Dustin Littlefield, District Governor for District 5130!
The speaker and special guest for our July 15, 2021, meeting was Rotary District 5130 Governor, Dustin Littlefield. Dustin is a member of the Rotary Club of Arcata Sunrise. He works in property management and real estate in Humboldt County. Dustin joined Rotary in 2014 and almost immediately assumed a leadership role in his club by joining and ultimately leading committees. He is also very interested and involved in music. Dustin met with our Board of Directors and came away impressed with our club’s projects and energy.
District 5130’s theme for 2021-2022 is “What is Rotary?” Dustin believes that Rotary means many things to many people. For example, Dustin might answer the question “What is Rotary” by explaining his interest in surfing and discussing Rotary’s Surfer’s United Rotarian Fellowship. His father, however, would say that Rotary is about raising money for wheelchairs. Both are right! Dustin wants to help make Rotary a meaningful experience and increase Rotary’s impact on members and the public. We need to find ways to share our experiences, not just the numbers, but the activities that actually enhance our Rotary experience. The goal is to share and promote our experiences in our social and professional interactions.
Dustin’s talk focused on three areas: Hybrid meetings, membership, and projects. Hybrid meetings were virtually unknown prior to March 2020. Now we meet together as clubs and in smaller groups using a variety of technological media, including Zoom, Facetime, and What’s App. Even PETS 2020 was a virtual format. Training resources are now being digitized and club sites, including the Rotary International site, are becoming more useful. The goal is to resume in-person meetings, but online meetings can and should be an important part of our Rotarian communities. We should take a creative approach to hybrid meetings and focus on the many aspects that make those meetings helpful. Clubs need teams of experienced people to put these meetings together.
As to membership, the numbers are not great. Crises take a toll on club membership, and Covid-19 is no exception. Rotary has identified a few factors, including increased competition from other organizations offering business advertising. Another factor is the difficulty in retaining members. Dustin wants us to create leadership pathways for young professionals and allow them the space to develop their leadership skills. Rotary is the original LinkedIn, and we need to keep it relevant for professionals. Dustin referenced Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta’s approach to membership: “each one, bring one.” If each of us introduces a new member to our club, Rotary’s membership problems will be solved. New clubs and new formats, such as completely online and/or cause-based, would add value to the Rotarian experience.
Dustin is impressed with our projects. He was humbled by our tenacious achievement building and staffing a medical/surgical center in Sabalos, Nicaragua. He wants us to dream big! There are lots of projects that stalled during the pandemic, and we need them to restart; this gives us opportunities to participate in life-changing projects throughout the world. He also advises that we increase our involvement in social media, such as Instagram, and take and post lots of pictures of our projects as a way to interest potential members.
Many thanks to District 5130 Governor Dustin Littlefield for providing the District’s message for the upcoming Rotary year and for giving us his perspective of Rotary’s future. Well done, Dustin!
