• 33rd in size
• 6th in percentage increase in members over multiple years
• 3rd in net membership gain
• 1st in average attendance!

Way to go, Chattanooga!

MID-YEAR LEADERSHIP RETREAT

How Can Our District Leadership Team Better Assist Clubs?
 
Last Friday evening, our current and future assistant governors, district trainer and current and future governors gathered in Vonore to identify and rank the challenges faced by clubs in our district. On Saturday the group was joined by the current and future chairs of our Foundation, program and operations committees and by District Leadership Academy students in an attempt to identify new approaches to meeting the top six identified challenges:

1. Orientation for new members,
2. Celebration and recognition of local club successes,
3. Enthusiasm for growing club membership,
4. Identifying, attracting and placing district leaders,
5. Developing enthusiastic leaders for clubs,
6. Membership retention

We have a strong district with many very effective Rotary clubs. To help all our clubs become more effective, the leadership team will undertake new approaches to assist clubs facing these issues. Stay tuned!
 
During Saturday afternoon the group had brief presentations and discussions on the following "hot topics":

• The Gates Challenge, Foundation Chair John Bailey (Knoxville)
• Disaster Response Committee, Chair Bobby Davis (Kingston)
• Abuse and Harassment Prevention Policy Implementation, New Generations Chair Betty Vickers (Seymour Breakfast)
• Web Site Functionality and 2008-2009 Communications Plans, incoming Chair Karen Bridgeman (Oak Ridge Breakfast)
• 2008-2009 Theme and Areas of Emphasis, DGE Carol LaRue (Maryville)
• DSG and Matching Grant Plans for 2008-2009, Chair David Carroll (Cleveland)
• Calendar Events 2007-2009, DG Robin and DGE Carol

The retreat was held at the Tellico West Conference Center, with arrangements and planning by District Trainer Patty Daughtrey and registration by Joan McIntee, both of the Farragut club..

Membership Seminars Set for 2008-2009

TRIPE D. K. Lee Announces Worldwide Schedule

Twelve Presidential Membership Conferences have been announced to be held during Rotary year 2008-2009 to help clubs deal with the challenges of adding and retaining members. To check dates and locations, please see the Membership Seminars page on our district web site.

SPARTA CLUB POSTS BILLBOARD

Promoting Literacy and Rotary

For the second time this Rotary year, the Sparta club has arranged with Lamar Advertising for the use of billboard space on East Bockman Way. Lamar first made the space available for free in October and November as "unused billboard space" until rented. The club paid $200 to have the vinyl adslick made from the public relations CD available from RI. The letters below the club name are "www.rotary.org". This time the ad will be up for February - April at a total rental of $300.
 
The pubic relations CD includes radio and print ads, in addition to billboard and TV ads. Sparta President Don Randolph was able to get the local Charter cable company to run RI TV ads on the local station at no cost for three months. "All I had to do was ask!"
 
Is there unused billboard space in your community! No doubt!.

MAKING UP CAN BE SO TOUGH!

Smithville President Locates Small World

While George Oliver was visiting grandchildren in Hawaii, he made up at the Windward Oah'o Rotary Club, which meets at the Mid-Pacific Golf and Country Club in Lanai. The program that day was provided by a student studying on a scholarship provided by the club. While talking with the student's mother, George learned the mother's aunt and uncle live near Cookeville.

 GRUNDY COUNTY IS 100% STAR CLUB

Each member of of the Grundy County club has contributed at least $100 as part of the club's donation to the Annual Programs Fund that has made the club a STAR club again! More importantly, thank you for the positive changes in peoples' lives that will result!
 

Important Upcoming Dates

February 12: Ambassadorial Scholar Web Cast (where you are)
March 1: Leadership Skills Training (Maryville)
March 7-9: Interact Conference (Pigeon Forge)
March 24: GSE Team from South Korea arrives (Nashville)
March 27: Assistant Governors' Institute (Nashville)
March 28-29: Mid-South PETS (Nashville)
March 31: Next registration deadline for Los Angeles Convention
April 5: Deadline for certification of Presidential Citation
April 5: Deadline for certification of Governor's Club of Distinction Citation
April 18-20: Multi-District Conference (Nashville)
April 21: GSE Teams to and from South Korea depart (Nashville)
May 1: Deadline for nominations for District Leadership Academy
May 17: District Assembly (Cookeville)
June 14-19: International Convention (Los Angeles)

Where's Governor Robin This Week?

Monday - Meet with DGE Carol LaRue, DGN Bill Martin, DGN 2010-2011 Carol Foster (Oak Ridge)
Wednesday - Oak Ridge Breakfast Club
Wednesday - Disaster Response Committee (Cleveland)
Thursday - Morristown Spouses Night and Doorprize Auction

Rotary Shares

How does your club share Rotary with the important people in members' lives? The Chattanooga, Hamilton Place, Morristown and Oak Ridge Breakfast clubs all have events scheduled this year. Three of the events include spice and significant others. My club has an annual auction the Wednesday prior to Valentine's Day to assist last minute gift buying and raise money for charity. If you send me a note about your scheduled event, I'll put it in that week's Monday Memo. 

DG Robin Textor
Rotary International District 6780
www.rotary6780.org