Annual Summary of Activities

 
2016 – 2017 RCE Year in Review
 
Rotary Serving Humanity
 
This year, our energetic and extremely active club emphasized service, a commitment to “doing good” in the Evergreen area and internationally, and a “yes, and…” attitude of team building.  The membership level of involvement has skyrocketed; the attendance at our club and committee meetings is at an all-time high.  Congratulations and thank you for a great year!
 
  1. Under the leadership of Membership chair Doug Turner, our membership has grown from 107 (7/1/16) to 118 active and honorary members (to date).  The membership growth can be attributed to the passion of our existing members and our excellent speaker program led by Susan Hammond and Eric Gill.  It was rare to have a club meeting this year without an induction or the celebration of the completion of our club’s acclaimed Red Badge program. Attrition has come from movement to different states and work/family conflicts.  Members who have resigned this year have expressed enthusiasm and support for our club.  Our membership chair was also instrumental in setting up a text notification system that has been used for off-site meeting reminders and was available for notification of the cancellation of a meeting because of weather conditions.
  2. Our club’s Publicity Committee has ensured that the Rotary’s Master Brand has been integrated on all of our publicity committee’s outreach materials including our website and Facebook page. They led a collaborative effort to connect within our club and with our mountain community.  The Publicity Team has responsibility for the website, social media, coordination with local print and on-line news media and direct community marketing. Updates are routinely made (sometimes even daily) to photos, weekly announcements, The Month at a Glance, and Member Interest Groups (Book Discussion, Skiing, Games, Technology Education).  Numerous tutorials have been created for members to learn how to add information to the calendars, send club emails, etc.  As photos, speaker videos and articles are updated on the website, they are then stored into an archive section on the website.  Our Publicity Committee also set up two luncheons with the editors of the Canyon Courier and established a sponsorship program that will be highlighted in the Courier.
  3. Our Community Service Committee projects include several collaborations with other Area 8 clubs.  Imagination Library, under the leadership of Marianne Temple, now includes all Area 8 clubs.  Other Community Service projects include Recycle Day, Thanksgiving Luncheon for over 175 area seniors (in collaboration with Mtn. Foothills Rotary Club), and the Mountain Backpack program.   Our members were all given a Rotary volunteer button to be used when working in the community.  Seven of our members have received training to mentor a refugee family in Denver in conjunction with the International Rescue Committee.  The CSC approved $10,000 for various “club supported” projects that benefited other area non-profit organizations (Peace Shelter, CAE Rotary Stage, Nature Center Education Facility, Emergency Shelter Program, EPRD Special Needs Program and EAS+Y Zero Waste Program).
  4. The attendance at the International Service Committee (ISC) meetings is at an all-time high (26 were at the February meeting).  ISC-supported projects can be found in numerous areas of the world including:  Colorado Haiti Project, FIDA in Haiti, CU Center for Global Health, playground for Kenyan disabled children, Community Capacity Training in Honduras, Girls Education/Empowerment in Peru and Waterwise – Far Away Friends in Uganda.  Members of our ISC committee are leading Insight Trips to Guatemala, Peru/Machu Picchu, Haiti and Africa.
  5. As a result of our Visioning exercise in May 2016, our Bylaws and Constitution have been updated, our annual Financial Review was successfully completed and dues are now paid electronically via a member’s checking account or through PayPal.
  6. A Fundraising Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Mendhi Audlin, was appointed by the President and reported out to the BOD with its findings after interviewing club members, other local Rotary clubs and compiling all of the data into recommendations.  The BOD approved a new Fundraising Strategy that clarified and effectively communicated a strategy for raising funds to ensure all RCE members are united in our common goals.
  7. A Membership Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by David Stansbury, will report to our BOD in the 2017 – 2018 year with recommendations on how to effectively gain and retain members.
  8. This year the RCE has also focused on its members getting to know one another through fun activities such as Club Interest Groups, Rowdy Rotarians, Dine-Around dinners, and monthly recognition of birthdays at club meetings. 
  9. Carol Carper led a 3-hour grants workshop for 8 members and one district representative.  Bob Rose and Carol Carper attended the District training.  Grants submitted in 2016 – 2017 include a $10,000 spring protection initiative in Kenya with Peak to Peak, Conifer and Golden Rotary clubs that led to a 64% drop in mortality of all ages and a 63% drop in diarrhea;  $3,000 for bedding and cots for homeless sheltering led by Janet Doyle and Laura Reed; $3,500 for renovation materials for the new Audubon center led by Mendhi Audlin. Interactors from Fitzsimmons Middle School, West Jefferson Middle School, Conifer High School and Peace Jam Evergreen Middle School raised money for the playground in Kenya. Our club gave $1500 for that project.
