WELCOME TO THE NEW ROTARY BOARD!
On June 28 we celebrated our accomplishments for the year, thanked our committee chairs and board members, welcomed in our new board and President, and learned about our goals for the new Rotary year.
Looking back, we did a lot of great things in the community and beyond this year. Thank you to this Year’s committees and Boards.
Under President Nicole Lawrence’s leadership, we raised money for our projects and good causes through our Golf Tournament, Down and Derby, and Tacos for Polio events. We donated money to Polio Plus, the Food Bank, support Ukraine, the Alaska Water project, the ShelterBox program, and the Rotary Foundation. We participated in the community with the Halloween Carnival, Breakfast with Santa, maintaining the Cemetery Garden, and partnering on creating the Seward Historic Walking Tours. We volunteered to help other groups with events and needs like Seward Cares and leading Historic Walking Tours for Wellness Week. We helped kids locally with Coats for kids, RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), YES (Young Entrepreneur Scholarships), and internationally with Project Amigo where three Rotarians volunteered time in Mexico. We enlisted many new members with our wonderful Networking Event. We had great speakers all year and looked for opportunities to collaborate or support them or just make new friends.
We thanked our committee chairs (Jake Collins (RYLA, YES, Financial Leadership for Kids), Hillary Bean (RYLA), Kristi Larson (speaker program and so much more), Doug Schoessler (Foundation Chair), Kyle (Halloween Carnival), Lori Landstrom (Volunteer Coordinator, Youth Exchange, Tacos for Polio) and Lori Draper (Golf Tournament, Kentucky Derby, Membership, Networking Event, Cemetery Garden, Breakfast with Santa).
Jake Collins, Doug Schoessler, Lori Draper.
We thanked our outgoing board and President Nicole for doing an outstanding job this year. They included Members at Large Doug Schoessler and Deborah Altermatt. Secretary Amy Haddow, Treasurer Tara Riemer, Past President Andy Bacon, Vice President Matt Cope, President-Elect Mary Ann Benoit, and President Nicole Lawrence.
Some members of the outgoing 2021 Board, Tara Riemer, Doug Schoessler, Matt Cope, Nicole Lawrence, and Mary Ann Benoit.
Outgoing President Nicole Lawrence and incoming President Mary Ann Benoit, showing off their gifts to each other.
We welcomed our incoming board Member at Large Doug Schoessler. Secretary Monica Hinders, Vice President Lori Landstrom, Treasurer Tara Riemer, Past President Nicole Lawrence, President-Elect Matt Cope, and President Mary Ann Benoit.
Thanks to all who participated in projects, and donated their time or funds to contribute to all we did this year.
Our incoming president, Mary Ann Benoit shared her three goals for the new year. They are:
- Increase Understanding of Who Rotary is and What We Do.
- Promote Protecting the Environment
- Enhance our Rotary Club Experience
She shared how she thought we could meet our goals to:
Increase understanding about Rotary by letting people know that it is about “Service Above Self” and the power individuals have to change the world, especially with the power of Rotarians worldwide by their side. We can let people know through our Rotary Park project, enhancing our social media and website and using more videos, new and ongoing projects, and sharing with the community through our brochures and inviting people to lunch.
Promote protecting the environment through signs at the Rotary Park project, the new sign at the library that will promote downloading the Walking Tour Map on your phone instead of using a paper map. We will be promoting it with our new partnership with Sustainable Seward, in which we purchased 10 new recycle cans for local businesses to adopt, and finally through social media.
Enhance our club experience through our recent Club Health Survey, more social and evening events, a more user-friendly filing system, an updated website, and guides for members taking on a committee or board positions.
For existing members, it is an opportunity to decide what you are passionate about and want to make happen in the coming year.
For others interested in Rotary, please come and have lunch with us at the Breeze on Tuesdays at noon, and learn more!