Each month, I ask Club and District leaders to present information of value to our membership. In this special August issue, you will find information from your peers on making club meetings relevant and meaningful, community service grants and World Polio Day.

Remember, August is Rotary’s Membership and Extension Month. Use this information and ideas to attract and retain members!

Sincerely … In Service Above Self,

Sandy

If you were asked to describe your club, what would you say? I would hope you would have an enthusiastic response, such as, “We are a great service club. We work hard and have fun!”

Do your club’s meetings reflect that same description? For the most part, the club meeting is where it all begins. I believe that each club’s meetings reflect the personality of the club.

Here are some very basic guidelines to help your clubs enhance weekly meetings:

Greeters: I cannot stress enough the critical nature of first impressions and the importance of hospitality. I would like to think we all welcome new or prospective members, other visiting guests, as well as our fellow club members. Having a greeter at the door ensures that everyone is welcomed and visitors and prospective members are introduced to the club. Get new members involved as greeters immediately, accomplishing two important tasks.

Be Prompt! The meetings should begin on time and conclude on time. A written agenda will help the meeting move along. Please pay close attention to ensure that you are allowing enough time for your scheduled speaker to present his or her program.

Announcements: These should be made by a committee chairperson or committee member. If you have an upcoming service project, be prepared to share a brief overview of the project and a call to action. If you have new members or prospective members, please issue a special invitation to join. This is what we are all about – friendships are made and our commitment to service above self is strengthened. If you have just completed a service project, take a few moments to report and recognize the members who were involved. Celebrate success! I cannot imagine a weekly meeting without at least one or two service announcements, providing an opportunity to serve, an update or a final summary report.

Programs: There are so many great Rotary stories and projects to share. I love to hear about a new service project or an international service trip. Club Assemblies are also vital to the health of our clubs. These provide an opportunity for updates on where clubs are at with their goals, and provide time for discussions involving upcoming or possible projects to consider. Do not overlook your own club members. Some of my favorite programs this past year were presented by members of our club. They have wonderful stories to share.

Have Fun! For example; the Shakopee club is a singing club. It is part of who we are. Our song-masters are quite creative and do a great job leading our club. We also have a weekly Brag & Share; this is a great way to learn more about other Rotarians, followed by a fine master who will levy fines to members. These are light-hearted in nature, providing a few moments of laughter and camaraderie.

Attendance: Attendance percentages represent one indicator as to the overall “health” of your club. If you notice a pattern of lower weekly attendance or declining membership, please utilize the District Resource Team. We are here to provide assistance and support. I would also encourage you to take a road trip to visit some other clubs. There are so many great ideas and ways of conducting meetings.

If you have any questions, have any ideas to share or feel your club may be in need of some assistance, please contact me at derickson@advisornet.com.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work together with a nearby Rotary Club?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I encourage you to consider preparing and submitting a local community service grant application.

Rotary District 5950 offers two types of community grants with very similar criteria. The first is the Community Assistance Program (CAP) Grant that is funded directly by Rotary International (RI). The second is the Neighborhood Community Service (NCS) Grant that is funded by our annual District “Fast for Hope” campaign.

The only major difference is the NCS Grant is a “matching” grant, which means your Club must contribute up to $1,000 toward a project and NCS will match that contribution.

Both of these grants are intended to be short-term (within the Rotary fiscal year) and are intended to jump-start new projects that Clubs may be reluctant to start on their own. Both grants require significant “hands-on” sweat-equity on the part of their Club members. Collaboration on projects with other Rotary Clubs is strongly encouraged.

We have discovered that many Clubs find these new projects to be successful and they continue funding them with their own Club funds in the future. Also, when Clubs collaborate on projects, they find new Rotarian friends as well as provide community services they had not considered before. Everyone wins!

Please visit the District Web site www.rotary5950.org under SERVICE for more information, and to download the applications for both grants.

You can apply for both a CAP and NCS grant on the same project. The maximum CAP grant is $3,000 per project and the maximum NCS grant is $1,000 per Club or $3,000 per project for multiple Clubs. The application deadlines are July 15, Sept. 1, Oct. 15, Feb. 1 and May 1. Note, though, that funds typically are depleted by the end of the third application review.

• Spare children forever from death and disability caused by the disease.
• Save an estimated $1 billion per year that could be spent on other public health concerns.

This Academy Award-nominated 38-minute documentary follows health workers, including Rotarian volunteers, as they immunize children in India. The DVD is available at www.thefinalinch.org (click on screenings at the bottom of the home page).

World Polio Day also commemorates the birthday of Jonas Salk, inventor of the inactivated polio vaccine.

For more examples of ways to observe World Polio Day, visit www.rotary.org and search “challenge grant fundraising ideas.”

Calendar of Events

22 Club Youth Exchange Officer Training – 10 AM; AAA Headquarters; 5400 Auto Club Way; St. Louis Park, MN

29 Deadline for clubs to submit Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team Leader and Team Member applications to District 5950 Outbound GSE Coordinator Barbara Devlin, 7028 Oak Grove Blvd., Richfield MN 55423

1 Local Community Grant Applications due

12 Youth Exchange Inbound Orientation and Club Officer Training, Roseville Area Middle School

12 Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team Leader Interviews. (Please see the District 5950 website for details.)

19 Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team Member Interviews. (Please see the District 5950 website for details.)

25 Fall Training: Membership, Public Relations/Communications, & The Rotary Foundation – Golden Valley Country Club; Golden Valley.

6-10 Rotary International Zone Institute – Minneapolis Marriot City Center

15 Local Community Grant Applications due

20 Rotary Youth Foundation Board Meeting – 5-7 p.m., Northern Star East Council; Boy Scouts of America; 393 Marshall Ave.; St. Paul

24 - 25 Halloween Weekend for Inbound Youth Exchange Students