Founded 1909 Weekly News and Highlights October 11, 2024
President Jon's Four Cs: CONVENING, CONNECTING, COOPERATING, and COMMUNICATING!
Next Lunch Meeting
Wednesday, October 16
12:30 PM - Socialize @ Noon!
Motif Hotel
A Conversation with Governor Jay Inslee
Join us as veteran journalist and Rotary Club of Seattle member Mark Wright engages Governor Inslee as his third and final term comes to a close. We’ll take a deep dive into Inslee’s decades-long commitment to the environment, including the Climate Commitment Act, which could be undone by an initiative in the next election. We’ll also explore the greatest opportunities and threats to Washington’s future. And finally, we’ll take a look back at Inslee’s life in politics and what’s next.
Governor Inslee is a fifth-generation Washingtonian and the longest serving governor in the United States.
Mark Wright is a former radio and television journalist. He currently runs Mark Wright Media and hosts the podcast Fat Science.
I'm taking an afternoon break from sessions to report from Memphis and the Large Rotary Club Conference and share some interesting early findings from my trip. With two main 12+ hour conference days, I don't have a ton of time to do long syncs with other Club Directors and President Elects, but I have already planned to do Zoom follow-ups at a later date with clubs that look like our own, including the Rotary Club of Cincinnati.
With that, see some of the ideas and insights that have stood out to me so far. If you see anything you would like to see explored at our club, please send your recommendations to feedback@seattlerotary.org.
During a Rotary and the Media panel, a member of the Memphis club stressed the importance of leadership unity within clubs. Memphis has weekly club leadership meetings to discuss what kind of work their club should be focusing on in the community.
During a Membership Sharing session, several club membership ideas were discussed. Baton Rouge has monthly dinners at member homes for 5-6 prospects that are invited after being identified as targets by the membership committee. Another club has a competition between the board and general membership to bring in new members. The group that brings in fewer members is the "loser" and they have to organize or participate in a club service event as a result.
During an Executive Director Advice to President Elects session, several directors said they are part of their club's nominations committee and provide advice and guidance to help the club have a diverse ballot of suitable future leaders. Executive Directors at other clubs sit on their club boards and help guide other strategic efforts.
Other observations:
LOTS of clubs are changing venues right now, and these changes aren't going over well with members!
We have good financial footing compared to many larger clubs. (Thanks Jeff! I met someone here who met you at a conference recently and she asked if you'll be Club President someday!)
I was surprised by how many other large clubs are on a pay as you go lunch model.
One club has a long-standing spring event that acts as a fundraiser for their foundation. This event has historically been a private "club member and their spouse" event, but the club Executive Director is pushing them to make it public in order to increase the amount of money it raises (and in turn raise the club's profile locally!). Members are resisting, worried about how doing public-facing fundraising will negatively impact their exclusive club image...
We need to be doing internal research to see where our members sit on boards in our community. Do we have many members on boards? Not many? What types of boards are they on? Is it a variety? The more members we have on other area boards, the more "in touch" we can be to our community at large, knowing where needs lie and being able to connect needs to Rotary support.
We are one of the only clubs attending that does not have its own signature service event (or events!). Many in-house service events at other clubs were formed as a reaction to community needs, as is the case with the Louisville club that spun up a standing project in the aftermath of the Breonna Taylor shooting. Club members create and execute these projects, sometimes putting several member suggestions in a survey letting members pick which one they would most likely participate in to determine the winning project. Executive Directors offer project support by providing communication and administrative support in preparation.
One club has a Community Impact committee whose purpose is to exclusively track community area needs and help pair organizations with other collaborators and their Rotary club to offer service and support.
That's all for now!
Join the Community Benefit Business Network (CBBN) to Promote Your Business, Support Our Club & Foundation
Chris Nakea of our very own Rotary District 5030 presented on the CBBN at our September Zoom only meeting. This innovative new "business directory with a Rotary twist" allows you to put your business, products, and services in front of the wider Rotary community beyond our club. What sets the CBBN apart is its transaction-capable nature, allowing businesses to offer their products and services through the network and, if they so choose, to contribute a portion of their sales to Rotary-supported causes and club foundations.
If you want to find out more or join the CBBN, you can find more information by CLICKING HERE for an overview of CBBN and by contacting Chris Nakea by CLICKING HERE.
Interested in Club Leadership? Club Nominations Process Starting
The Govenance Committee is curently meeting and considering nominations of officers and board members for the 2024-2025 Rotary year. They hope to complete this work in early October. The committee invites members interested in being considered for a position to please email John Kilpatrick by CLICKING HERE. The committee also welcomes your suggestions for members you recommend for leadership.
The most compelling recommendations in the Future Vision Task Force report fall under the category of Governance. Putting the right governance structure in place is the first step in moving an organization forward. Among other recommendations, the report calls for streamlining the Club Board, updating the officer structure, and being intentional about redefining the relationship between the Club Board (RCOS) and the Service Foundation Board (SRSF). The work to improve the relationship between the two entities and bring them into closer alignment is underway.
