We were proud to have our own Club member and current District Governor, Becky Mason, speak at our weekly meeting. Becky began by speaking about her own Rotary journey. She said her husband, Chuck Mason, joined first and immediately got involved in many of the Rotary service projects, which he loved. He would speak with Becky and encouraged her to join as well, but she said she really wasn’t interested at the time as she had many other groups she was working with and did not feel she had the time. When Chuck was about to become president of the club, he told her she might as well join then, as she would have to attend most of the functions anyway. Becky did and quickly realized how many contacts she could make in Rotary, where most of the community and business leaders were already members. Over the years, she and Chuck have attended Rotary events and conventions all over the world, meeting new people and making new friends.

She related how her initial reaction to the new theme “Rotary Opens Opportunities” was not very positive, but then she realized how this applies so well to what we do. We build beds to give kids an opportunity for a decent night’s sleep. We work at the Food Bank to ensure people have the opportunity to have enough to eat. We sponsor and build a Rotary Playground so that kids with all levels of ability have an opportunity to play. We have a holiday Rotary Chorus so that people (with all levels of ability) have a chance to sing. We have weekly meetings, so our members have an opportunity to network – even on Zoom. We adapt and keep right on going. And we get satisfaction from serving others while creating all these opportunities.

Becky said that Rotary also gives us the opportunity to improve our leadership skills. We develop these skills by chairing Rotary committees and being Club officers. One way the District has furthered this opportunity is the Rotary Leadership Institute, where you can take a series of leadership courses geared toward Rotary, but applicable in all aspects of life. You can learn more about RLI on the Rotary District 5910 website. Another way to open opportunities is through the Rotary Foundation. Becky presented a video which showed how the world is a better place because of the Rotary Foundation. It is your donations that help keep that dream alive. Your donations help around the world and close to home, and with the assistance of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, you can triple your donation, as they will add a two for one match for every dollar donated. Our District alone has donated over 2 million dollars with our donations and the match. Charity Navigator has given the Rotary Foundation its highest rating, so you can feel secure that your dollars are being properly spent. There are many different ways to give. You can be part of EREY, which is Every Rotarian, Every Year. You can be a sustaining member if you give at least 100 dollars per year. You can use Rotary Direct and set up an automatic draft at whatever amount you desire, and it can be changed at any time. You can qualify as a Paul Harris Fellow if you give $1000 in a year. There have been 271 Paul Harris Fellows awarded in the Beaumont Club; 86 of those received multiple awards.

Becky then took a moment to award Immediate Past President Joe Domino with a Paul Harris Fellow award for his leadership in guiding the Club through our relocation caused by Imelda and into the new era of virtual meetings due to the pandemic. Obviously, this award is well deserved and was much appreciated by Joe, who was very surprised.

Becky spoke of the need for us to grow Rotary. She said that even though our Club has added some new members, many Clubs in the District are struggling to maintain their membership levels. She asked us to think about why we joined and why we stay and think about those who would be a good fit for the Club and bring them in. We must keep our members engaged even during a pandemic or we do stand to lose them. We must find ways to keep people involved, even if it is virtually. And make no mistake, virtual access will continue to be important and may help us attract and keep members who did not have the time before to attend the meetings and feel involved.

Becky described the District and what its function is, which is to offer help and assistance to the member Clubs. It consists of experienced Rotarians who can help in different areas. The District has a website (currently being updated by our own Jennifer Gregory) that showcases the District offerings, including a “Speaker’s Bureau,” a good place to find interesting speakers for the Club meetings. She is currently compiling a list of all service projects in the District that Clubs can view and from which they can draw ideas. Rotary.org is the Rotary International website, which has good information on worldwide projects in the Rotary Showcase. There is also a Learning Center available which offers the opportunity to learn about all things Rotary. Rotary’s top priority is to grow and to diversify – it is open to all and opens the doors of opportunity for anyone who joins!

Current Club President Cindy Cherry thanked Becky for being our District Governor and let her know how proud we all are to have her represent our club in such an important position. Thanks, Becky!