What value does being a part Rotary After Hours bring to you? 
You are our most valuable asset. Each one of you is here for your own reasons. You need to feel that your time and commitment to Rotary and our club is worthwhile. One of my goals this year is to gain a better understanding of why you are a part of the club, what we can do to meet your expectations and keep your ENGAGEMENT high so that you remain a lifelong Rotarian. If you are not a part of a committee, consider joining the one that best aligns with your interests. It's the quickest way to get involved and make an IMPACT. We have several exciting initiatives brewing to help keep you enjoying your membership and active in our activities (many of which were identified in March’s strategic planning session.) We know that when you are energized and engaged, you will invite others to join our efforts.
 
Bringing in new members is important and vital to sustaining our club. New members bring important benefits to the club, including diversity, fresh ideas, and new energy. And, new members allow us to have more hands on board to increase our IMPACT in our community and in the world. Who isn’t in favor of that?
 
August is Membership month in the Rotary world and you might be asking “What can we do to bring in more members?” We look to Morgan and Jennifer, our membership chairs to answer that, right? Maybe. We look to our membership committee? Possibly. But, this begs the question: “Who is on our membership committee?” Answer: “We all are.” Each and every one of us is an ambassador to our club and organization; sharing our story and recruiting new individuals to join in our efforts and experience the power of Rotary, is a responsibility of all members. I encourage you to REACH out to friends, family, business associates, and other community members by asking them to join an upcoming RAH event, whether it’s a meeting, service or social event. It’s easy to invite others as we ADAPT to our changing environment with our virtual option to join meetings.
 
In reflection, July was a month full of opportunity for us. We cautiously were able to partake in small group in-person service activities (Hixon & Dairy Giveaway) and had our first outdoor social (social-distance style) at the Logger’s game. Burt & BEEyonce did a BEEZ TV episode Live from the Beehives where we learned more about the new Rotary Area of Focus: The Environment and the fascinating life of honeybees. We have a joint project in the works with the Valley View Rotary Club, raising funds and providing backpacks for over 300 students in need, including 50 for The Good Fight kids. We got word that our District Grant for The Good Fight bus was approved and now have an additional $5,000 to support the project. We celebrated Amy Schmidt as our July Rotarian of the Month and we’ve welcomed two new members with a handful more interested in learning more about us!
 
Rotary offers endless opportunities. Give others the gift of Rotary and the opportunities it opens by inviting them to join us!
 
With gratitude,
Marissa Dickinson