Meeting Notes - December 4, 2012 - Club Day with some decisions that will shape the club in the future....

Today was a club day, with some general merriment and some big decisions made by the club’s membership.  We started off the meeting with Jeremy Behling greeting Rotarians and guests at the door and Carol Parish providing some dreamy thoughts for the day.  Kris Hammond served as our good news guru, and singing included celebrating and serenading December birthdays for Jeff Swoyer, Bill Leeson, Kathy Elliott, Holly Rogers, Brian Harrington, Dan Hagney and youth exchange students Vini and Diana.  Jane Denning presented the slate of officers and board members for the coming year, there was a final signup for donations for gifts for Agua Prieta orphans.  We were all encouraged to publicize the Community Christmas Wishes party to be held at Howelsen Hill on December 16 from 4-7 pm through social media and other means.  The event is listed on the club’s Facebook page – so please share it from there.  To participate in the Christmas Wishes portion of the party, please direct folks to www.communityholidaywishes.com

A big welcome goes out to David Scully, who was formally inducted into the club today with sponsors Leslie Gamel and Cam Boyd present to say super nice stuff about him – the summary version is that he’s a great guy who can really ride a bike.  We’re thrilled to have David in the club, and look forward to having him contribute to the “service above self” motto of Rotary and the club. 

Scott Marr presented the District Conference video, which has been shown to every other club in the District.  The video does a great job of selling Steamboat and the District conference.  Scott reminded club members that the conference is our one big project for this year and next year – and that he’ll be sending out an email asking for volunteers for specific jobs in the next few weeks. 

Going into this year, the board surveyed the club membership to learn what members thought was going well and what could be improved.  Armed with that information, the board held a retreat and identified the following work priorities for the year:  1) Reduce the cost of the club, 2) Look at the organizational structure of the club, 3) Spread the workload, 4) Update the club’s strategic plan, and 5) Member retention and recruitment.

Our program for the day focused on the work of the fundraising analysis committee.  Greg Stetman presented the process the committee used to evaluate each fundraising activity, and then presented the committee’s recommendation – which was to eliminate Tango and Cash and Bell Ringing as fundraising events and to add a Burgers fundraising activity in the summer.  Greg noted that this recommendation would reduce the cost of membership in the club by $310 each year.   As the club has never decided to end a fundraising event, the members were asked to vote on the issue.  The members present voted unanimously to accept the recommendation – which will immediately go into effect. 

Greg Stetman also presented changes to the club’s “Ticket Purchase” policy, which has already been adopted by the board.  Under the new policy, club members will be required to purchase one ticket to the Golf Classic Auction instead of two (a savings of $60/member) and a single ticket to the Barn Dance, instead of a family ticket (a savings of $35/member).  In addition, the expectation that all members contribute $100 per year to Good News has been dropped – we will still have Good News, and we still hope that everyone has Good News to share, however the club will no longer set giving expectations or requirements about it. 

Combined – all of these changes reduce the cost of membership in the club by $515 per member each year.  Many thanks to Greg for chairing the fundraising analysis committee, and to committee members Karl Bunker, Steve Hitchcock, Gillian Morris, Mignon Stetman, Ellen Kendall, and Tara Weaver for their efforts, expertise, time and commitment to the process.

Our next step in looking at the cost of the club will be to look at the dues and fees structure of the club.  Steve Hitchcock has agreed to chair this committee, with Angela Catterson, John Centner, Brian Harrington, Ellen Kendall, Tom Kern and Mike Roberts making up the committee.  

NEXT TUESDAY – DECEMBER 11:  We will sing Christmas Carols at the Doak at noon, and then have the club’s holiday party at McKnights from 5pm – 8 pm.  Come – and bring a guest!