Self. The primary responsibilities are participating on the District Assistant Governor Leadership Team and providing guidance to a club that needs support utilizing district and RI resources. Compensation is commensurate with that of the District Governor. Contact AG Coordinator and Governor Nominee Thor Davidson if you are interested.
Check out more famous Rotarians - here is a list. Click on this link to discover more.
BUSINESS LEADERS
Max Cointreau Rotary Club of Paris, France Owner, Cointreau liquor enterprise
Raymond F. Firestone Rotary Club of Akron, OH Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.
Joyce C. Hall Rotary Club of Kansas City, MO Founder of Hallmark Cards
Reijiro Hattori Rotary Club of Tokyo Ginza, Japan chairman, Seiko
Konosuke Matsushita Rotary Club of Osaka, Japan President, Matsushita Electric Co.
Dr. Charles H. Mayo Rotary Club of Rochester, MN Co-founder of Mayo Clinic
Toyohiko Mikimoto Rotary Club of Tokyo, Japan Mikimoto Pearl Co.
Heinrich Nordhoff Rotary Club of Braunschweig, Germany President, Volkswagen
J.C. Penney Rotary Club of New York, NY Founder of J.C. Penney stores
Leopoldo Pirelli Rotary Club of Milano President, Pirelli Tire Co. Italy
The 'Colonel' Harland Sanders Rotary Club of Jeffersonville, ID Founder, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Note the Rotary Pin on his Lapel
Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. Rotary Club of Chicago, IL Chairman of the board of the Walgreen Drug Company
Sam Walton Rotary Club of Bentonville, AK Founder of Wal-Mart
LEADERS
Asgeir Asgeirsson Rotary Club of Reykjavík, Iceland President, Iceland
Eduard Benes Rotary Club of Prague, Czechoslovakia President, Czechoslovakia
Alcino Cardoso Rotary Club of Porto-Douro Secretary of State, Portugal
Sir Winston Churchill Rotary Club of London Prime Minister, England & Leader of UK during WWII
Adlai E. Stevenson Rotary Club of Springfield, IL U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Governor of Illinois
Woodrow Wilson Rotary Club of Birmingham, AL President, USA & Nobel Prize laureate in peace
John F. Kennedy Rotary Club of Hyannis, MA President, USA
Diane Feinstein Rotary Club of San Francisco, CA U.S. Senator
Michel Debré Rotary Club of Amboise Foreign Minister and Minister of Finance, France
Jorge Fidel Duron Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa; past RI vice president Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honduras
Gerald R. Ford Rotary Club of Grand Rapids, MI President, USA
J. William Fulbright Rotary Club of Fayetteville, AR U.S. Senator from Arkansas
Franklin D. Roosevelt Rotary Club of Albany, NY President, USA
EXPLORERS
Roald Amundsen Rotary Club of Oslo, Norway First person to reach the South Pole in 1911
Neil Armstrong Rotary Club of Wapakoneta, OH Astronaut & first man to walk on the moon
Frank Borman Rotary Club of Space Center, Houston, TX U.S. astronaut
Richard E. Byrd Rotary Club of Winchester, VA Arctic explorer
Gordon Cooper Rotary Club of Space Center, Houston, TX U.S. astronaut
Sir Edmund Hillary Rotary Club of Auckland New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist and the first person to reach the top of Mt. Everest.
Charles Lindberg Rotary Club of Edinburgh American aviator
JUSTICES
Harry A. Blackmun Rotary Club of Rochester, MN U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Marcelo B.Fernan Rotary Club of Cebu West Chief Justice, Supreme Court, Philippines
Earl Warren Rotary Club of Sacramento, CA Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court
Byron R. White Rotary Club of Denver, CO U.S. Supreme Court Justice
OTHER
Holly Compton Rotary Club of St. Louis, MO 1927 Nobel Prize recipient for physics
Pope Francis Rotary Club of Buenos Aires Pope
Ko Hirasawa Rotary Club of Kyoto East, Japan Japanese anatomist +Kyoto University, president
Luciano Pavarotti Rotary Club of Modena Italian opera singer
Donna Shalala Rotary Club of Madison, WI Secretary of Health and Human Services, USA
Connie Mack Rotary Club of Fort Myers, FL Baseball Hall of Fame manager and team owner
Tris Speaker Rotary Club of Cleveland, OH Baseball Hall of Fame player
ARTISTS, COMPOSERS, AND AUTHORS
Jose Belloni Rotary Club of Montevideo Sculptor, Uruguay
John Briggs Rotary Club of Bingley, England British concert pianist
Josep MaVayreda Canadell Rotary Club of Gerona Spanish painter
Roger Chapelain-Midy Rotary Club of Paris French painter
Cecil B. De Mille Rotary Club of Hollywood, CA motion picture director
Norman Vincent Peale Rotary Club of New York, NY American author and minister
Maurice Denuzière Rotary Club of Vitry-Sud-Est de Paris French writer Louisiana
Walt Disney Rotary Club of Palm Springs, CA Animation filmmaker
PHOTO CREDIT: President John F. Kennedy meets with officials from the Rotary Club, and is presented with the Rotary Club publication Seven Paths to Peace on 29 November 1961.
