“Rethinking Rotary”

The Eugene Southtowne Rotary Service Network is a fledgling satellite club with the Rotary” vision and a new approach. Scheduled to charter next month, we are a network of professionals who want to serve.

Most of the new members have not been involved in Rotary for various reasons. Many didn’t know what Rotary is and does. Others can’t fit the weekly lunch meetings into their busy schedules. A few who visited a Rotary club didn’t relate to some of the rituals in the meeting.

So we stay true to the Rotary Vision, “Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.” The meetings, though, don’t follow long-standing Rotary traditions. We don’t have a meal. We only meet twice a month. We don’t ring a bell. We don’t pray or pledge.

Instead, we introduce ourselves (personally and professionally) using a different focus at each meeting. We talk about what Rotary is (5-7 minutes,) we provide leadership development (5-7 minutes,) and we each report on our role in the club and how other members can help. Everyone is contributing. The balance of the time, we talk about current and potential service projects and decide as a group how to proceed.

We are a tight group. We are friends, in addition to being volunteers and business associates. We are evolving now and plan to as we grow to meet the changing needs of our members. We are “Rethinking Rotary.”