Club Goals - Lenore Romney

 

 

 

          Happy New Year!: The Rotary year began July 1.  Our club’s “New Year’s Eve” celebration was a memorable installation dinner June 22 at the home of Art and Robin Rudd. New club President Lenore Romney outlined her goals at the July 13 meeting (see below).

 

          Road trip: The club luncheon meeting July 20 will be at Eagle Peak School, 6903 E. Fourth, hosted by club member and principal Melinda Keberle.  The school formerly was Pratt Elementary, where longtime Holmes Elementary principal Steve Barnes served as principal before moving to Holmes, and since, to Lidgerwood Elementary.  The East Sprague off-ramp of I-90 gets drivers close to Eagle Peak, which is just west of Edgecliff Park.

 

          District Governor’s visit: Rotary District 5080 Gov. Mike Dalessi will visit the club at the Aug. 3 luncheon.  Dalessi, a Club South member, retired in Spokane after a career as a stock broker in Oregon and Alaska.  He joined a new Rotary club in Bend, Ore., in 1989.  Our club’s board will meet with him Sunday night, Aug. 2, at President Romney’s house.

 

 

          The club’s 2015-16 Rotary year got off to a fine start July 13 with President Lenore Romney’s “inaugural address.”

          Romney focused on a five-point vision matched to the year’s theme of Rotary International President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran: “Be a Gift to the World.”  Lenore said Ravi, of Colombo, Sri Lanka, asks Rotarians everywhere “to use their time, talent, and knowledge to improve communities all over the world.”

 

          Our club will focus on five visionary points:

                    Efforts to serve disadvantaged youth, locally and internationally.

                    What we can reasonably accomplish with a club of 28 members.

                    How we can support the various efforts of Rotary International.

                    Having fun and interesting meetings.

                    Having fun.

 

          Of the organization structure, Romney said the existing format, with 12 board members, including six officers and six directors, was put in place decades ago, when the club had 100 or more members.  She proposes a by-laws change to cut the board to eight members – president, vice president/president-elect, secretary, treasurer, past president, and three directors – operations, local service and international service. 

 

          Drawing on his experience with other boards, Bill Simer suggested combining the vice president and president-elect titles, a proposal received favorably.  Romney noted that spot is currently open.

 

          Melody Farance is working on a new by-laws proposal for club members to vote on.

 

          Romney said the club will emphasize programs and activities which accomplish our mission, including continuing support of Holmes Elementary and outreach to Glover Middle School and North Central High, which most Holmes students subsequently attend.

 

          She said since the annual fund-raising event netted a record $14,000, that will fund the back-to-school supply drive, precluding the special assessment from members, a fixture in recent years.   

 

          The club hopes to expand its popular scholarship program.  Two $1,500 scholarships were awarded from a field of 54 applicants this year.  Art Rudd suggested that in addition to Jerry Saling, the club also should include the name of the late Don Spencer, longtime club member and club president, and award one or more additional scholarships.  Spencer was active at Whitworth University and St. George’s and operated a training program for business managers and staff.  Spencer’s widow, Nancy, was an elementary principal at St. George’s.

 

          Romney also asked club members to consider a “dirty hands” project this fall.  “Many of our events are geared to the spring months,” she said, so focusing on doing something special in the fall makes sense.    

 

          She also said the club will try to schedule quarterly field trips, beginning with the Eagle Peak School outing July 20.  And there will be quarterly board meeting updates and member appreciation days, including classification talks by members.

 

          Rather than setting specific membership goals, Romney closed with a new-member message: “If you like what we are doing, tell your friends.  We always have room for more members.”