Just Last Week: July 16

 
The first real meeting for our new president was today. He was intent upon showing a video to start the meeting, but was unable to do so due to technical difficulties; maybe next time??? The first real meeting went off without much trouble. This meeting was a Club Assembly to discuss the plan for the club, or as RI calls it ReFire. Barry led the discussion from a prepared document. He outline 5 basic goals for the Club and a series of objectives under each goal. There was a good discussion and changes have been made to the plan. The ReFire Plan is contained below for consideration by all club members. Please send all of your comments and questions to Barry. He will try and answer all of your questions and make adjustments to the Plan and then schedule it for adoption by the Board at it's August 12 Board Meeting.
 

ReFire for 2015-16

It's critical to have goals so that you know what you want, where you want to go, and have a purpose for existing. To that end we need to focus on what our Club wants to do this year and set a plan for the next three to five years. The intent is to have each incoming president review the Plan and suggest modifications to fit his/her vision for his/her term, but overall ReFire is a broad plan for the future of our Club. The plan involves a series of goals, with objectives to carry out or meet the goals. Goals should be clear, focused and measurable. Once ReFire is adopted we will have our "Playbook" for 2015-16 and beyond.
Goal 1
Increase club membership to at least 35 members
Objectives
  1. Establish a Membership Committee consisting of three club members.
  2. Establish a membership packet, which includes a membership application, list of reasons to become a Rotarian, significant accomplishments of the Rotary Club of South Sacramento, our services projects, and our participation in district projects and international projects.
  3. Have each club members invite at least one person to lunch who might be a potential member.
  4. Have the membership Committee create a plan for membership expansion that sets target areas along Broadway in Land Park, Curtis Park and Oak Park, sets targeted enteities such as Dentists, Attorneys, Insurance Agents, Travel Agents, Golden 1, Bank of America, New Helvetia Brewery, Oak Park Brewery, Stockton Cooperative, Florin Road Partnership, Broadway Partnership, DMV, U-Haul, the Guild Theater, and the lik.
  5. Consider renaming the club to something that is more representative to the membership and easier for "branding" such as Rotary Club of Sacramento River City, or Rotary Club of River City, or Rotary Club of Sacramento Capital City.
  6. Seek out potential members to populate a "Satellite" Club, which would have reduced fees and meeting requirements, meeting only once or twice a month for an hour at Happy Hour at Iron Grill.
Goal 2
Continue to have interesting weekly speakers and programs
Objectives
  1. Continue to have a Speaker Committee consisting of three club members.
  2. Each year create a list of potential sources for speakers and assign committee members to groups of those sources to secure speakers.
  3. Continue to have a speaker's thank you gift, such as signing a library book for donation, or donating a fixed amount to Polio Plus in the speaker's name, or donating a fixed amount to the club's foundation.
  4. Utilize the Speakers Bureau as one source for weekly speakers.
  5. Utilize District 5180 club presidents to suggest speakers, which they have found particularly interesting to come and speak at our club.
  6. Utilize Sacramento County; City of Sacramento and their various departments as a source for speakers, such as people in charge of planning, building, code enforcement, bomb squad, fire fighting, police investigations, council and supervisors.
  7. Utilize the State of California legislative offices and committees as a source for speakers.
  8. Utilize the Sacramento Board of Realtors as a source for speakers.
Goal 3
Seek out worthy Service Projects, which meet the goals of Rotary International
Objectives
  1. Continue to support and participate in the annual "Paint the Town" projects, which help to improve underprivileged neighborhoods.
  2. Continue to support and participate in the annual "Florin Road Clean-Up" with the JROTC at Luther Burbank High School.
  3. Continue to participate in the "Third Grade Dictionary" program for the local schools within our area.
  4. Provide support for the local food bank through volunteer efforts by club members.
  5. Provide support for the Salvation Army in collections at Christmas time.
  6. Seek out international projects in which club members can actively participate.
  7. Continue to participate in "The Rotary House" program to provide housing for families whose children are under care for cancer at UC Davis Hospital.
  8. Look into existing and potential programs that support literacy.
Goal 4
Help and assist children, students and underprivileged students, children and their families
Objectives
  1. Seek out local programs that help and assist underprivileged children and families as recipients for annual benevolent giving from the club.
  2. Provide volunteer assistance to the local agencies, when possible.
  3. When sufficient funding is available provide annual scholarship for Sacramento City College students.
  4. Continue to participate in the annual District Speech Contest working with other local clubs to ensure that each local club has a sufficient number of speakers.
  5. Continue with the "Student of the Month" award for Luther Burbank High School students.
  6. Continue to annual fund students for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) Camp.
  7. Continue to provide first books for kindergartners at local schools.
  8. Explore the possibility of forming an Interact Club at Luther Burbank High School.
  9. Set up a semi-annual re-assessment of the programs that the Club supports to coincide with the Benevolent Giving Committee selection of potential recipients for club funds. The purpose of the re-assessment of programs would be to assure that the programs continue to be valid and helpful to those served.
Goal 5
Ensure that the Club is on a firm fiscal foundation from year to year
Objectives
  1. Each year adopt a balanced budget between revenue and expenses.
  2. Continue to hold an annual Crab Feed as the major fundraiser.
  3. Continue to have a Fourth of July Fireworks booth as a fundraiser.
  4. When holding a club event, such as an annual holiday party or demotion party, make sure that the event costs are entirely covered by the per person fee charged to the attendees.
  5. Create a Benevolent Giving Committee consisting of the Foundation Chair, the Foundation President, the President, the Treasurer and a member at-large. The purpose of the Committee is to provide a list of potential recipients of the president to consider for annual giving.

The Prez Says...

Many thanks to everyone who has participated so far in the ReFire Plan for our club. As those of you who participated will see from the Plan copy included as part of this newsletter, some changes have been made as a result of your comments. To all other club members, please take the time to review the ReFire Plan and provide me with your comments by no later than August 1. It is my intent to take the ReFire Plan to the Board at the August meeting for its adoption.
 
I am please to have the pleasure of introducing two potential new members to the Club. The Board has approved the membership of Justin Hernandez and Erin Ravenscraft subject to the Club review process by the full membership. Most of you know or have met Justin and Erin at previous meetings or events. Justin is with the Boy Scouts of American and Erin is with F&M Bank. Both have shown their willingness to participate in club activities even though they are not yet members with Erin volunteering at the Fireworks Booth and Justin attending the President's Luau. Please let me know in writing if you have any objections to their membership within 7 days of receipt of this newsletter. Hearing no objections it is my intent to bring them both into the Club by no later than the first meeting in August.
 
July 25th is the Youth Services, Foundation and Literacy Summit. Hear how youth programs work, how friends, families and clubs can participate. Find out how the Rotary Foundation can elevate our youth programs. It will be at the Sacramento Association of Realtors, 2003 Howe Avenue, Mack Powell Building, West Room from 9am to noon. There will be an ice cream social afterwards.
 
We will be back at Iron Grill for the next meeting with the Tracy's scheduled to give a talk on their trip to Brazil for the RI Conference as well as their participation in an international project while they were there. It should be a very informative and interesting topic. Hope to see you all there.