Today we had the pleasure of hosting District 6290 Governor Dave Thomas.
Dave began by saying that local clubs are the foundational building blocks of Rotary--everything in Rotary happens because a local club initiated it. Thus, Rotary became involved in the fight to eradicate polio after a Rotarian in the Phillipines had the idea of using the Salk vaccine to eliminate polio there.
Using the analogy of bringing out a new automobile, Dave listed five key elements in developing a successful club:
- Leadership is the motor that will power the club.
- Membership is the transmission that will take the power and turn it into movement.
- Public image provides the style.
- The club's youth and adaptability will permit generational changes.
- The Rotary International Foundation--the #1 rated charitable foundation--will give every club member the opportunity to make the the world a more civilized place.
Dave invited us all to a District party in Petoskey in May of 2020. In answering questions from the floor Dave said that Rotary International would finish the eradicating polio before tackling another big international project.