Newsletter - Archive  Jun 17, 2010

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Editarian: Jerry Allen                                                                        

Club Photographer : Brad Mikel 

Next Week

June 23, 2010

Smart People, Stupid E-mails

Margaret McDonald

Do a smarter job with e-mail

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This Week

June 16, 2010

Club Visioning

Jim Boyd, a retired attorney and Parker Rotarian, gave a preview of "visioning".  The history of Rotary is at the beginning of a president's new year, there is a fresh start with a new set of goals and objectives.  There is not necessarily any continuity.  Visioning is a planning process that takes a longer view of what the members want to see their club become and establishes means to get there.  In addition, it establishes metrics as mile-stones to measure progress.

This is particularly important in growth of membership.  The health of the club can be measured in growth or decline of membership.  Historically, a Rotary club loses 10% of its members every year due to members moving, dying or economic hardship.  Planning needs to accomodate this.

The visioning process is facilitated by Rotarians that have been trained as facilitators.  A core group of members, not more than 28,  that represent diversity in the club attend an evening session of 4 hours to go through the planning steps.  The result is an action plan with appropriate metrics that can be brought back to the club, generally in a club assembly.

The process has to be inclusive:

• It strives to be consistant.
• It needs to have consensus of the members
• It plans for continuity.

The whole visioning process is at the volition of the club.  There is no mandate from RI or district that this be done.  It is there to help clubs set their goals and attain them.

So far, 20 clubs in 5450 have completed the process and have reported good results. 

A list is being compiled of clubs waiting to have facilitators assigned to them at a time that works for the club.

Our board is looking forward to the process and would appreciate hearing back from members.

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Jim emphasized that it is important to listen to club members and determine their priorties and how strongly they feel about them.

Col. Allen Kirkman Jr. spoke about the progress being made to build a Fisher House at Anshutz medical campus.  There is currently a house with 9 two-bedroom suites that are constantly filled with families of veterans that are undergoing longterm treatment.  The overflow is put up in local hotels at $35 a night, some for as long as 6 months.

The goal is to raise $4 million dollars to build a 21 suite home next to the planned VA hospital.  The group that Allen chairs has had its priority moved from 30th to 6 from the top of areas receiving help.

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Skip Schlenk distributed a sign up sheet for the Toga Party on July 15 at the Franciscan Center.  A lot of members have already signed up.  Skip emphasized that to have a meal you've had to RSVP.

Tom Pirog gave an update on the Golf Tournament to be held on August 2.  He is still looking for foursomes, hole sponsors and major sponsors.

Notes

President Susan is on the road to Montreal for the RI convention June 20-23.  They stayed the first night in Newton Iowa.

Chief Dan Oates and the Aurora Police Department received the 2009 LoJack Recovery of the Year Award for recovering 4 stolen vehicles from a used car lot.

The City of Aurora is set to receive $5 million in funds from Arapahoe County's Open Space Program.  The money comes from a voter approved sales tax passed in 2004.  Jerry Allen and Jim Rogers serve on the Aurora Open Space Advisory Board.