At our November 25, 2024, Rotary Club of La Conner - All Member Meeting.
The Braves Club gave us a whole packet of Thank you notes for the pumpkins.
Audrey pulled out just a few that she thought were kind of cool and cuter.
We are still looking for a club Vice President, who wishes to be President in 27-28 (and President Elect in 26-27). Please let Audrey know. That would be serving as Vice President this coming year. Several past Presidents described how rewarding it had been.
Audrey went through the club action plan by going through self-assessment results that she had collected the week prior to this meeting.
Scoring System:
- The scoring system ranges from 1 to 4, with 1 indicating a need for significant improvement, 2 suggesting some improvement needed, 3 indicating satisfactory performance, and 4 representing excellent performance.
Areas of Focus:
- Increasing Impact:
- Clear Goals and Responsibilities: The club has a plan with priorities reviewed annually, and members are familiar with and support these priorities.
- Community Needs: Plans are shaped by community issues, with periodic assessments and input from community partners.
- Continuity and Collaboration: A multi-year succession plan ensures collaboration and continuity, with clear role descriptions for key positions.
- Enhanced Participation: Meetings, social events, and projects are well-organized, well-attended, and enjoyable, fostering participation and meaningful friendships.
- Participant Input: Members are well-informed, enthusiastic, and engaged, with opportunities to bring their passions to the club.
Scoring Results:
- The highest scores were in community collaboration and participant impact, reflecting the club's strong engagement and willingness to volunteer.
Club Engagement:
- The club is noted for its high level of engagement, with members readily volunteering and participating in activities.
Expanding Our Reach:
- Partnerships: The club scores highest in partnerships, benefiting from relationships with other service organizations, the school district, the library, and museums.
- Growth: The club faces challenges in growth and needs to reflect the community better through its membership.
Enhancing Participant Engagement:
- The club excels in participant engagement, with high scores in variety, fun, and caring. Members are active and make things happen.
Increasing Ability to Adapt:
- Innovation: The club supports new ideas and continuous improvement through tools, templates, and resources.
- Relevance: Activities evolve to suit the diverse membership and attract new members.
- Awareness: Regular events and new ways to tell the club's story help build awareness.
- Openness: The club reaches out to those who might not have seen Rotary as an opportunity.
Dynamic Integration:
- Pursuing Excellence: The club focuses on excellent member experiences.
- Focused Effort: Leaders are responsible for club service, public image, and member engagement.
- Collaboration: Leaders work together to strengthen efforts.
- Welcoming: The club is welcoming and has eliminated cliques and inappropriate behaviors.
Overall Score:
- The club's total score is 74.33 out of 100, indicating a passing grade but with room for improvement.
Additional Comments:
- Pronounce names correctly when visitors attend.
- Consider ways to honor the nationality of Canadian visitors.
- Evaluate if the Pledge of Allegiance is the best way to open meetings to attract a more diverse membership.
- Discuss goals and progress at each board meeting.
- Solicit community ideas for hands-on projects.
- Perform visioning activities and fireside chats.
- Mix up meetings with fun facts and celebrations to help members get to know each other.
- Solicit more ideas from members who attend regularly but may not share their ideas.
- The club is stable with its current meeting structure, projects, and fundraisers. However, introducing small changes can keep things fresh and meaningful for members. Suggestions include tours of local businesses, social activities, and involving members in finding speakers.
- The club should visit other clubs to bring back ideas, meet with local nonprofits, and stay connected with the town council. Publicizing events and projects can encourage community participation, especially from tribal members.
- The club can join community committees to solicit more members and ideas. Partnerships with the Chamber, fire and police departments, schools, libraries, merchants, farmers, and tribes can broaden engagement.
- Members are open to new ideas and willing to share if asked. Understanding each member's interests can help attract more members and encourage participation. Mentorship for new members and structured orientation can aid learning.
- A five-year strategic plan with regular discussions on progress is suggested. Soliciting ideas from members at least four times a year can ensure meaningful projects. Recognizing and thanking volunteers for their contributions is important.
- The club should try new things, such as varying the meeting agenda, introducing district or international topics, and experimenting with new projects. Learning from other clubs' best practices can be beneficial.
- Focusing on youth programs and listening to ideas from scholarship recipients and Rotaract members can attract the next generation. The membership committee should focus on awareness and holding events to attract new members.
- Ensuring every member's passions are heard and aligning projects with their interests can enhance member experience. Encouraging committee participation and sharing good works at board meetings is essential.
- Suggestions were made to enhance the greeter's role by having them announce who is logged in, perform sound checks, and monitor for raised hands during virtual meetings.
The club identified areas needing improvement, particularly in awareness and openness. These areas scored low and require attention to attract new members and build awareness of the club's work.
- Emphasize that attracting new participants is everyone's responsibility. Club growth should be a regular agenda item at meetings.
- The club needs to improve public visibility and celebrate member participation in community events. Members should report their activities to ensure recognition.
- With the potential loss of local newspaper support, the club should explore other media, including social media platforms like TikTok, to reach a broader audience and attract younger members.
- Suggestions included partnering with local organizations, creating attractions for children, and engaging parents of scholarship recipients. The club should consider installing benches or other amenities in local parks to increase visibility.
- Members should use the RSVP form to report their participation in events. This helps the club recognize and celebrate their contributions.
Tribal and Community Engagement:
- The club has made efforts to attract tribal members, but past incidents and political factors have posed challenges. Suggestions include finding new approaches to build relationships, such as partnership projects or volunteering in tribal communities.
- Members discussed the importance of both personal invitations and public visibility in attracting new members. While personal invitations are effective, publicizing the club's work is also crucial.
- The Pledge of Allegiance as a meeting opener was questioned for its potential exclusionary impact on non-American members. Alternatives like an inspiration or land acknowledgment were suggested to create a more inclusive environment.
- Acknowledging the presence of diverse cultural and professional backgrounds is important. The club should explore ways to make meetings more welcoming for all members, including those from different cultural backgrounds.
- The club should continue to publicize its events and projects, even as traditional media support wanes. Exploring new media platforms and engaging with local publications can help maintain visibility.
- Incorporating land acknowledgments at meetings can honor the indigenous people of the area and create a more inclusive atmosphere. This should be done in partnership with local tribes.
- The club should create a welcoming statement that embraces people from all countries and cultures. This can be included in meeting practices to ensure everyone feels included.
Focus Areas:
- The club aims to improve in three key areas: growth mindset, awareness, and openness. Enhancing these areas could lead to significant overall improvements.
- Members discussed barriers to growth, such as financial constraints (dues, weekly dinners, happy bucks, …) preventing some people from participating. Addressing these barriers is crucial for attracting and retaining members.
- Members are encouraged to complete a survey attached to the invitation letter to provide more feedback. The survey results will help in long-range planning and identifying areas for improvement.
Thank You Note from MoNA:
- The club received a thank you note from MoNA, acknowledging a generous donation of $750 in support of youth programs and the mission to preserve and interpret regional art. This highlights the club's positive impact on the community.
Announcements:
Rotaract and the Sedro-Woolley Eagles are having a fundraiser Saturday, December 14.
They're having an ugly sweater fundraiser. There's going to be line dancing and karaoke. It's at the Sedro-Woolley Eagles Club on Metcalf Street in Sedro-Woolley. It's a donation of $10 to enter, and dinner is $12. It's a family event, so come one, come all.
Happy Bucks allowed the club to share many happy and sad moments.
Dictionaries were distributed to all third graders.