(L-R) Philip S. Bowie, President of the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C.; President Kennedy; F. Eugene Richter, former president of the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C.; Joseph A. Abey, president of Rotary International; George R. Means, general secretary of Rotary International. Oval Office, White House, Washington, D.C.
I was delighted to be invited to interview our current president, Jerrod Shouse, at the end of his term and very much enjoyed sitting down and visiting with him. We all salute Jerrod for the outstanding job he has done as our president. Enjoy below his reflections on his year:
1. What was your first memory of Rotary?
I worked for Governor Frank Keating for a few years and was fortunate to travel the state with him. He spoke at numerous Rotary Clubs, which was my first introduction to Rotary. I noticed that every Rotary Club was made up of each community’s leaders who got together for the purpose of bettering their communities.
2. What brought you into Rotary? How long have you been a member?
I joined our Club in 2010 after visiting a couple of times as a guest of my colleague at the State Capitol, Clayton Taylor. Later, Clayton, along with Jim Sharrock and Cliff Branan, became my sponsors.
3. From your involvement in earlier Rotary activities/committee positions or community involvement, what do you think prepared you the most for your year as president?
I think serving as Program Chair for two years under our club Presidents Robert Clements and Jerome Holmes was great preparation. One of my goals this year was to have great weekly programs that would entice members to attend our luncheons, especially after we’ve had to hold limited meetings in the recent past due to the pandemic.
4. What was the hardest thing in adjusting to being president?
There are so many positive things that Rotary does that I hadn’t known a lot about—such as the Junior Rotarian Program. We have such a broad spectrum of program opportunities for members. It was eye opening—in a very good way!
5. What about continuing to be concerned about COVID?
At each monthly club board meeting, we were intentional about discussing whether we had the right protocols in place or whether should do things differently, based on the up-to-date data on cases and hospitalizations in the community. Our goal was to strike the right balance of continuing to have weekly Tuesday luncheons while asking members to take the appropriate level of precautions. And I’m confident that next year’s board will continue to monitor things closely.
6. What surprised you the most about being president?
It was such a pleasant surprise to see how the club is so member-led, with the staff stepping up to help as needed. We have over 40 working committees and most everything is handled through those committees and committee chairs. It is inspiring to see how members unselfishly give of their time and talents to benefit the club.
7. Did you learn something about Rotary this year that you didn’t know?
A blind spot for me was our international projects, so it was great to learn more about how much our club does around the world. We have an excellent reputation with Rotary Clubs in other countries, and we have several engaged members who help ensure that our engagement in international projects happens in a really impactful way.
8. Looking back over your year, do you have a favorite Rotary activity?
I love our weekly Rotary luncheons! I have friends in our community that I may only see when I come to a Tuesday luncheon — and the bonus is we get to enjoy a good lunch and an interesting speaker.
9. How about a favorite Rotary moment—something that was funny, crazy or especially touching?
Our Holiday Program this past year was superb! We heard from first-class singers and musicians from our community, and I could not think of a better way for us to close out the calendar year and usher in the Holidays.
10. Comment about Rotary service projects—do you have a favorite?
I really like all of our projects, but one that I have liked participating in through the years is the Salvation Army bell ringing—enjoying the Christmas spirit with fellow Rotarians.
11. How about your attending the Rotary International Convention?
I did not get to attend an International Convention because of COVID. The Convention was virtual for two years, condensed over a couple of days. However, we did get to hear different speakers via zoom and were able to get a sense of a Rotary International Convention.
12. Are we still wanting to be the largest Rotary Club in the world? Where do we stand in the U.S.? In the world? Value of being one of the largest?
Becoming the largest was not a goal of mine. I think that a club that is thriving and doing impactful things in the community is going to attract new members. Our membership committee coined the phrase “The more we grow, the more we can do!” which is a perfect way to sum it up. I do pay attention to our membership numbers, just so I know where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are going. Over the past twelve months, we had a net increase of around 40 members. Currently, we’re the third largest Rotary Club in the world and the second largest in the United States, behind Birmingham, Alabama.
