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!!!
Big changes are here and even bigger things are on the way! 🎉
We recently hosted our What's New webinar to unveil exciting updates and provide a sneak peek at what's next. Whether you joined us live or missed it, we’ve got you covered. Webinars are training sessions are available on www.clubrunnersupport.com - check them out!!
🌟 What's New and Coming Soon
We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes to deliver new features that make your ClubRunner experience smoother, smarter, and more connected.
Mobile App Enhancements: Learn what's new and what's coming soon with a brand new version of our mobile app.
Cloud Events and Donations: New Payment Processors and Service Fee option
Login Enhancements: Universal login and magic links
Automated Email Campaigns: Celebrate milestones like birthdays and anniversaries
Multi-factor Authentication: Secure your member data with extra protection
Quickbooks and Xero Integration: Manage your finances within your own accounting system
AI Generated Email Content: Your go-to assistant to help you craft engaging emails to your members
Members of the Rotary Club of Ashtabula proudly joined forces with our community for Ashtabula City Cleanup Day — doing our part to make the city we love a cleaner, more beautiful place to live.
Living out Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self,” our team came together not just to pick up litter, but to demonstrate the spirit of community, care, and commitment that defines who we are.
Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make a difference — one bag, one block, and one act of service at a time!
The Painesville Rotary Club and Mentor Rotary Club recently held the 50th Anniversary of the annual Rotary Drama Awards program at Mentor High School. The Drama Awards program was started by Painesville Rotarian Robert Tischer in 1974 to recognize and reward students who participate in their Theater Department’s Fall and Spring performances. The dedication and hard work of these students, along with their Directors and many other volunteers, is worthy of a night of recognition. Thank you to John Greene and Mentor High School for hosting the event and Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!
The Rotary Club of Mentor recently purchased six Automated External Defibrillators for the Mentor Police to replace outdated ones.
Portable AEDs save lives by providing immediate treatment to people suffering from heart-related emergencies. The department carries the AEDs in patrol cars, which allows them to reach victims as soon as possible.
Captain Robert Valley, Sgt. Jeremy Calhoun, Mentor City Manager Ken Filipiak and Gina Alberti from the city’s communication office recently were guests of the Mentor Rotary Club.
As part of the purchase, Valley said the department was able to negotiate the purchase of an additional seven units plus receive a discount on the return of the older, outdated units.
Valley thanked the Rotary Club and noted the department now has enough units to place one in each on-duty police cruiser, covering the entire city.
Calhoun, who oversees the internal training for the AEDs, explained these units were extremely easy to use and state-of-the art.
He added that the department is sometimes first on the scene of a medical emergency, since their officers are already out on the road. Arriving first and encountering a heart-related emergency, the department can immediately provide life-saving aid, while they await the arrival of EMS personnel.
Valley and Calhoun also explained the amount of training each officer undergoes and noted each cruiser carries a large amount of equipment.
Calhoun said he appreciated the smaller size of the AEDs, as they fit in well with the other equipment.
Filipiak said he felt the Mentor Police Department was one of the best trained forces in Northeast Ohio and he was incredibly proud of the city’s officers.
Neil Sawicki, president of the Mentor Rotary Club, expressed how pleased the club was in providing such essential equipment to the city. He explained the Rotary’s mission is “Service Above Self” and said “the donation of these AEDs epitomizes Rotary’s commitment to our community.”
Mentor Police Sgt. Jeremy Calhoun explains the use of new AEDs donated by the Mentor Rotary Club. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF MENTOR
We would love to shout out a "Welcome Home" to our outbound student Owen Bass who has just returned from his year abroad in India. WELCOME HOME Owen!! We look forward to hearing your stories!! I am sure your family is happy to see you!
Elia Escarmelle, District 6630 Rotary Youth Exchange Student from Belgium, enjoys a visit to Cleveland’s world famous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Toby & and Chris Butt from host club Medina Sunrise Rotary.
How many Rotarians does it take to build a Habitat for Humanity house? Don't answer that! It was Women Build Week and in Portage County in May and Rotarians from Rotary Club of Akron, OH, Rotary Club Of StowMunroe Falls, Tallmadge Rotary Club, Rotary Club of Kent Ohio and PDG David Jones, Habitat NR Specialist, Northampton Cuyahoga Valley Rotary Club met up coincidentally to build this home for the Strebbler family.
We are excited to unveil the 2026 Float, inspired by Rotary International’s message of "Unite for Good” and the Tournament Theme, “The Magic in Teamwork." Our Float serves as a powerful reminder that when Rotarians come together to Unite for Good, our global network of more than 1.2 million members volunteer their skills and resources to solve issues and address community needs.
As Rotary expands our global reach; our Float is expanding as well. This 45-foot structure is larger than previous Floats. This increase in size will provide an appropriate platform to showcase this fabulous design. This expanded footprint offers enhanced visibility, helping Rotary make a stronger impact.
Westlake-Bay Village Rotary Club Art Fest Celebrates 5th Anniversary—Join the Fun!
Mark your calendar for Saturday, July 26, 2025, as the Westlake-Bay Village Rotary Club hosts its 5th Annual Art Fest—a vibrant celebration where creativity and community service come together. Set on the scenic lawn of the Westlake Porter Public Library in Westlake, Ohio, this event is more than a showcase of local talent—it’s a fundraiser that fuels meaningful change right here in our community.
Event Highlights
Date: Saturday, July 26, 2025
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Westlake Porter Public Library lawn, Westlake, Ohio
Admission: Free, with plenty of free parking
Features:
- Over 60 artists displaying and selling their work
- Food trucks
- Beer and wine garden
- Live music performances
Making a Difference
Proceeds from Art Fest support Rotary initiatives, including youth scholarships, educational programs, and local nonprofit organizations, helping us make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors. For event details and photos from last year’s celebration, visit: http://www.westlakebayvillagerotaryartfest.com
Meet Our Featured Artist
This year’s featured artist is internationally recognized JoAnn DePolo, celebrated for her expressive cityscapes, serene waterscapes, and bold abstract works. Attendees will have the chance to meet JoAnn in person and experience the creativity that has inspired art lovers across Northeast Ohio and beyond. Learn more about JoAnn at: http://www.joanndepolo.net
Get Involved
Artists: Interested in exhibiting your art? Applications are still open—registration materials are available on our website.
Sponsors: Want to support the cause? We’re accepting individual and corporate sponsorships. Details and forms are available online.
Join the Celebration!
Whether you’re coming for the art, live music, food trucks, or the opportunity to give back, we look forward to welcoming you to this special milestone celebration!
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