President Phil Seipp opened the meeting of the Rotary Club of Miami. Dave Anderson gave an invocation and Scott Richey led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
Guests and Visitors were introduced by Noreen Timoney:
Nick de Rochefort is Manager of Evolution Legal Technology and also a member of the Miami Yacht Club – we’re glad he stopped by to join us for lunch!
Announcements:
A productive and well attended Board Retreat was held at the home of Diane Landsberg last Saturday;
May 31 is a Thursday night social at the Yacht Club featuring the Brand Ambassador of Glenmorangie Scotch. It’s a great opportunity to introduce new members to our Club;
Thursday, June 14 will be Dave Skinner’s installation dinner at the PBA hall. Invitations will be out shortly. President Phil is really looking forward to this event!!!!
The fully executed Wells Fargo Resignation Agreement has been sent on to the Florida Attorney General. We will be celebrating the Thomas Brown McClelland Trust’s move to Northern Trust Bank in about 30 days. It’s been a long time coming, but we are now close to the completion of this challenging switch of Trustee banks;
Robin Shelley distributed ballots for members to cast a vote for a nominee to represent our Zone on the Rotary International Nominating Committee. After tallying the ballots – John Smarge was named the Club’s recommendation for the position;
Dave Skinner will be sending out a list of openings for committees for 2018/19 – everyone should review the options, select a spot that excites them and sign up.
Happy $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ were collected by Arlene Terrinoni for our EREY commitment:
Diane Landsberg was working on the planning of the September 22 Peace Conference with Norby Rudel. The plans are going extremely well;
Linda Singer was happy to wish hubby Dave Skinner a Happy Birthday. A yummy cake was also a nice surprise;
Arlene Terrinoni was glad to have Nick here as a guest;
Susan Shelley was happy that her granddaughter was graduating from Palmer Trinity and was soon to become the 4th generation of UM Hurricanes in the family. Go Canes!!!
Phil Seipp needed to complete his EREY so he chunked in $20 because the year is almost over.
Dues and Meal Updates:
Dues have been kept the same for 2018/19. Rotary International dues have gone up slightly, but the club will absorb this added amount;
The members who qualify for the Rule of 85 have been so designated. This designation will help in calculating club attendance;
Meals will now be paid on one of 3-single payment meal plans. This should be a simpler process for all. Guest meals will now be $25;
Checks are still the preferred method of payment, but credit cards will now be accepted with no added charges;
Please complete the new Membership Renewal forms so accurate invoices can be sent. Also complete the Member Information sheets so we can update & sync our 3 databases. Date-of-Birth information is important for statistical purposes and will be kept confidential.
Today’s Program – Membership Chair Dave Anderson
Membership has three parts: pasts/present/future. When one becomes a member of a Rotary Club, that makes you a member of many more facets of Rotary. As a Rotarian you are a member of the Club, the Club is one club in a District, the District is one area of a Zone, and the Zone is just one region of Rotary International;
There are 1,202,936 members of Rotary International in 35,656 Clubs averaging a size of 34 members;
The biggest issue of any organization, and especially for Rotary, is member retention. New ideas are being tried to keep clubs fresh and members interested. Some include varying meeting times, embracing and encouraging flexibility, on-line resources and training, more social and networking opportunities, more community service and whatever else is of interest to current members;
How do we find new members? A Rotary Club is actually a business and needs to focus on its growth and development. Rotary has a goal, mission and financial obligations that need to be met. Membership is an opportunity….an opportunity to get engaged!
Just a few of the reasons people would want to join Rotary are: business development, personal growth, leadership development, community citizenship, continuing education, public speaking, more fun – and the list goes on….. Our club has a long rich history, and this history should be included as an important part of member prospecting and mentorship;
What is the Club good at? Members responded that we party well, create a welcoming atmosphere, foster fellowship and community service;
How do we capitalize on our product? We spread the word to the world – tell neighbors, invite others to meeting and share the Rotary experience we all enjoy so much;
What are our Club’s weaknesses? Not too many were found. Many who visit other clubs find we are doing a terrific job at lunches and in our other events and projects. We should continue our efforts to participate and become a leader in District 6990. One disadvantage for the club is the fact that we are not in a small community – downtown Miami is rather large and members come from all over. It’s hard to make a mark with a signature event. Phil Seipp mentioned that we should become more involved in the grant application process. Amelia Bonilla suggested the Club should be on LinkedIn;
What would we like to be known for? Our TBM Trust scholarship. We are the most welcoming club in the District. We should be a true representation of the 4-Way Test and 100% EREY. The Peace Conference should be a major contribution to our community;
The Rotary Club of Miami and Rotary in general should be “People of Action”;
The rain kept a few members away, but those attending enjoyed the presentation.
50/50
Arlene Terrinoni’s ticket was the first drawn, but unfortunately she did not draw the correct card from the deck for the big bucks. Today’s $1,328 will roll over to next week with now only 19 cards left.
Maria Socarras led everyone in the 4-Way Test of the Things We Think, Say or Do.
