At the recent International Assembly in Orlando, FL Rotary International President-elect Gordon R. McInally announced his theme for the 2023-24 Rotary year, “Create Hope in the World.” He explained that the goal is to restore hope to help the world heal from destructive conflicts and to help achieve lasting change. He emphasized the need for peace and continuity, including work to empower women and work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion, while not neglecting our mission to end polio. See his announcement on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmxTiFc5_I8

The Latest Bulletin from Jerry Venters

Monthly Bulletin Lander Rotary Club DECEMBER 2022
New Member Newsletter # 10 – Sponsor a member

Do you have a close friend, neighbor, or colleague who you think would make a good Rotarian?
If so, sponsoring him or her to become a member of the Lander Rotary Club is as easy as the proverbial A-B-C.

The first thing is to ASK them to come to a meeting as your guest or participate in a service project with you. Then tell them all the things you like and admire about Rotary and the Lander club (one of the friendliest clubs anywhere!). And then you ASK them if they’d be interested in being a member of this great organization.

(For many decades, prospective members weren’t told they were “prospects” when they were invited to a meeting, or two or three. Only if it appeared to the sponsoring member and others that the “prospect” might be a good fit for Rotary would an invitation be extended. This is no longer the practice, as you’ve probably noticed.)

To begin the new member process, it’s best to check with Shelby Rohrbacher, the Membership Committee chair, and see what she will need from you and the prospective member. The club maintains documents on Google Docs for this process, and the first is a very short form, Propose a New Member. You should give Shelby a brief biographical sketch on the proposed member, and Shelby will then submit the proposal to the Board of Directors for its approval.

Then, a 7-day notice is given to all club members for an opportunity to submit objections to the proposed member. (Again, a practice rooted in tradition.) Objections are rare and may be based on non-discriminatory grounds, such as ethical concerns. If no objections are lodged, the Membership Chair obtains personal contact information (another Google Doc) from the prospective member and the formal induction is scheduled. A dues invoice will soon follow!

Once inducted, the new member receives a temporary red badge until he or she has completed the Blue Badge requirements. Shortly, a new member orientation will be scheduled, and another Rotarian will be off and running! As easy as A-B-C...

Next month: We’ll take a break for the holidays and reconnect at the end of January. Happy Holidays!!

To make corrections or suggest stories for the newsletter, contact Jerry (jvrotary6040@yahoo.com) or Cassy Venters (cdventers@me.com).