DISTRICT GOVERNOR PAULA MATTHEWS VISITS



August 30, 2011: Paula Matthews, District Governor, gave the club an inspirational address which began with a brief history of our club, noting that we have had Paul Harris and Emelia Earhardt as speakers in the 1930’s. DG Matthews joined the Spring Valley Rotary Club in 1971 and was its president in 1977. She has held many positions in Rotary and is the recipient of the International Service Award.

She recently returned from an international leadership conference in which International President Kalyan Banerjee stressed service to FAMILIES through programs to improve water, sanitation, literacy, child health and economic development, all of which begin in the family. He further focused on CONTINUITY, in which every member contributes, and CHANGE, in which we all must ask ourselves what we can do differently to improve the lives of all around us.

DG Matthews challenged us to focus on membership, noting that our club has continued to lose members over the past 6 years, losing 15% of our members per year, a loss that would be critical to a small business. She noted that 20% of our members have been with the club less than 3 years, and that this is the group that turns over and must be saved. At this point she gave a personal recognition to past president Earl Walker, noting that he has brought 25 members to the club in 5 years!

Her next challenge related to the Rotary Foundation, telling us that we need to increase the number of sustaining members, members who give at least $100 annually to the foundation [at the present time we have but 40 members who do this].

She suggested that our club adopt two goals: 1. To receive the President’s Citation, and 2. to become Club of the Year in our size bracket.

Finally, she focused on the upcoming District Convention in Hilton Head, giving each member a “Moon Pie” with the convention logo: HAPPY DAYS!. In closing, she asked each of us in the coming year to:

Sponsor a new member

Become a sustaining member

Have a great time!

Submitted by Fred Sales, Keyway Committee