Actually, we’re six months through the Rotary year which ends June 30. Part of my duties as club president are to make sure we are on track with our club goals which were set last Spring.
Our board members have been hard at work on priority projects and we have more to roll out this Spring.
We keep recruiting new members, and I’m pleased to report that 5 new members were approved this month, with only one resignation. We’re making progress. If you know someone who should be a member, invite them to attend as a guest of the club.
Attendance is improving but there are still 3-5 members every week that don’t sign in. Don’t forget to mark the book when you attend committee meetings or do other projects for Rotary. They count toward your attendance. We are finally achieving the 50% mark we need for club attendance.
Dues statements just went out. I hope you were able to add a little extra as a donation to the Rotary International Foundation and/or the Topeka Rotary Foundation. The Every Member Every Year campaign is designed to build the RI foundation. By adding just $25 to your dues statement each quarter, you can easily meet this goal. These funds from the Rotary Foundation have made possible the last two years of polio reconstruction project in India. This project has done (or will have completed this winter) surgeries for more than 300 children, allowing them to walk after contracting polio. Our club has been able to work in conjunction with the Mumbai India Rotary club, thanks to the connections of some of our members with other Rotarians and family members in India. Many of the projects you read about in the Rotarian magazine are made possible because of funding from the Rotary International foundation.
The board is beginning to take a good look at some other International Service opportunities. One of our members, Rehan Reza has proposed a project in his hometown in Bangladesh to assist a local hospital, founded by his family, with the purchase of an ambulance. The board voted to form a committee to work with Rehan and Larry Dimmitt, our past District Governor who is working on foundation projects this year. They will investigate further and see if the project will fit within Rotary guidelines, and if so, make a recommendation to the board for how to proceed.
Our local foundation has also been busy, and has just released a list of its funded projects. By design, these projects have to be in Shawnee County. They have a separate board of directors that manage these funds and provide oversight to the granting process.
Most people don’t realize that health care in most of the world is delivered by organizations such as Rotary, or churches or other world health organizations and is largely fueled by donations and volunteers. It makes me very proud to be a Rotarian, and to read each month about the many worthwhile projects while Rotary supports.
If you have interest in any of these projects and would like to get involved, please let me know.
Joan Wagnon
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