Sept 12th Program

This week's program was our annual District Governor's visit.  Bernd Budlemann's home is in Galveston.  He is retired from the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology at UTMB. 
He challenged our club to increase it's membership with a net gain of 1 mew  member this next year.  Our own goal for membership is higher than this.  But he asked each of us to ask someone to consider joining our club.  Our own club has lost 13 member over the past year, however our district has lot over 200 members.  He suggested we as younger people to join.  He suggested we might consider sponsoring a "New Generations" club that meets at the end of the day and does not have a meal. 
Regarding the Rotary Foundation he reminded us that we have contributed $175,000 to the Rotary Foundation and congratulated us.  This is $90 per member per year.  He also congratulated us on the number of Paul Harris Fellows and Multiple Paul Harris Fellow in our club.  He ask each member to give at least $50 out of our pockets to the Rotary Foundation.  He also encouraged us to become Benefactors.  This can be done by pledging $1000 to the Rotary Foundation.  This can be done by making a bequest in our will. 
He also challenged us to do a better job of public relations.  We need to do a better job of letting everone know just what Rotary does.
He also suggested that we wear our Rotary pin more ofter.
His fourth challenge is to sponsor one student in our community to visit our Rotary Student Exchange Program at District Conference.