How we more than doubled our membership in a year

Rotary Voices

The Rotary Club of Hundred Islands forms the Rotary wheel with club members and guests.

By Fely R De Leon, past president Rotary Club of Hundred Islands, Pangasinan, Philippines

When I became president of my club, I shared a dream with some of the officers that the club could have a hundred members. But how? We had only 31 as of 1 July, 2016.

I faced challenges on two fronts. I had to make every meeting lively and enjoyable. And I had to make ours the club of choice for those who were looking for a worthy organization to join.

View original post 335 more words

Unforgettable memories made in Atlanta

Rotary Voices

Hairyung Sung (front row, second from left) with alumni from the Rotary Peace Center at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.

By Hairyung Sung, Rotary Peace Fellow 2013-15 at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

This June, I attended the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, as a Peace Fellow alumnus, and was also able to take part in both the Peace Assembly and the Presidential Peace Conference. On 8 June, some 90 current and former Peace Fellows from around the world came together for an open discussion entitled “Stories Sustain Peace,” and reflected on the day’s experiences. All of us were in absolute agreement that resolving conflict and promoting peace were long-term endeavors, and we encouraged each other to take whatever action we could.

View original post 390 more words

Rotary Scholar in the path of the eclipse

Rotary Voices

Former Rotary Scholar Mikah Meyer, right, views the solar eclipse with friends.

By Mikah Meyer, former Rotary Scholar

Have you ever seen a 360-degree sunset? If you’re like me and spend a lot of time outdoors, you know that doesn’t make sense. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, creating a blinding view as you drive east in the morning and a radiant sunset full of colors in the west in the evening. But a 360-degree sunset? Sounds like science fiction. But it’s not.

View original post 283 more words

Growing membership through service

Source: Growing membership through service

Growing membership through service

Service in Action

By Julie Aubry, Regional Membership Officer at Rotary International

What is Rotary?

“I have no idea.”

“That’s a type of phone, right?”

“Oh, I’ve heard of Rotary. I don’t know what they do though.”

The statements above aren’t uncommon when we ask non-members if they know what Rotary is. We know there’s a lack of awareness in our communities; some parts of the world have been seeing a decline in membership. How can we expect clubs to grow if people don’t know who we are?

I’ve been volunteering since I was a child. I thank my parents and local church for fostering my commitment to service. And yet, having an interest in service from a young age, I never knowingly encountered Rotary throughout middle school, high school, university, and all the way into my late twenties. How did I make it that far without knowing anything about Rotary? While we…

View original post 424 more words

Service activities and resources: Taking your service project to the next level

Source: Service activities and resources: Taking your service project to the next level

Service activities and resources: Taking your service project to the next level

Service in Action

By Rotary Service and Engagement staff

This post is part of the ‘Making the Most of Your Membership’ series celebrating Rotary Membership and Club Development Month throughout August.

Rotary is founded on the ideal Service Above Self. It’s rooted within our guiding principles and at the core of club activity. Every day, you take on service projects and initiatives to address local community needs. Although members come from diverse backgrounds representing a cross-section of professionals and business leaders, you work together to advance international understanding, goodwill, and peace through service.

To plan effective projects, it’s important to understand community needs and leverage project resources. Take advantage of the Rotary assets below to help strengthen your initiatives:

• Collaborate with subject matter experts from a Rotarian Action Group (RAG)or lend expertise to empower Rotary members to make their service projects more impactful. RAG members help clubs and districts plan…

View original post 269 more words

Trees that spread peace

Rotary Voices

By Hiroko Seki, Rotary Club of Tokyo Yoneyama Yuai

The Ginkgo tree sapling at the Carter Center.

On 12 June, during the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, we planted a Ginkgo nursery tree at The Carter Center, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The tree is a descendant of one that survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.

When I saw this young tree for the first time, I was blown away by its vigor and beauty. The sapling was cultivated from its mother tree by Green Legacy Hiroshima Initiative led by UNITAR Hiroshima, and cared for by Steaven

View original post 330 more words

Enjoying the benefits of dual membership in Rotary, Rotaract

Rotary Voices

Petar Pešić addresses a recent meeting.

By Petar Pešić, a member of the Rotary Club of Nis, Serbia

Driven by a desire to help my local community, I discovered Rotaract when I was attending the Faculty of Law at the University of Niš, Serbia. In the Rotaract Club of Nis, I met a number of young people who, like me, shared an interest in improving our community. It made our actions easier that we all shared the same goal, and we took part in many projects that made us visible in the community.

View original post 438 more words

Connection activities: How to make new friends all over the world

Source: Connection activities: How to make new friends all over the world