As I wind down my year as President, I’ve thought a lot about the wide array of talent in Akron Rotary. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, with different skillsets and priorities. Our Club is fortunate enough to have a healthy blend of leadership styles including the most critical: artistic, scientific and interpersonal. All are equally important and critical to success.
Artistic leaders help us see new approaches. They’re creative and driven by change. They are not limited. Scientific leaders guide and inspire through knowledge. Research, writing, data and logic drive them. They develop the structure and framework that helps others solve problems. Interpersonal leaders inspire by building relationships, teams and organizations. They lead other people. Add skillset, personality, education, background, family influences and Akron Rotary is unstoppable!
The officers, directors and committee chairs of Akron Rotary have many great qualities. The list below recognizes each one along with the quality I’ve come to appreciate very much in each:
Bill Manby, Sr. – steady
Chaz Billington - fearless
Cheryl Warren - devoted
Dan Reynolds - committed
Dave Smith – playful
David Hall – dedicated
George Rooney - reasonable
Ginny Wojno-Forney - warm
Jack Harig – wise
Jeff Sitz – optimistic
Jen Halcomb – open-minded
John Margida – versatile
Julie Brandle – energetic
Laura Fink - calm
Karen Meek - ambitious
Mark Seward - caring
Sarah Buccigross – supportive
Shon Christy – limitless
Steve Shechter - advisor
Susan Colville-Hall – international
Terry Dalton – trustworthy
I’ll elaborate more on June 28th when I give a brief “out”stallation presentation!
As promised, below are more ideas generated at the April 12th Table Talk session.
Fundraising – Blake Babcock, Leader
Strengths: Leadership: Mella Castner; Simple: The Four Way Test is an easy message to communicate to potential donors and members; Concrete: Rotary Camp is a physical asset to show people; Radical: There’s no other event like the Chili Open!
Priorities: Develop Planned Giving; Maximize Chili Open Sponsorships; Clarify the Foundation’s Role; Hold more events at Camp to build awareness; Engage college and high school students.
Potpourri – Bob Pacanovsky, Leader
Narrow the focus on club’s service projects
Be more than a “wallet” and be willing to say No from time to time
Have a conversation with the Akron Public Schools about helping them out in other ways? Possibly provide leaders and mentors for students?
Follow up with student scholarship recipients to provide any mentoring
Investigate awarding scholarships to local students study abroad.
Get more members engaged with Rotary Camp; give more Camp updates at lunch; remind Rotarians about Thursday and Sunday Camp visits
Programs – Amanda Barna, Leader
Hold joint meetings with other groups, i.e. Kiwanis, Kent Rotary during Akron/Kent football game. Have coaches or mayors speak. Meeting location could alternate same as home game.
More field trips, especially Rotary Camp.
Bring back favorite past speakers: Terry Bowden- UA football coach, ABJ reporter who talked about Akron demographics (Price?)
Speaker Ideas:
Akron Children’s Hospital; the DWTS event was mentioned
Akron General CEO
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan
Akron Public Schools - David James
Akron Snow Angels- Erin Victor
Akron Symphony Conductor/Detroit Conductor
Akron Police Chief James Nice
Bit Factory
Directors from ADM Board, DD Board, Children Services
Haven of Rest
Kyle Kutuchief
Leadership Akron - Mark Scheffler
LeBron James Family Foundation
New Goodyear CEO
Polar Bear Club
Summa CEO
Summit County Health Department
United Way- Jim Mullen
University of Akron
WAKR to give an update on what is happening in Akron, in Ohio and the region
Spotlight a Rotarian at each meeting allowing 3-5 minute presentations.
If it’s important to our community, Rotary should be engaged, i.e. heroin epidemic
Rotary International Foundation – Cathryn O’Malley, Leader
Educate Akron Rotarians about Rotary International (Quarterly)
What projects are there?
What’s our role in deciding on international projects?
Introduce new members to Paul Harris Fellowships – explain financial commitment and lottery.
Create new ways to give
Grow the International Committee
Where do Paul Harris Funds go?
Broaden fundraising beyond the Camp and Chili Open
Define local/district/international role in service projects and RI
Raise Akron Rotary’s service project awareness – focus on Internal speakers throughout the year.
Some of these terrific ideas are already becoming a reality! Moving forward, President-Elect Jeff Sitz will transition into 2016-17 and even more will take shape. Regardless of who’s leading Akron Rotary, the goal remains—create an amazing and personal fulfilling experience for Akron Rotarians!
The Board of Directors of the Akron Rotary Club met on June 147th. Below is a summary the action approved:
Effective July 1st, a $5 non-eating fee will be charged of Rotarians who attending weekly luncheons. Rationale: there are costs associated with Rotary activities and luncheons beyond the food price such as room setup, beverages, room fees, etc. Also, Portage Country Club is extremely flexible with our unpredictable attendance and meeting needs. That along with free, convenient parking was motivation to continue meeting there.
Effective July 1st, an IT Sponsorship of $50 per week will be available. Sponsors get name and logo (or name if no logo submitted) on screen as part of the loop of announcements. Rationale: we’re charged for the projector and screen whether we use it or not, we’ll put it to use promoting Rotary activities and offer the sponsorship to offset the cost.
To move forward with the Akron Public Schools Partnership to help purchase instructional reading kits and to provide Rotarians to present the materials, provide on-going help reading, and share the Rotary ideals. This project will replace the Dictionary Project. Rationale: APS identified a greater need and better impact for the reading kits. Funding is already in place.
