As the Rotary year winds to a close, and I prepare to be "Past", I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your work, support, encouragement, counsel, a few corrections (pleasantly delivered!), and - most importantly - your trust in my leadership of our district.
As you know, my primary focus has been membership. This has been a foundational year for future growth. The Club Experience Summit created inspiration. The Action Plan and Companion Club DLA sessions added to that. We built and launched a Membership Toolbox on our website to provide ideas, inspiration and tools to allow clubs to focus on the harder work of recruiting new members and not spinning their wheels with recreating tools that they can download from our toolbox. There is also an important section on planning to grow - the first step. We must be intentional in our growth strategies and ensure that they compliment the individual club and community. I will be moving to District Membership Chair in the coming year - I want to be an activist for growth and help our clubs grow. I want to be an active participant in your club growth in the coming years - not by telling you what to do but instead sharing with you what has worked elsewhere so that you can choose what will work for your club and community. Call, text or email me!!!
Our Disaster Response Committee has launched with returning Stow-Munroe Falls Rotarian Mike Dunton - a retired first responder in the lead with vital advice from Cleveland Rotarian Mike Parks. An innovative vision for how we will be ready to help our neighbors has been developed and is in review with the Disaster Response Committee. Following this review, our Board of Directors will review this vision prior to broader distribution. Our committee would like to give programs to your club in the coming year so that we can share our vision.
None of this would be possible without the aforementioned work, support, encouragement, counsel, a few corrections (still pleasantly delivered!), and - most importantly - your trust.
Thank you for an amazing year and experience. I love our Rotary Family and felt that love returned. I wish DGE Bob much success!!!
Warm regards,
Dale
Dale Smith
District Governor 2024/2025
Rotary International District 6630
Past-President
Rotary Club of Mentor
The Magic of Rotary
330-968-7683