Connie Eckstein, Governor for Rotary District 5770, updated the club on happenings within Rotary at the international and district level, and also heard questions and concerns from members.The July 28, 2022 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha was called to order by President Lewis Knisley. Rot. Mitch Williams led the club in singing "Smile and the World Smiles with You".
District Governor Connie Eckstein was present, as well as district officer Kyle Hurley.
As Rotarian of the Day, Pres. Knisley introduced Governor Eckstein as the day's speaker.
First, Governor Eckstein shared that the club's district grant had been approved, for approximately 70% of the project cost. The funding will be used to open a clothes closet at the Bill Wallace Early Childhood Center. It is hoped that the closet will be ready to open by the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.
Then, Governor Eckstein presented Pres. Knisley with a certificate for the club's contributions to End Polio Now in 2020.
Following the presentation, Gov. Eckstein touched on the theme introduced by Jennifer Jones, new president of Rotary International. Her theme for the year is "Imagine Rotary". It encourages Rotarians to consider what Rotary could be, where it came from, and where it is now.As a part of this theme, Pres. Jones is pursuing two major initiatives within Rotary International. The first is a continuation of the existing efforts to empower girls, which involved two separate causes: first, encouraging girls to pursue STEM and other careers where they are underrepresented; second, increasing awareness of human trafficking.
The second initiative is an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, within Rotary and without. Gov. Eckstein used the illustration of a tree for diversity. At the root, she said, we are all human. The "trunk" of the tree is the heart of service that all Rotarians have. From there it branches out into different races, religions, cultures, and so forth.
She also explained her own personal initiative as District Governor, regarding mental health. She shared her story about losing her son to suicide. She provided members with cards, with instructions on what to do in the event someone they know exhibits warning signs of suicide. She also reminded members of the new mental health emergency number, 988.
After this, she opened the floor to hear questions from members. A common concern was dwindling membership and attendance, exacerbated by COVID-19. Gov. Eckstein explained that membership in Rotary is down nationwide, and that all other major civic organizations are seeing similar decline. In order to encourage a culture of service across the country, Rotary will be partnering with these other civic organizations for a joint community service project in September. Gov. Eckstein also encouraged the club to consider ways to attract and retain younger members.
Lastly, Gov. Eckstein described the opportunities available to Rotarians to make new connections and make a bigger impact. She specifically mentioned Rotary Action Groups (RAGs), which are composed of Rotarians from around the world and seek to address specific causes. There are also upcoming opportunities at the district level. On April 1, district training will take place in Ardmore, to familiarize members with the organization of Rotary and of their individual clubs. On April 15, the district conference will be held at the National Weather Service Center in Norman.
A lunch of chicken salad sandwiches was provided by Alexander Eats.