ROTARY CLUB OF TUCSON 

2023-2024 

End of Year Remarks

Margaret Higgins, PhD
RCOT’s 103rd President

And what a year it has been!

This year we cut our weekly meetings from one per week (four per month) to three per month. Last year’s board chose to do that, to be implemented in 2023-2024, to prevent an increase in dues that would otherwise have been necessary. Food, labor and other costs have increased, as reflected in the contract that the TCC asked us to sign. Going from 4 meetings to 3 was rather a jolt for our Club, and it was quite a learning experience. As I have remarked during the year, while we made the decision to remove one meeting, I don’t think we quite realized the ramifications, the most impactful being that, despite having one less meeting, we still had 4 meetings’ worth of business to conduct: more birthdays had to be packed into any one meeting; 4 meetings’ worth of announcements had to be made during 3 meetings; and last, but not least, 4 weeks’ worth of camaraderie had to be squashed into 3 weeks. Each meeting seemed to be rushed. As a board we handled complaints and we listened to member opinions. Of particular interest this year were the two ‘listening sessions’ that were held (using randomly selected longer term and shorter-term Club members) to address member concerns about the weekly meetings. Thoughts and insights were heard and recorded in a document that was given to all members. It was heartening to learn that only minor tweaks were needed to address the voiced concerns. I believe that the initial member angst has settled down a bit now and we have adjusted to a new norm.

To offset the loss of the meeting, we decided to conduct activities during the non-meeting week. While we had initially thought we would conduct service activities on that week; instead, we settled into Rotarian visits to places of interest: we experienced guided tours to San Xavier, the Ignite Museum, and the Gem and Mineral Museum, to name a few.

Goals established and recorded on the RI website at the start of my year as president included (but were not limited to) bringing fun and humor back to our Club (we had heard it was getting a bit too ‘business-like’); bringing service back to the forefront; increasing our membership; reducing our attrition; increasing our fellowship; and increasing our international youth work. Our results are now part of the formal RI record: whereas we have always been known as the large club, thanks to our setting goals and listing achievements, the extent of our community impact is being acknowledged.   

Speaking of service activities, as a Club we have renewed interest, vigor and commitment to service activities. This has been noticed and commented on by our current District Governor, Don Jorgensen. All praise for this renewal must go to Diana Madaras, our Board member who has brought structure and innovation to our service projects. No longer are projects just ad hoc and catch-as-catch-can; they are planned, organized, and members are recognized and rewarded. While we are not folk who individually want recognition, it is not unwelcome and certainly has led to an increase in service project participation. Conservatively, our Club has undertaken 15-20 continuing (not once-off) projects this year, including re-introducing the weekly Reading Coach program, cleaning roads of detritus, working on the Triangle Y ranch, collecting books to donate to Make Way For Books, and many, many more activities. Diana, your leadership has been fabulous. Thank you.

Mention of service projects would not be complete without reference to our annual, extraordinarily successful Tucson Classics Car Show, brilliantly led by Lee Olitsky and his Executive Team in 2023. While this is not strictly a service project, it cannot in any way be discounted, as it raises approximately $200,000 per year that is then donated to non-profits in our community. As a Club, we are supporting the work done in our community by others in the social services sphere.  

We have also embarked this year on an international project being spearheaded by one of our own members: Elijah Ndoye, who works with Forgotten Children in Senegal, West Africa. The community assessment, funded by our RCOT Foundation and District 5500, has been completed and we are well on our way to securing a Global Grant. It is hoped that we can impact the economic development of Senegal. In fact, while recently attending a Rotary meeting in Vancouver, Canada, I made contact with a Rotary speaker who is developing an international consortium of countries to aid the economies of African countries. Naturally I made him aware of what we are doing in Senegal, and it seems likely that RCOT will soon be on a world-wide stage undertaking economic development in Africa. 

Our Membership goals have been equally successful: our club is actually growing again. It’s an arduous road, but Mitch Pisik’s structured and diligent approach has paid off. We may not have reached his lofty goals, but we have grown considerably and that is what is important. Mitch has developed documents and talking points for each of us to use as we approach potential members. We have slowed attrition rates; and we are acquiring new members. 

Our program committee, headed by Pat Zumbusch, has done a sterling job. The committee has been empowered to seek speakers who are not only strong presenters, but whose subject matter is of great interest to the members. We heard about the renewal of San Xavier and gorillas in the wild; we now know more about the Port of Tucson and how to identity fraud; we met the new UA football coach Brennan heard directly from President Robbins on the financial woes at the UA. The list of topics and speakers goes on….and on!  Of note was the coup by Gary Hirsch who arranged for John Hewko, the Rotary International General Secretary, to speak to our club in November. But, along with Pat and Gary, thanks also must go to Bob Logan, who guided us through our heart stopping moments when UA President Robbins was to speak - then couldn’t due to illness - then Bob got new Coach Brennan to speak - who then couldn’t due to travel issues - then President Robbins could, and then Brennan could…and ----  Well, I think several of us got grey hair during this turbulent time….BUT it was a terrific line-up of speakers during the year. I am sure that there are many more good sessions to come, including the mix-n-mingles that were highly rated.   

Socially, we have had an excellent year: under Alan Rogers’ guidance we have been introduced to various new venues, including the new hotel, the Eddy, and to Tesoro, newly opened on Oracle. Alan has placed particular emphasis this year on ensuring that these social events are focused on new members. Further, our fellowship groups have grown. They now include a variety of interests, including reading, whiskey, hiking, cycling, and more. What a truly great way to develop connections.    

I hope that I was able to attain one of the other stated goals: that of bringing humour back to the Club. My weekly jokes are ALWAYS well received (don’t anyone dare say otherwise…). 

All that remains is for me to thank Dorinna for her wonderful support - and her patience. Without her we would be absolutely at a loss. And the Board members? You are the rock upon which we build our Club. Your insights, ideas, criticisms and praise are invaluable both to me and to the Club. Thank you. And also, I must thank those who attend to registration, to the audio-visuals, to the inspirations and the toasts, to the mystery editors. And this year I must give special thanks to the photographer who has produced a new suite of photos showing the world (and us) who we now are: updated, keen and eager to serve our local community, our district, and our world.  

I give huge thanks to the Club for entrusting me with the Presidency this year; I was never so honored or proud. Thank you. I look forward to seeing our club under the leadership of our new, incoming President, Kurtis Dawson. Welcome, Kurtis!

 Margaret Higgins, PhD., RCOT President, 2023-2024