Because she's now charged with leading District 6420, and its ongoing effort to attract new and younger members, Kathy Kwiat-Hess remembers how difficult it was for her to first become engaged in Rotary...to the point where she almost quit.
In making her official visit to the Sycamore Rotary Club, DG Kathy recalled her early days as a member of the Rockford Rotary Club; she found herself with few people to talk with, and wasn't finding any club activities she could latch on to. But instead of quitting, she had some help from a fellow Rotarian who got her involved with a club project -- and bit by bit, she rose through the ranks to become a key member of her Club, and now the District Governor.
Reaching out to potential members, and making sure they find something that keeps them motivated to stay and grow with their club, is to her one of the key objectives of this year's theme, "Be the Inspiration." DG Kathy says for local Rotary Clubs, the effort to bring in new Rotarians starts with making the Club not only well-known but interesting...and continues after someone joins, by making sure they can pursue or find the aspect of Rotary which fuels their own passion.
She lauded the Sycamore Rotary Club for being one of the strongest in the district, for its variety of projects and its effort to bring in, retain and develop new Rotarians. The Club earned a Presidential Citation last year, and she believes it's in good shape to repeat during the coming Rotary year.
