North Notes
Spokane North Rotary Club Bulletin
 
 
Briefly:
            On deck: Candidates for the 6th District seats in the State Legislature are scheduled to discuss issues Oct.3.
 
Budget, membership issues lead Q1 update    
 
          Club President Nancy Hanson turned her Sept. 26 first-quarter report into a round-table discussion about finances, positions, programs and strategies.
 
         In addition to leadership lists and copies of the fiscal-year budget, Hanson also distributed half sheets asking “three, single-words” in response to three topics, namely:
                What defines Rotary for you?
                Why did you join Rotary?
                Why do you stay in Rotary?
 
            Answers will be collected, collated and distributed, Hanson said.       
 
            Leadership roles which still need volunteers, she said, include Youth Programs, Grants, Social Programs, the Scholarship Committee and a 2017-18 President-elect to follow the current officer, Chad Havercamp.  “If you feel a calling, let us know,” Hanson said.
 
            She also distributed copies of a “club dashboard,” with graphs and pie-charts showing membership history (the club is now at 27),  gender distribution (67 percent male), age distribution (67 percent are 50 or older and 26 percent are 65 or older), and years of service (60 percent have 10 years or more).
    
            Much of the discussion focused on the fiscal-year budget, which shows a projected deficit of $7,135.
 
            The club also has a carry-over budget surplus of about $40,000.  Earnings from three CDs have been disappointing.
 
           The budget deficit, Hanson and other board members explained, arises from loss of some long-time members, a desire to keep most projects and funding programs at about current levels, plus some additional expenses, such as having a part-time
 bookkeeper.
           
 
            One member commented he would be comfortable with the deficit “for a year or two, if there is a strategy” back to a balanced budget.  “Otherwise, I would be less comfortable.”
           
            Another member said “why give away the farm?” and suggested plans be “scaled back if we hit a deficit.”
           
            Hanson noted that Rotary International dues are scheduled to increase slightly each of the next three years, so raising club dues may discourage membership recruitment and retention.
           
            She said comments and suggestions from all club members will help direct board decisions.  The next board meeting is at noon, Thursday, Sept. 29.
 
The bulletin producers:
 
         Bulletin editors: Chuck Rehberg and Sandy Fink
 
         Photos: Eric Johnson
 
         Program coordinator: Brad Stark