As recommended, this year’s Nominating Committee has trustees from both the RCOS and SRSF boards. In addition, at its September meeting, the RCOS Board approved the appointment of SRSF Trustee Jaime Mendez, (our Club’s Sargent of Arms), to serve as a trustee on the RCOS Board. This cross-board representation is critical to our Club’s future. Both entities will move out of their silos as they learn more about each other’s operations, and how their actions will impact our Club. Both entities will benefit from greater transparency, improved communication, and shared synergies. Congratulations to Jaime for his appointment to the RCOS Board, and thanks to our Future Vision Governance Team for moving us towards a more effective future that we will all benefit from!
Hunger Strike Needs YOU!
October 1 is the official launch of this year's Hunger Strike™, which will benefit our close club partner, Harvest Against Hunger, and No Kid Hungry! Hunger Strike™ is a fundraising campaign created to empower local Rotarians to help feed children and families in the United States. Rotarians across the country are encouraged to participate and each Rotary Club can elect to sign up to host a Hunger Strike fundraiser in their community.
We are in the process of assembling our bowling team for this year; please reach out to Jan Levy or Jenn Gladish if you are interested in participating! We need bowlers AND club fundraising support for our team!
The Seattle Rotary Service Foundation Annual Campaign kicks off on November 1st. However, you don’t need to wait to make your donation to the SRSF and the same is true for The Rotary Foundation. By CLICKING HERE you can sign up today!
SAVE THE DATE: There will be a very special event on January 30, 2025 hosted by the SRSF from 5:30-7:00 pm. More details to follow.
If you are interested in serving in an SRSF leadership role or in volunteering on an SRSF committee, please feel free to contact (my contact info here).
Sincerely,
The SRSF Board of Trustees!
Rotary Youth Exchange Summer Travel Program-Applications Due at End of October!
If you or a loved one has a student aged 15-18, they have an opportunity to be part of Rotary's Youth Exchange Summer Travel Program.
Spend 3-4 weeks overseas with a family that has a son or daughter the same age who will also spend 3-4 weeks in the US with your family. Exchange typically occurs between mid-June to end of August. Foreign language skills are encouraged, but not required.
PNW Rotary Ending Sex Trafficking Three Year Anniversary!
Come celebrate with the club we helped launch as they mark their three year anniversary! The evening will feature keynote Rotary speakers involved in direct service to trafficking survivors. More event information is available in the club calendar website listing; to register to attend, please CLICK HERE.
Wednesday, November 13
Frye Art Museum
Future Vision Club Assembly and Social
Please keep an eye on Our Mayberry for the official event listing, coming soon.
We love to see our Rotary members promoting good works in our community and abroad! If you have a project or fundraiser that you are excited about and would like to promote to your fellow club members, please check in with our Club Director, Mary Goldie, before distributing information or invitations through our email roster. We value the privacy of our members’ contact information and can let you know the appropriate ways to reach out to folks in our club. Thank you!!
These are club membership (not total years of Rotary membership) anniversaries only
1 Year
Cody McNeal
2 Years
Andrea Anderson
4 Years
Tabitha Claus
Stephen Morse
Mihoko Tanaka
5 Years
Dow Constantine
8 Years
John Hojaboom
10 Years
Lorna Tumwebaze
Carla Fowler
11 Years
Eric Christensen
Paul Tsai
12 Years
Carese Busby
14 Years
Sheree Wen
22 Years
April Mobley
23 Years
Daniel Weiner
25 Years
Jim Moore
26 Years
Vicky Oxley
27 Years
Cynthia Chirot
29 Years
Tom Mesaros
30 Years
Bob Johnson
31 Years
Neil Larson
Kathy Williams
32 Years
Karl Ege
35 Years
Roger Chaffin
Lou Lundquist
Nancy Osborne
36 Years
Jeff Pyatt
37 Years
Ron Bayley
42 Years
Steve Prince
53 Years
John Durbin
Get Involved
Meet fellow Rotarians and get involved in service. See below for a list of committees. Email the committee chair by clicking on their name. Or, contact Mary Goldie for more information.
4. Invite your connections to a weekly meeting, and let mary@seattlerotary.org know so they may be introduced.
If you don't already have a LinkedIn profile, CLICK HERE to learn how to get started.
SEATTLE 4 ROTARY AUDIO VISUAL SPONSORS
Video of Seattle 4 Rotary Programs are available online thanks to the generous support of our Seattle Rotary Audio Visual Sponsors.
In addition to supporting our club, becoming a Seattle 4 Rotary Audio Visual Sponsor brings many benefits. To learn more, click here, or contact Mary for more details at mary@seattlerotary.org.
Do You Have Any Musical Instruments to Donate to Students in Need?
Music4Life is a non-profit and project of Rotary District 5030 that distributes musical instruments to public school students in need.
We welcome any gently used musical instruments you wish to donate. They can be delivered directly to these local music stores that are now open: American Music in Phinney Ridge and Kennelly Keys Music in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Everett.
Please accompany your instrument with the PDF donation form, linked below.
Our Rotary Cares team is ready to listen and to support you. One of the wonderful things about our club is that you have many friends --you just need to reach out to tap into our amazing network of caring people. Please contact our Rotary Cares Committee Chair to let us know how we can help.
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