President-elect Jeff Sitz is busy meeting with his leadership team preparing to lead the Club. Jeff will be installed and share his vision at the Rotary Club meeting scheduled for July 12th.
NOTE: Akron Rotary will NOT meet on July 5th as Portage Country Club is closed to observe Independence Day.
Club & Member Awards Picnic - June 25, 2016, Noon - 3:30PM
All Rotarian's and your families are invited to have fun and celebrate as we present our 2015-16 Rotary Club and Individual Awards on June 25th. Co-chairs Pam Kiltau and Shon Christy will begin the festivities at Noon at The Akron Rotary Camp. We kick off with a picnic lunch of hamburgers & hot dogs followed by the award ceremony. The camp has a playground and weather permitting, pontoon boat rides will also be available.
Please join us for a Thursday night cookout during Summer Camp. It’s a great way to meet the counselors and campers and to experience our camp program first hand.
Dinner will be served at 6pm in the Pavilion. Friends and Family are welcome too!
Dates are as follows - simply click on the date you want to attend and sign up online!! If you wish to attend multiple weeks please register for each date accordingly. RSVPs are needed please.
The purpose of Rotary Cares is to show our support for Akron Rotary members and their families when dealing with the loss of a loved one, the hardship of illness and also to celebrate the joy of a new baby, job, marriage or other event in their lives.
Congratulations to Julie Brandle who has joined the 2017 Go Red for Women Executive Leadership Team of the American Heart Association serving Summit and Portage Counties.
Congratulations to Rick and Marcie Rockich on the birth of their daughter Stella born on July 13th. Welcome baby Stella!
Dick Farkas was selected to serve as District Governor for District 6630 for our 2016-2017 Rotary year. When Dick passed away suddenly last July, many of us, including his wife and fellow Akron Rotarian, Lynda, continued to work diligently to ensure that his dream is realized for the Rotary Foundation Centennial Celebration. Two great events will take place October 23, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dick understood that our District (Rotary International District 6630), as the Home of Arch C. Klumph, Father of The Rotary Foundation, has a special responsibility and privilege to honor Arch Klumph’s memory and his vision while celebrating The Foundation’s accomplishments over the past 100 years. Dick was excited and committed to doing something very special because Dick was also a passionate Rotarian with a vision.
Once of Arch's many achievements included bringing professional music to Cleveland. Because of the relationship between Arch C. Klumph and the Cleveland Orchestra and because the Cleveland Orchestra entertained the attendees at both Rotary International Conventions held in Cleveland in 1925 and 1939 where Arch was involved in coordinating the Orchestra’s performance
We are hosting are TWO separate events on October 23, 2016:
A private afternoon Concert at Severance Hall featuring the Cleveland Orchestra.
A dinner recognizing those who have made new donations and commitments to The Rotary Foundation in honor of the Foundation’s 100th Anniversary. Featured speakers will include Rotary International President-Elect John Germ and The Rotary Foundation Chair-Elect Kalyan Banerjee. You will have the opportunity to create your own legacy with a 100th Anniversary contribution to the Rotary Foundation and become a Foundation Centennial Celebration donor or a member of the Foundation Centennial Celebration class of the Arch Klumph Society. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you don’t want to miss.
The CD and full-length print version of the Official Directory will no longer be available starting for the 2016-17 Rotary year. A full-length PDF version will be made available and is only accessible with a My Rotary account.
The front portion of the directory will be printed in a smaller, spiral bound edition. This version may be purchased for US$10 by contacting our Rotary staff or calling 847-866-4600.
Whenever I arrive in a new country, one of the first places I go is a bookstore. I do this for several reasons. Having spent much of my life and income in them, I always find them to be comforting spaces. And they often stock more specific maps and guides than you can get outside the country.
But the real reason I love these places is that by scanning the titles for sale – just gazing down the spines – I can get a glimpse of how people in that country see themselves. What stories do they tell? What stories do they read? What books do they print? And what do they import from abroad? And though...
Rotary members, their families and friends can support Rotary’s work by bidding on antiques, artwork, jewelry, and collectibles through eBay Live Auctions events.
Each month, Rotary will promote on its social media outlets a set of upcoming Live Auctions events, and eBay, the world’s largest auction website, will donate a portion of all sale proceeds from those events to Rotary.
Live Auctions events enable buyers to participate in auctions across the United States -- held at such auction houses as Sotheby’s, Swann, and Freeman’s -- without leaving home. Under this proceeds-sharing...
Forms in additional languages are now available to help you record individual donations to The Rotary Foundation or single donations that combine gifts from several club members. You can get blank or personalized versions of the forms in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish by signing in to My Rotary and visiting the Manage My Club section of the Club and District Administration page. You can also contribute at www.rotary.org/give.
In his address to convention attendees on Tuesday, 31 May, Trustee Chair Ray Klinginsmith proclaimed that The Rotary Foundation has never been stronger than it is today.
Bolstered by generous contributions from members and robust programs like PolioPlus and the Rotary Peace Centers, the Foundation's good work is drawing public notice, Klinginsmith said: CNBC, a leading consumer and business news outlet in the U.S., ranked Rotary No. 5 among the top 10 charities changing the world in 2015.
"Isn't it clear that our Foundation is truly better than ever before?" said Klinginsmith, who reported...
Since 1914, The Akrotarian has been the
official publication of The Rotary Club of Akron, Ohio.
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