A Message from
RCM President Joseph Caruso
Preparing to become the 98th president of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee has been quite a journey, but one that many of you have been along on in some way. Your support and willingness to help makes the task of serving as president a lot less daunting.
Now as I begin the next phase of this journey, the preparation is done and the “doing” starts. But just like the preparation, the “doing “won’t happen without your help. In order for us work together as effectively as possible, I would like to share the following five principles that I will be asking you to be part of this year:
Principle One: Let’s get the club back to 400 members by June, 2011.
Each of us needs to find someone who can make a good Rotarian and ask that person to join our club. As you do business or socialize outside of Rotary, look around and think about whom that might be. As you meet in your committees, take time and identify people who share your interest and would make a good member. Keeping members will be important as well, and there are programs in the works to do that such as the annual member satisfaction survey and an orientation update session for select members.
Principle Two: Let’s help people as directly as possible.
Our committees are presented with many opportunities to help the club, the community and the world beyond. This year, I’m asking that one of the criteria for judging a program or project will be how directly it will help people. Drilling a well, supporting a medical mission, mentoring students, and serving meals are all examples of helping people directly and maximizing our club’s impact in the community or internationally.
Principle Three: Let’s tell our story…and do it often.
Almost every week there’s news to tell about the work of the club or Rotary International. It’s great to hear that a number of Rotarians gathered for a project, but it gets even better if we know who has been helped and how. So if you’re involved in a project that has resulted in people being helped, tell me about it so I can retell that story from the podium. Occasionally, let’s have a guest take two minutes to tell our members how an RCM project helped them too.
Principle Four: Let’s do some planning.
This fall you’ll be asked to participate in club-wide planning around a number of issues and projects that reflect our long term commitments. In the same vein, if your committee hasn’t already done so, please take some time to plan your work for the next year. Look at the purpose and projects of your committee and take time to evaluate your direction and the effectiveness of your efforts. Set your sights on new or continuing projects that pass the “help people directly” test. But most important is to look at the resources available to you and be sure that they are being put to their best use.
Principle Five: Just say “Yes” to being more involved.
Our success as a club results from a sense of making RCM an instrument for doing good, to inform and to create opportunities for friendship and fellowship. The more members that are involved, the more of those purposes are fulfilled. Try mentoring a student or Rotaractor, volunteer for a RIF distribution, ring the bell for the Salvation Army, go to our monthly social or Done-In-A-Day event, take your friends and family to Live @ The Lakefront, or come to lunch every week and bring a guest as often as possible. You get the idea!
Keeping these principles in mind could lead to a very successful year for RCM. But success this year will not come from what I do, but from what we all do and do together. That’s what Rotary and our club is all about. Rotary is you, it’s me, it’s we.
Joseph Caruso
President
2010-2011