President Debra Campbell welcomed everyone and opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Moha Bouacha shared a thought for the day.
Debra welcomed guest Rotarians Rick Reigner (District Governor), Sonja Martin (Assistant District Governor), and potential member Ali Razzo.
Announcements:
- Liz Taylor reminded everyone that our Farmer’s Market date is this coming Saturday – we still need volunteers for the 2nd and 3rd shift.
- Barb Tubekis reminded everyone that next week’s meeting will take place at the Glencoe Community Garden where we’ll be harvesting vegetables. Everyone needs to sign up (sheets are on the table) if you want a lunch to be provided for you!
- Robert Mardirossian shared information about the history of Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio and encouraged everyone to participate in the Walk for Polio on October 24th at 10am. He noted there will be some fun pre and post activities; stay tuned for more details. Robert also shared that every dollar given in support of this event will be matched up to $2,500.
Terry Dason shared a fun story for Dig-N-Grin. Terry also shared happy bucks for the arrival of a new grandchild! Debra reminded everyone that you can make your donations for Dig-n-Grin or happy bucks online.
Debra introduced Rick Reigner, our District Governor. Rick’s first order of business was to induct Ellie Schwimmer as a new member. Congratulations and welcome, Ellie!
Rick picked up on Robert’s comments on polio, noting that we are very close to having zero cases of wild polio in the world. He shared that he’s hopeful that we will reach that milestone sometime in the next year.
He also shared some information about the upcoming District conference, noting that being part of Rotary is all about relationships and he wants the conference to reflect that with a multi-day gathering to be held October 2-3. Friday night will be focused on fellowship. Saturday morning will center on gratitude, with a number of awards to be given as well as testimonials from area Rotarians who are doing amazing things. The group will then break out into small groups to focus on leadership and personal development. All are encouraged to attend! You can easily register online – the fee is $99, going up to $109 on September 26.
Rick then shared his thoughts about membership, noting that every Club is interested in increasing membership. He’s working to help our District Clubs attract, engage, and renew members, noting how important it is to really engage people as part of a community rather than developing a more surface-level transactional relationship. He encourages every Club to develop a formal orientation process for new members, and to be intentional in fostering relationships between Club members. “People join experiences – they don’t join clubs.”
He encouraged us to share our stories out in the community – about how we found Rotary, how we became Rotarians, and how Rotary has impacted our lives. Rick shared some of his stories, inspiring us with many ways we can raise awareness about Rotary.
Rick closed by recognizing two unsung heroes in our Club – Bob Baker and David Grant. The meeting concluded with our usual recitation of the Four-Way Test.
PEOPLE OF ACTION
Winnetka, IL 60093
United States of America