Eau Claire Rotary - President Message - from 2011-12 President Sara Antonson

(Editor’s Note: After being inducted as our Club President at the Annual Recognition and Installation Celebration, Sara Antonson made the following remarks)

What does Rotary mean to you?

When I attended my first Rotary meeting almost 5 years ago, I thought Rotary was about networking. Oh sure, I knew that it was a service group, but I didn’t understand the depth of the organization. Over the years, I have enjoyed the fellowship, the learning opportunities within the community and much further abroad, but it wasn’t until last March when I attended the President Elect Training Conference that I fully began to understand what being a Rotarian really means.

So what does Rotary mean to me? Well, it is a time for me to network with other community professionals in a fun and informative way. But it is so much more than that for me. My entire life I have been taught to give back. To help others that have not been as fortunate as I have. Rotary gives me that opportunity. During the PETS conference, everywhere I turned I saw, I heard or I read about “Service Above Self” Those words are so meaningful to me. When I attended the PETS training, I was a little ashamed of myself for not taking advantage of the opportunities that Rotary provided. I wasn’t living those words “Service Above Self” in Rotary. I know there are many areas of my life that I have given back, but honestly, I attended Rotary and listened, and donated, but I didn’t truly understand the opportunities that Rotary offered to give back.

As we work on our vision for our Club, I believe that our first step is to work together to determine what Rotary means to each of us. Everyone may have a different meaning. There isn’t really a right or a wrong answer. The key is that we bring our visions together so we can effectively achieve our goals.

This year, I need your help by participating with your feedback. Our presenter had to cancel on July 11, so I’d like to begin by holding a Club Assembly that day. Please join us for our first meeting here at the Country Club and bring your ideas.

What would you change about our weekly meetings?
What types of programs would you like to see?
What do you think are the most important factors in retaining current members?
How can our club recruit new members?
What changes would increase your participation in club service projects?
What are the reasons you do or do not contribute to The Rotary Foundation?

My goal this year is to help to make this club meaningful to its members. I am hoping that by working together, we can take what we learned from our visioning process and strengthen our foundation. We can begin by defining what Rotary is to each one of us and building a vision that we all see. I am hoping that by beginning there, we can increase our Avenues of Service and bring meaningful opportunities to our members in the areas of Club Service, Vocational Service, Community and International Service and New Generations Service.

This year, I am the Club Leader, but truly I understand that in order for me to succeed I need to listen and learn from all of you. Would you please help me out. Can you tell me a one word description of what rotary means to you? I’d like to do this so I can begin to get an idea of what Rotary means to you.

Answers from the Group:

Group Study Exchange

Youth Exchange

Building a stronger community

International understanding

Fellowship

Getting to know Eau Claire

Personal growth

Lunch on Monday

Networking

Service Above Self

International Community

I appreciate your input. As I said, I am confident that I will be learning what Rotary means to you this year and it is my sincere hope that I can help to bring that meaning to life for each of you.

What does Rotary mean to me? Expanding your horizons, meeting interesting people who stand for business and professional ethics, making friends, networking, performing acts of kindness and contributing to something larger than yourself, being part of an organization where your professional expertise, your moral character, your energy and your financial contributions can make a difference both in our community and in the world. That’s what Rotary is to me.