This week we will be meeting at the lake. Bill will set up our tent. Come on out for some fellowship. The tent should be up by 5. On Saturday the board had an off-site board retreat. Jaime did a great job leading us and much alignment happened around a couple of ideas.
First, we want the culture of the club to lean more towards being that club of fun we have always been. I can tell you that our meeting was among the most collegial in recent years as we wrestled with some of our shortcomings. To make sure that fun happens, we’ll have more open dates which will feature things more fun than our normal business meetings. We discussed the 4-way test especially “will it build good will and better friendships?” Secondly, we certainly discussed the need to bring new members to our club. The truth is that many of us are old and new replacements are needed. I won’t go through all the details, but I can summarize by saying that we will be seeking individuals who are drawn to us because of who we are and the good we do. We may need your support to execute the tactics we discussed which included a speaker outreach and direct mail campaigns to Evergreen businesses. We also affirmed that we will need to do better at explaining the expectations we have for participation both in terms of new member time and paying dues.
You should also know that our expanded “Family of Rotary” committee is developing strong plans to ensure that new members integrate into our club and feel a sense of belonging. I visited, along with Chris Nims, Restoration Ranch for its open house event. Katherine Avery has done a remarkable job building a cozy place for first responders to unwind and escape the unbelievable stress of their jobs. Katherine has developed strategic partnerships with law enforcement and other first responder leaders that has led to a good kickoff. The approval of her non-profit status has allowed organizations to donate needed items. We have made a $4,000 contribution with cash from our foundation and a matching District grant. She has done an amazing job bringing joy to the lives of those like those who were there when her husband died. She is dedicated to helping first responder organizations with their huge recruiting and retention problems. Proof that good can come from tragedy.
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