President's Report - Steve Bergman

 

            March 26: Rotary Project at 2^nd Harvest.  Six slots filled. 

 

            April 5: Rotary Zoom luncheon meeting.  Topic: TBA

 

            April 30:  Rotary Project at 2^nd Harvest.  Twelve slots available.

 

            Welcome:  Joe Bruce, a District 5080 assistant governor, joined the Zoom meeting.  Long active with NASA activities, the names of Joe and his family are on “Percy,” the recent Mars vehicle landing. 

 

            Happy Buck$$: Ron Schurra and Edie celebrated their 50^th anniversary.   Bill Simer gave a happy buck for Joe Bruce’s continuing service to Rotary.

 

          

            In his quarterly report to the club, President Steve Bergman recounted the “good, impressive things” achieved in the Covid-plagued year and said “we are still in the same boat, but there is light at the end.”

 

            At the March 15 Zoom meeting, Steve cited the successful holiday gift campaign for needy students and their families at Holmes Elementary and the fact that “almost all of the members of the club stepped up to  make contributions” when the traditional fund  raising program was canceled.

 

            Treasurer Bill Simer said of the club’s financial report, “we held our own this year, thanks to our members.”

 

            He said charitable fund contributions, since July 1 have totaled $6995, enough to fully fund our commitments to Holmes and Ridgeview Elementary Schools and leave us with a head start on scholarship funding.

 

            “We can be proud of our little club,” he said.

 

            President-elect Lenore Romney also reported on PETS, the training sessions for new club leaders.

 

            That session, which usually draws over 1,000 attendees from several Rotary districts, usually held in Seattle, was done on Zoom this year.  She said the on-line programs provided flexibility during day or night sessions, but lacked the spontaneity of talking to other club leaders.  (Lenore has been to four PETS sessions.)

 

            Romney said the Rotary International theme for 2021-22 is “Serve to Change Lives.”  The new RI President is Shekhar Mehta, from Calcutta, India.  His message to PETS was to encourage more Rotarians to get involved in service projects, membership and Rotary clubs’ image in its communities.

 

            Other programs talked about building relationships, expanding Rotary’s reach in the community, enhancing club’s needs and how to adapt to keep Rotary relative, she said.

 

            Clubs are encouraged to develop a formal plan with goals for the new Rotary year.

 

            Romney said just one open board position is needed for 2021-22: vice president/president-elect.

 

            She said the new board, starting July 1, includes:

                   President: Lenore Romney

                   Membership: Steve Perry

 

            Assistant Gov. Joe Bruce thanked Steve Bergman for his leadership during this difficult year and said our club “is right there” on the direction Rotary is headed.

 

            He added: “Your projects are awesome.”

 

            Bergman said as the pandemic wanes he hopes the club can have at least two in-person social events during this spring or early summer…and hopefully an installation gathering.