  10. The Evergreen Rotary Foundation (ERF) continues to thoughtfully grow its assets, including our endowment, to be able to sustain work in our community and internationally.   Projects that spread the Rotary message include 100 Holes of Golf (a service which gives our community non-profits and our club an avenue to raise outside funds), The Mountain Area Home and Garden Show (a joint project with Conifer Rotary which raised a record amount of outside funds last year while providing a service to businesses, artisans and members of our community), and other projects such as Operation Valentine, Mardi Gras party, the grocery store gift card program, and the annual Beer Tasting event.  In June, Foundation Treasurer Barb Scripps will implement a structured program to award Committee Chairs and other BOD members extra club points to thank them for their service and to serve as an incentive for those members to complete the funding needed to obtain their next Paul Harris status.
  11. The Vocational Service Committee awards an Ethics in Business Award every year to a business or professional who demonstrates high ethical standards in their treatment of employees, customers and the communities in which they work.  The 2016 winner was Tuscany Tavern and the 2017 winner is Pandora and John Erlandson from RE/MAX. This award not only spreads Rotary’s name in the community but also aids in targeting potential new members for the club.  A new initiative of the Vocational Committee is the Membership, Vocational, Hobby, Interest and Ability Directory/Database that will allow membership to let each other know of different unique ways that they can be of service in our club and community.
  12. Our Youth Services Committee continues to grow its EHS Interact Program with over 60 students attending meetings (a 50% growth this year). The Interact Leadership Team has 25 members.  Club members participated in RCE events (Mardi Gras Party, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, Road Warriors, Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon and Recycle Roundup) and community events (Canyon Fest, the Alternative Gift Fair, and selling Ice Melt tickets).  The Interact Club collected books for designated distribution and sponsored a child in the Save the Children program. They also worked with EPRD’s Special Needs program by hosting a Go Paint event with 15 Interactors and 10 special needs students and hosted the annual dance for these students.  All of the Interactors pay dues and commit to at least 8 hours of community service a semester.  This year the RCE sponsored an exchange student from Brazil and will host an outgoing student next year. Numerous Rotarians in our club actively support RYLA this year as we have done for the past 18 years.  In 2017, RCE will sponsor 3 more Young RYLA attendees upping our number from 5 to 8.  Eight RCE members will be Senior Counselors for RYLA this summer.  The RCE is firmly committed to youth engagement.
  13. Our Family of Rotary committee provides comfort to members who are undergoing life changes or who have lost loved ones during the year through visits, emails, calls and even electronically linking our club meetings on occasion with founding member Jack Kellogg who is now in an assisted living program.
  14. Collaborative efforts with other area 8 clubs (beside the aforementioned Imagination Library, MAHGS and Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon) include an annual joint evening meeting with Mtn. Foothills at Mt. Vernon Country Club, Conifer Rotary’s attendance and input during RCE’s International Service Committee meetings, collaboration with other clubs with District Grants and being a District Conference financial sponsor.
  15. RCE members Barb Scripps and Curt Harris served as Assistant District Governors for our District 5450.
  16. Barb Scripps led an initiative for community education about Rotary’s drive to eradicate polio in the world.  The proceeds from the dinner and a donation from Tuscany Tavern raised over $1600 that was transferred to the RI Polio Fund.
  17. RCE District Conference Awards:
  • Ed Bemis Award:  Rotary Club of Evergreen - This award celebrated the club with the best club communications, including newsletter, social media and blog/project-related websites.  Our PR Committee:  Holly Brekke, Al Steger, Tim Grace, Larry Caine, Jim Kreider, Mendhi Audlin.
  • Gary Fletcher Web Site Award:  Rotary Club of Evergreen - This award celebrates a quality and effective website that significantly improves the impact of Rotary on the World Wide Web.  Congratulations to webmaster Al Steger!
  • Highest Club Growth Award:  Rotary Club of Evergreen (honorable mention) - Rotary Club of Evergreen had the highest year-on-year growth in the District.
  • Public Relations Award:  Rotary Club of Evergreen - Thanks to our PR Committee chaired by Holly Brekke.
  • Four Way Test Award:  Dr. Gretchen Berggren - It was a thrill to see Gretchen's recognition for outstanding exemplification of the principles of the Four Way Test:  Is it the truth?  Is it fair to all concerned?  Will it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
  • Governor's Discretionary Award:  Assistant District Governor Curt Harris - Curt was one of three people recognized for his work in the District. We know how lucky we are to have him in our club!
  • Paul Harris Award of Excellence:  Rotary Club of Evergreen (honorable mention) - This award is given to the club that best meets the goals of current Rotary International President and District Governor Bill Downes.