Message from the District Governor

Dear District 5930 Rotarians:

ImageAs we ENGAGE ROTARY in this new Rotary year, we are out to SET GOALS, SET RECORDS.  Let's set some BOLD GOALS for membership growth and engagement.  August is Membership and Extension Month in Rotary circles. What a wonderful topic to focus on early in our Rotary year!  Many of our district's 56 clubs have submitted their goals on the new online ROTARY CLUB CENTRAL.   I believe they are entirely attainable.  Is your club's and your information entered?  Research shows that clubs that set goals achieve more than those who do not.  Let's SET GOALS and SET RECORDS in 2013-2014. (Regarding Rotary Club Central, new changes will be forthcoming for the Rotary International website by mid-August. Watch the district website and communication from the Webmaster with directions for new login and access practices.)

I would enjoy highlighting your club's membership and engagement stories in future issues of the District Newsletter.  The service activities of the Rotary Club of Kingsville Sunrise, for example, have seen their membership grow from 9 to 21 members, from January to July, 2013, in a town of 26,000. Their spirit is contagious!

If you have not yet had an opportunity to meet Debbie High, District 5930 Lt. Gov. focusing on Membership, please take the time to do so. Her email address is dghrotary5930@gmail.com, and her phone number is 301-524-7091. You will be hard pressed to find someone who is more motivated and encouraging when it comes to the subject of Rotary membership! In connection with that, please mark your calendar for Saturday, OCTOBER 5, 2013, when a MEMBERSHIP SEMINAR will be held in the Calallen area. More details will be forthcoming, but suffice it to say it will be a day of enriching information.

I have a math brain-teaser for you. Just for fun, humor me, and work out this problem. Take one penny on January 1st. Double that penny, and the resulting amount, every day for a month. Note the amount you would have on January 31st. Apply that principle to Rotary membership. While I realize it would not be realistic to think every Rotarian could produce a new member each day for a month, it is staggering to think of the increase – and the good that could ultimately be done – if every member brought in just one more member over the upcoming year. Let's press to that goal – together we'll ENGAGE ROTARY; CHANGE LIVES.

(The math answer is $10,737,418.24. Staggering what can be accomplished, exponentially, if you start by simply doubling "one," isn't it?)

RI President Ron Burton has said "we all want to make a difference.  We all want to be doing something meaningful."  How true of Rotarians!  Hence, our District theme, SERVICE WITH PURPOSE.  When we grow Rotary, we get more involved and engaged in doing good, and "Rotary gives our lives more meaning, more purpose, and greater satisfaction."

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA on how we can best achieve our new Rotary International goal to ENGAGE ROTARY, CHANGE LIVES?  Please send me your suggestions at maxiehouser@gmail.com.