In keeping with RI President Gary’s goal of increasing membership, our district goal for this year is to increase our membership from 1783 to 2000. Yes this is an ambitious aim but we can do this. Only two months into the year we have added three new members to our club and have two more in the works.  Do you know someone who you can invite to a meeting?  A family member, friend, neighbor, work colleague, who you think might enjoy the Rotary experience?  Ralph is conducting development meetings and the first one is this week, but don’t forget that this is everyone’s job.  The Makeup Socials  being organized by Jim are another good opportunity to introduce someone to Rotary and get them interested.  And don’t forget that increasing membership is a two pronged fork: bringing in new members AND keeping the ones we have.  Remember to extend that famous Rotary fellowship to the new folks: engage new members and help them learn about Rotary.

 

Another goal for both RI and our district is to aggressively go after polio for the final push and wipe it out once and for all.  We are so very close.  What can you do?  Support The Rotary Foundation.  TRF is not a bad word!!!  A lot of folks shut down when they hear those words, but TRF is not some abstract out of touch organization that doesn’t affect us.  It is our Foundation, it belongs to us, and it helps us do our projects.  It really, really does!  There are many ways to support the Foundation, many of them quite painless.  Our Foundation Chair Dave Wight is happy to talk to you about it, answer your questions, help you understand why it is important to all of us, show you how it benefits our club, and help you find a way that works for your particular situation to support TRF. 

 

DG Norman also updated us on this year’s District Project which is actually a three year project agreed to by the three DG’s who will serve during the project period: PDG Steve Johnson, DG Norman Angell, and DGE Al Feather.  In a nutshell we will be installing latrines and wells in ten villages in Nicaragua where 50% of the population suffers from water related illnesses.  In keeping with the new guidelines for large scale projects, there will be a focus on sustainability so that the local population can maintain the project after we depart.  For those interested in hands on action, you may anticipate opportunities to join working groups that will travel to the villages to build the latrines and wells in the Fall of 2015.  Details will come later when the trips are arranged.

 

And finally we learned about the 2015 District Conference which will be held May 8-10 in the beautiful city of Quebec.  It promises to be amazing so save the date.  We will update the details as they become available.      

 

For pictures from the DG’s visit with our club, see the photo album.