I am happy to report great momentum in the four core committees of our Club: membership, operations, service and special events.
The club is launching a membership drive to bring in 40 new members this year. First-Vice President Laurie Rosner will be leading the charge. Last Friday, Laurie presented the drive to the Club. We will have small prizes awarded in October, November and December to the Club member who brings in the most new member each month. Once you have brought a new member into the Club, your name will be entered into the grand prize drawing for a large screen TV. Please try bring a guest to a meeting and encourage them to join. Like many of you, a friend brought me to Rotary and the fellowship closed the sale. We also are seeking to add corporate members through our new corporate membership. Mike Healy is spear heading the corporate side of our drive. If you have knowledge of a candidate, please contact him. He will provide marketing material specific to our corporate membership.
I want to thank Richard Fulkerson for becoming our new Treasurer. Kudos to Gale Gates for putting in place such a strong platform for Richard to inherit. The Club is financially healthy and will be able to continue providing community grants spring at our Paul Harris event in May 2016.
More recently, the Club was able to make a $1,000 donation to support Dr Maryanne Herron in her work in Cambodia. On Dr Herron current visit to Cambodia, she will contacting a club in Phnom Penh for the Rotary Club of Springfield to partner with on a global grant. In addition, Springfield Rotarian Bert Carter will preside over the ribbon cutting at the new kitchen facility at the Willey Ross School for the Deaf in Longmeadow on Thursday, October 15th made possible from a grant received at our Club Centennial Celebration.
The next major event on our calendar is the Service Above Self Luncheon. The partnership between the Rotary Club of Springfield and the Basketball Hall of Fame is in its 6th year. The luncheon has become a marque event in our City. Thank you Steve Jablonski for beginning the partnership to begin holding the lunch focused on Service Above Self. Soon I will be distributing sponsorship and advertising sales packets. I will been preparing a sign-up sheet for visits to other Clubs in our District to promote the event. We ask you to try to visit at least one Club. The proceeds to the Club will be used to support service locally and globally.
There will be a Springfield Rotary Service Project Committee meeting at 11:45am at the Basketball Hall of Fame tomorrow Oct. 16. We will be discussing the Explorer Club initiative, please be prepared to bring your enthusiasm.
A big thank you to all Rotarians who attended the OnBoard event. Springfield Rotary was well represented, and gathered some interested members!
OnBoard is an all volunteer-led nonprofit whose mission it is to connect talented individuals with organizations seeking to increase diversity on their boards and committees by expanding their governance capacity and enlisting women, people of color and other under-represented populations.
