Vibrant Club Summit

 

You may wonder, Why does Rotary have an Action Plan? The world today is not the same as it was when Rotary began in 1905. Demographics have shifted, the pace of change has accelerated, and technology has created new opportunities for connection and service. What hasn't changed is a need for the values that define Rotary: fellowship, integrity, diversity, service, and leadership. The Action Plan honors our past and embraces our future. It is meant to help evolve Rotary as an organization to not only keep us relevant but thriving.  Read on for thoughts from our club members who attended.

 

A ”lightbulb on” moment for me was a conversation with former District Governor, Janet Kolepp. Janet and I were discussing membership.  I shared about the multitude of corporations within our geographic area, and our difficulty getting members from these businesses. Janet responded that larger corporations now have volunteering/community engagement handled within their businesses as part of their corporate social responsibility. Employees can engage in volunteering with their company and no longer need to search for opportunities on their own. I honestly felt a bit like water was dumped on me because OF COURSE I knew she was correct! My work at Care & Share is a wonderful example of what indeed is happening.  At C&S in September, we had 184 hours just from businesses who were volunteering together! This number is almost double over September 2022. Janet went on to encourage me about the importance of the four topics discussed today.  When we become strong in those four areas our membership will grow.  -Sarah Bergin, Vice President

 

While I am in my 16^th year as a Rotarian and a Past President, I still find these District Assemblies to be of interest.  It’s an excellent opportunity to see our District leadership in action, visit with friends and make new acquaintances.  Our STRC attendants were candid about the sustainability issues we face.  One area we all agreed on is that we should take better advantage of connecting with the parents whose children we impact through our various programs (INTERACT, Camp Neidig, Merit Scholarships, 4Way Test Speech Contest, etc.).  We talked about putting on a Rotary Youth Services Showcase at the high school during “Back-to-School” night.   A common issue among clubs was the percentage of membership engagement at meetings.  West Reading Wyomissing claimed a 60% attendance.  Judging from recent meeting attendance we are below 35% (12 Rotarians at the last meeting).  Many clubs still have attendance requirements and minimum service project involvement for a member in good standing.  We should consider implementing the same.  I always leave a District event with a very upbeat feeling about being a Rotarian, make a new friend, and learn something new. – Al Engel

 

The Vibrant Club Summit was unique in it’s approach to creating stronger clubs. We were fortunate to have four Souderton-Telford Rotarians attending - that really helped us hone in on specific action items that we can bring to our club. Our club membership, as well as our community, will benefit from what we learned that day. – Liz Herman

 

While at Vibrant Club Summit I enjoy working in groups where we get to see others' perspectives as we work together to find constructive solutions.  I love hearing other people's ideas and what is working well for other clubs. It's all engaging and inspiring as we learn ideas on how to engage and make a better experience for all our members. I enjoyed learning the Rotary's Action Plan to achieve our goals while reaching new people, engaging our members as we adapt to this ever changing world.  Leaving the world with hope and a lasting impact of goodness. – Darlene Scott