13. If you were encouraging someone to join Club 29, what would you tell them is the value of membership?
Being a member of our Rotary Club gives you the opportunity to make a difference in your community, connect with other people, and to enjoy a weekly luncheon meeting where you’ll hear from someone sharing what they are doing to make an impact in the world. If this sounds good to you, you should definitely join Club 29!
14. When you look back at your Rotary year—say 10 years from now—what do you think you’ll remember the most?
What I’ll remember most in ten years is what I’ve been reflecting on today – that the reason our club is the oldest and largest civic organization in Oklahoma is because we have so many wonderful members who unselfishly give of their time and efforts to the betterment of our club and to make an impact on the community.
15. Did you enjoy coming up with the “Thought for the Day”? Is it tough to do? Try to match program theme? How long have we been doing “Thought for the Day”?
I think that it’s nice that our club President has a tradition of giving a final thought for the day. I personally tried to tie in each of my thoughts back to the program when I could, but also to have fun with it or for it to be thought provoking. It does take some work. It’s nice to reflect on words of wisdom and then share them with the club.
16. Any special advice for Wes as he starts his year as president?
My advice to Wes is to have fun and enjoy the year. It’s over before you know it!!
17. Is there anything I haven’t asked that you would like to add?
Yes – I want to mention how valuable our past presidents are to our club. Their advice, support, and the opportunity to use them as a sounding board has been invaluable. It is quite a credit to our club that so many of our past presidents have continued to be so very active to ensure our club sees continued success well into the future.
Jerrod has had an outstanding year as president, leading our club in its many programs and projects and representing Club 29 to others in the Rotary world. We are all glad we have had the opportunity to get acquainted with him, and all feel he has become our friend. We wish him the very best as he becomes a past president and know that he will continue to be an asset to our club. An enormous THANK YOU, Jerrod, for a job well done!!
Reprinted. Note the current President is Wes Milbourn. Here is some backstory on their club:
BACKSTORY: Rotary Club of OKC History
With 600 members, Club 29 is one of the largest Clubs in Rotary International, and it is also one of the friendliest. We welcome guests and visiting Rotarians from all over the world at our weekly luncheon meetings.
Club 29 is CONNECTED! Our programs involve internationally prominent leaders in every field and our membership represents the business and civic leaders of our community and our state. We connect with each other, our community, and with other Rotarians worldwide.
Club 29 has been serving others for more than 100 years! Oklahoma City boasted a population of only 50,000 when, in 1909, a group of businessmen organized a club with membership made up of representatives of different businesses and professions. The club took the name “Iron Cross Club.”
Lee B. Mettler, President of the Kansas City Rotary Club, visited the club in November 1910. He was struck by the similarity in the membership of Rotary with the Oklahoma City group and proposed the Oklahoma City group join the Rotary association of clubs being formed. They filed for admission to the National Association of Rotary Clubs of America on November 22, 1910. The Oklahoma City group was accepted by Rotary and a charter was issued naming the group the 29th club in Rotary as of November 7, 1911.
One of the charter members, Oklahoma City Mayor Allen Street, became the first of many District Governors to come from Club 29, and he later served as Vice President of Rotary International. In 1924-25 Everett W. Hill, a member of Club 29, served as President of Rotary International. Other early members also served for Rotary International, such as Paul Pope who was elected Vice President of Rotary International, and Daniel Ohern who served as Director of Rotary International 1929-30.
Following the 1928 Rotary convention, at which three Rotary President’s wives were all named Ann, the idea of an auxiliary organization took hold. Rotarian Virgil Browne’s wife, Mamiee Lee, proposed this organization to Club 29, and our Rotary Anns was established. That movement has spread throughout the Rotary world. Over the years our Rotary Anns have worked tirelessly to provide needy children eye exams and glasses. Their work continues through a club committee and the Oklahoma City Rotary Foundation. Club 29 vigorously supports the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.”
Membership in Club 29 is fun and rewarding! Our members represent the business and civic leadership of our city and state. Membership carries responsibilities and dedication to the motto: Service Above Self.
Club 29’s Board of Directors has adopted a policy statement that the proposed member must have distinguished himself/herself in a profession or vocation, must have distinguished themselves in the community, or preferably both.
Rotary maintains a diverse membership through a vocational classification system. As a result, our membership represents varied professions. Active members and others currently occupy many of the classifications.
