Did you know the month of August for Rotary International is Membership and New Club Development Month?
The membership of our club has been on a slight decline and we have historically had a 15% recruitment and 15% retention rate meaning for every 20 members that join our club we are also losing 20 at the same rate. It is the goal of our board to increase our membership from 122 to 127 this year and we need your help to reach that goal! As always you are encouarged to bring friends to Friday meetings to see what we are all about and invite them to our socials for a more fun and relaxed atmosphere to connect with one another. If they have a passion for service and want to connect with the best and most wonderful people in our community then they belong here!
We have also been discussing the option of starting a Satellite Breakfast Impact Club. This is very much in the early discussion stage and your input would be welcomed. If you are interested or know of any members in the community that may not be able to make a Friday lunch but would be interested in meeting for breakfast and planning/participating in service projects please connect them with me and lets see if we can make something happen.
I would also be open to any other ideas or suggestions on how we can make sure we are continuing to provide a premier membership experience and ensuring all members find a way to get involved that meets their needs and supports our positive impact in the community and world.
In October the District will be hosting the District Conference at the Antler's Hotel from Oct. 13 - 15. They are currently looking for Host Families in Colorado Springs to help out with the Rotary Youth Exchange students who will be traveling from their host cities to attend. I will share more information about this opportunity at Friday's meeting, but if you have any interest please let me know.
This week we will hear from Brother Luck as he discusses mental health and shares stories of hope and inspiration.
On August 18th we will be joined by our District Governor Greg Sund. I hope you will join us to hear about his goals for the year and ideas on how to keep and increase membership throughout the district. RSVP HERE!
Be sure to save the date and register for these upcoming events:
August Social: Donkey Derby Days, Aug 11 - 13th: For our Aug. social join us in Cripple Creek on Friday, Aug. 11th for the Street Dance kicking off at 7:00 pm. Let us know if you plan on attending or sign up to carpool HERE!
Rotarian Chris Kosor has extended an invite for members to register to attend the First Tee: Tee's, Tacos, & Tequila Festival happening Aug 12th from 3:00 - 6:00 PM. Check out the flyer below.
Craig and Kyle Whitney Memorial Golf Tournament: Monday, Aug, 28th (8:00 am Shotgun Start, or join us for lunch at 12:30) *Please note, there will be no lunch meeting on Friday, Aug. 25th as we hope you will consider joining us for the event.
We are asking all members who plan to attend the Golf Tournament Lunch (and are not golfing) to please RVSP no later than August 20th. Please RSVP HERE!
Flight Reveal: Friday, Sept. 1st, 5:00 - 7:00 PM - View the garden-sized butterflies and dragonflies on the Northwest lawn of the Pioneers Museum while the petite-sized butterflies will be on display inside COPPeR *Please note there is also no lunch meeting Sept. 1st since we have the Golf Tournament Monday and Reveal Friday night.
Flight Season of Wings Gala and Auction: Saturday, Sept. 23rd at the Hilton DoubleTree. Doors open at 4:00 PM - Purchase your tickets or sign up to be a sponsor HERE. Raffle tickets will be mailed out to each member this week and are $10/ticket. Each member is asked to sell or purchase 10 tickets to support the fundraiser.
Please take some time to read the bulletin each week and check out our website which has more information about all our events, activities, and upcoming speakers.
Brother Luck first came to fame for his standout restaurants and his popularity on celebrity chef shows, but he’s increasingly known for his work in public speaking and supporting communities. Alongside a new chapter that’s seen him replace Lucky Dumpling with The Tipperary and the highly anticipated Folklore, the James Beard nominee says his goal for 2023 is to reach more people by discussing mental health and how to build a business, and by sharing stories of hope and inspiration.
Come Celebrate Donkey Derby Days in Cripple Creek!
Our social will be Friday evening, August 11th in Cripple Creek to enjoy the festivities - including Wild Blue Country playing at the event. This will be a fun and unique social. Bring your family and maybe even consider staying overnight and enjoying the donkey races on Saturday! More information to come.
Now in its fourth year, the Craig and Kyle Whitney Memorial Golf Tournament was established to provide community service. To-date, this very fun event has been sponsored by a wide range of local businesses and individuals and has raised more than $50,000 to benefit our community through the programs of the Salvation Army and the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs. Beginning last year and now going forward, the Whitney Tournament also provides “scholarships” for First Tee youth.
“Being able to participate in the Whitney Memorial Golf Tournament gave our participants an experience that they will never forget because it gave them a chance to grow and provided them a safe place to fail. They were pushed outside of their comfort zones and were able to rely on all the active learning experiences that we have been teaching them through our life skills and leadership curriculum.”
Emily Ortmeier, LPGA, Director of Golf and Education First Tee – Southern Colorado
If you are interested in promoting your business, we are offering banner advertising on our website for $250 for the Rotary year. This is a great way to help underwrite the costs of our club website and promote your business at the same time! See Mike McGrath or Misty Stuart for more details.
