If you missed our Club Assembly this past week, it started with the phrase “Some things you might not know about this Rotary Year…”  During the meeting we reviewed our goals from the start of the year, reflected on the things we have accomplished, thanked  team leaders who helped to make it happen and conducted a survey of the membership.

 

Although we could not thank everyone for all that we accomplished this past year…and we did thank a lot of members…there is no way that we could thank everyone individually.  In this, my last President’s letter, I  do want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of you for everything you did this year and for making this a REMARKABLE Rotary Club.  I continue to be amazed at all that we accomplish as a Club.  

In the meeting we talked about our four areas of focus, or vison, for the year:

These areas led to 11 specific goals; of those goals, membership growth and development are at the center of what we did this year.  As a team, we firmly believe that any Club growth needs to start with making sure that we take care of the members we have.  Bob Shaff headed our efforts on increasing value to our members and we met our goal of reducing membership attrition by 20%.

 

Margaret Higgins headed up our Membership efforts and worked closely with helping to build a sustainable new membership team, along the lines of our Tucson Classics Car Show teams.  This resulted in beating our traditional growth rate by more than 30%.  Margaret and her team notably helped increase the number of women in our Club from 24% to 27%.  As importantly, we are well positioned for future growth in membership.

So how did we end up? Between Bob’s and Margaret’s efforts, we surpassed our goal of a +10 new member year and will end up the year a +12, a record in recent years, closing at 254 members.  A big thanks goes out to those members who brought guests to the Club and sponsored new members.  It is important to remember; we are not growing our Club just for growth’s sake; we need to grow to continue to do all that we do as a Club and to continue to be able to do more for our community.

 

Beyond Membership Growth and Retention, other accomplishments included:

 

We have a BIG Club, the largest in the state, and we are growing.  My hope for the future is that we continue to do BIG things but also continue to try to develop our relationships and culture as if we are a SMALL Club.  Fill out your High Profile.  Sit at different tables.  Say hello to a new member you do not know.  Get engaged in the Car Show.  Join a Fellowship. Take advantage of Home Hospitality.  Spend time on a Work Project.  Be a part of the Centennial Campaign.  It is in doing that we connect to our fellow members and in that connection we become more than a Club; we become family.

 

It has been my honor to serve as President this past year.  We have a REMARKABLE Rotary Club and my greatest satisfaction this year has been to get to know many more members much better.  It is not based on what we do as a Club that makes us REMARKABLE, but it is that we are truly a Club of REMARKABLE members.  It has been a highlight of my career for me to help lead this Club, I thank you all for the opportunity.

 

Kathy and I hope to see you all at the Change of Administration this Saturday to welcome in Bob Logan as our new President!

 

YIR,

Chuck Sawyer
President 2018-2019
Rotary Club of Tucson

President CHUCK opened our meeting and Rabbi STEPHANIE AARON gave our inspiration.  GARY HIRSCH accompanied MELISSA ECKSTEIN who led us in the Pledge and Song (“God Bless America”.)  New Member JIM ENGEL introduced our guests and visiting Rotarians.

 

VICKIE JACOBS introduced our newest member MICHELE HATCH.  MICHELE works in marketing for Casino del Sol when she’s not skydiving or more dangerously, managing 7 children.  MICHELE was also Rotarian of the Year at her old Rotary Club.

 

Sergeant at Arms BOBBY LARSON led us through the raffle, and we had the following announcements:

 

President CHUCK reminded us all to attend the 6/29 Change of Administration Event at Hacienda Del Sol.

 

Past President CHAR HARRIS brought us a Centennial presentation on a true Heritage Family in Rotary – Harold, HAL and LARRY ADAMSON represent a combined 165 years of Rotary participation.  Both the Adamson sons are Past Presidents (HAL in 1961-62 and LARRY in 1985-86) and both served in the military.  HAL (despite heckling his own video) spoke strongly about the importance of getting involved, and we owe a debt to LARRY for starting our Foundation, true to his roots as a numbers guy.  LARRY also started the tradition of little-known facts about members that President CHUCK has raised to an art form.

 

President CHUCK moved to our program, this year’s Club Assembly.  CHUCK repeated our main focuses from early in his term:  increase engagement, grow the Club, collaborate with other clubs, and find an international project closer to Tucson.  Various Rotarians spoke about the following highlights:

 

President CHUCK closed our meeting with a toast and a quote from Paul Harris:  "Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves."

 

There was a great Change of Administration party and ceremony in Tubac for Ellie Patterson as she takes over the District from Kirk Reed.  We had almost three tables at the well-attended event, including a version of the Rowdy Table!  It was a great start for Ellie as she starts her year! And here are some pictures: