On July 20, newly inducted Club President Shaunna Hunter spoke to the lunch and happy hour clubs about her goals for the year. She organized her thoughts for the year into four categories.
The first was By-Laws Revision. It has been a number of years since the Farmville club revised its Constitution and By-Laws, and it is good practice to make sure they accurately reflect club practices and are compliant with district and Rotary International rules. Shaunna has asked Kerby Moore to chair a committee to review and update both documents. In addition to Kerby and Shaunna, long-standing club member Dan Dwyer, new member George Buckman, President Elect Doug Stanley, and President Nominee Anne Tyler Paulek will be part of the committee.
The second topic was what Shaunna is calling “Keep doing what we are doing, just more of it!” This includes monthly service projects, quarterly socials, and our current fundraisers and events, but adding to them. She also plans to add community outreach events, including a return to the annual Heart of Virginia Festival in September.
The third topic was being intentional about communication and member engagement. A new style of weekly newsletter has been implemented (thank you Sue Carter!) with an upcoming speaker and event calendar, member birthdays, and weekly Rotary facts and trivia so all members can learn more about Rotary’s symbols, traditions and history. Our new Membership Chair Patti Wagner has a number of ideas to introduce new members to the club. She also plans to launch a member survey and implement fun “get to know a member” activities. She will soon meet with the Membership Committee to share her thoughts and get their input.
Shaunna’s fourth and final topic was about being open to change. She encouraged members to reach out and share their ideas, and assured them she is open to trying new things like the upcoming joint meeting on August 10. In the spirit of being open to new ideas, her remarks ended with a question and answer period, where several members asked good questions and made helpful suggestions.
Here’s to a great 2023–2024 Rotary Year, and may we all help “Create Hope in the World.”