Rotary Club Strategic Planning

Posted by John Hamilton

on May 29, 2015

Although the Rotary Club year starts July 1 an organization of this type needs vision and a plan to succeed and they need to be in place before the start of the new Rotary year. What projects will be supported? How can membership be best served to enable it to do the work necessary? How can we earn more to do more? What is our vision for the future?

In order to address questions like these Rotary President Barry Moore and President-Elect Russell Clark convened a meeting on a recent Saturday. They invited the Board members and new members from next year’s Board. Also invited were a team of strategic planning experts from our Rotary District office. They studied strengths and weaknesses, assets and the future and came up with some good plans.

They also came up with some questions they wanted the membership to study and this was what we did in Thursday’s meeting. First was the recognition that to take on more work new members would be needed. We have been enrolling a number of younger people and women but if we are to grow for the long term perhaps there needs to be more concentration on these groups. Perhaps a satellite club meeting at a different time would help.

Second was a question about fundraisers. Without funds we cannot do the things you have seen the Rotary Club doing. Our present fundraisers, the Cow Creek Country Classic Bike Ride and the American Flag Subscription Program, might be supplemented by a third program. What should that be and how would it mesh with the others?

The Vision Committee also wondered if a local foundation should be set up for future funding. This would possibly encourage more member involvement since their donated funds would be kept locally.

All in all it looks like another good year with plenty of opportunities to place Service Above Self.

As indicators about how positively things are progressing, Rev. Matt Curry, pastor of Central Presbyterian Church, and Chris York, president of Baylor Scott & White hospital, were inducted as the newest Rotarians. Also, members Mike Tull and Dan Henry were named Paul Harris Fellows again in recognition of their contributions to Rotary International’s Paul Harris Foundation.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Waxahachie where we believe in Service Above Self and doing things as a club we cannot do alone, visit the club web site at www.waxahachierotary.org . You can find American flag subscription applications on the web site. Bike ride forms will be on the web site soon. Your support through these events enables us to do the works we do. Thank you.