The recent Council on Legislation changes allows clubs to create alternate membership types. Although Rotary International has only two types of membership - “Active” and “Honorary - clubs are free to have other types of membership, but only “Active” members are included in the official count of club members.
FAMILY MEMBERSHIP
Family Membership consists of any family member (e.g. Spouse, Partner, Adult aged Child). Family members are all active members and have all the same rights, privileges and obligations as other members. Obligations include:
RI dues and District dues: Payable for each member
Annual club dues as determined by the club (with a significant reduction for all family members after the initial family member)
Meal/beverage costs as determined by the club.
The Rotary Club of Summerland has a “Spousal Membership” where a spouse (or partner) can become an eligible member of the Rotary club by having a spouse or partner who is already a club member and who has been a member for at least one year. The Spouse pays club dues, but not District or RI dues as the Spousal Member is not an official member for RI purposes.
CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP
The cost for corporate membership, as determined by the club, is typically higher than the individual membership because the Rotary club agrees to include the corporate name as a sponsor of their club. The actual membership fees would be determined by the club.
An example - the Rotary Club of Harrisburg meets at noon and lunch is included with their dues. The average member spends about $1000 per year for dues and contributions. Corporate members pay $5000 per year. These corporations have advertising in all club publications and newsletters.
Corporations designate two employees to become active in the club with all of the normal requirements and responsibilities of club membership. The corporate CEO or his/her designee may attend any of the clubs meetings at any time without charge but have no responsibilities of membership. In this example, RI would consider each corporate membership to count as two members.
YOUNG ROTARY LEADER MEMBERSHIP
RC of Seattle has a Young Rotary Leaders membership program for those 35 and under who demonstrate leadership in their profession and meet all the qualifications of Rotary membership. Young Rotary Leaders pay reduced fees for their first five years of membership.
INTRODUCTORY MEMBERSHIP
RC of Central Ocean has an introductory membership. New members can join at the rate of $99 for the first six months and $199 for the second. After the first year of membership, they pay the standard rate ($399 every six months).
TRIAL MEMBERSHIP/ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
The goal of a trial membership is to give both the individual and the club an opportunity to get to know each other over a defined period, allowing an individual to become familiar with the club, its members, its programs and projects, and the expectations of membership, which should improve retention. The trial member should have a mentor, attend a new member orientation and obtain a sponsor. The trial member is responsible for meal costs but does not pay dues until inducted after the trial period ends. The trial member has no voting privileges nor can this member hold office. This membership level is not considered to be an “Active” by Rotary International.
EMERITUS MEMBERSHIP
Emeritus Status may be awarded to those Rotarians who were long term exemplary members of the Club and who, for various reasons, can no longer actively participate in regular meetings/events. This status is to be considered an honour for service and gives the recipient a continuation of belonging to the Club.
The name of a candidate for Emeritus status is proposed to the club’s Board of Directors in writing, and the Board shall determine the election. This status remains in effect until revoked by the Board. Emeritus members do not vote, cannot propose new members to the club, may not hold office and are exempt from attendance requirements. The Emeritus Member is a member of the club but not a member of Rotary and does not pay dues.
FRIENDS OF ROTARY
RC of Wiarton’s example:
The club has an application form that is submitted to the membership committee. If approved there, it is sent to the executive who also decides if this person should be approved for membership as a Friend of Rotary. A Friend of Rotary term is two years.
Friends receive a weekly bulletin to keep them informed of upcoming speakers or upcoming fundraisers of interest. However, they don’t receive all the information that full members get.
When Friends of Rotary are formally welcomed into the club, they are given a name badge that acknowledges their association with the club but whose colours are reversed to distinguish Friends of Rotary from members.
Each successful Friend pays $50.00 for membership to help defray the administrative costs. If the Friend becomes a full member in the same Rotary year, that amount is prorated and deducted from regular membership costs.
RC of Central Ocean has a “friendship membership”. It is designed for members who are interested in helping the club and taking part in projects, but who cannot commit to meetings. Friendship members pay $249 every six months. The club’s regular membership fee is $399 every six months.
August 9 - District 6440 Foundation Fundraising Committee Meeting. If you wish to join and have not received information please contact District 6440 Foundation Chair - PDG Suzanne Gibson.
September 1 - Completed nominating forms must be submitted by Monday, September 5th.
October 15 Fall Training ZOOM Only
November 3 District Foundation Dinner - Hyatt Regency Schaumburg
December 7 District Holiday Party - Chandlers Schaumburg
We will have in person meetings going forward. To join us for a lunch meeting contact Helen, our membership person at RotaryNorthbrook@gmail.com to find out more.
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