
I like to start by thanking you all for your trust and support as I begin my journey as your Tunkhannock Rotary President.
I was honored to be invited to join Rotary in 2018 at the invitation of Club Secretary, Carol Ziomek. It’s been a busy 2 years learning about Rotary and getting involved in our Club’s projects.
I’m sure it comes as no surprise to you that I’ve approached Rotary and most everything I do, with the question Why?
Why do we do it this way? Why can’t we? Why should we? Why don’t we? Lot’s of Whys!
Like many of you I believe that we have to understand the Why before we can take action. And time and time again, Tunkhannock Rotarians show they are People of Action!
When Rotary International President-elect 2020-2021, Holger Knaack announced his theme Rotary Opens Opportunities he was quoted as saying “We will capture this moment to grow Rotary, making it stronger, more adaptable, and even more aligned with our core values.”
What are those core values? FELLOWSHIP - INTEGRITY - DIVERSITY - SERVICE - LEADERSHIP
For me, those are the “Why” we do what we do.
Rotary International has set forth a 5-year Strategic Plan to address the How. The plan has 4 areas of focus:
- Increase our impact;
- Expand our reach;
- Enhance participant engagement; and,
- Increase our ability to adapt.
Those are all things we are already doing as a club. They are things we can build on.
As we begin the 2020-2021 my goal is for our Club to establish its own Strategic Plan to define and measure how we address those areas and to create continuity for the future leaders of the club.
Finally, I’ll end with a statement from the Rotary International website…
The world today is not the same as it was when Rotary was founded in 1905. Demographics have shifted, the pace of change has accelerated, and technology has created new opportunities for connection and service. What hasn’t changed is a need for the values that define Rotary: By honoring our past and embracing our future, we can evolve and keep Rotary not only relevant, but thriving.