As we embark on this exciting new Rotary year together, I want to share a fundamental truth about our club: our impact is a direct reflection of our collective energy. We have an incredibly vibrant, passionate, and highly capable membership. To achieve the ambitious goals we have set for our community, our charitable funds, and our hands-on service initiatives, we need everyone actively engaged in our club’s success.

True engagement doesn't look the same for everyone. Some of us have the capacity to lead large-scale civic projects, while others have exact schedules that are better suited for quick, focused actions. Both are equally valuable. To help you find your unique path of involvement this year, I have compiled a diverse list of 25 practical ways you can jump in, connect, and make an immediate difference:

1.        One-on-One Fellowship: Meet with a member for coffee or lunch. Take the time to chat about their life, get to know their background, and encourage them to actively engage in our weekly Rotary initiatives. Our newest members are Teayanna Lathem, Sherry Levy, Brian Moran, Sarah Friend, Lindsey Fentress, Jason Creech, and David Ready but don't stop there. 

2.        Tapestri Backpack Assembly (July 25): Volunteer with our hands-on backpack assembly to support Tapestri on Saturday, July 25. Help pack crucial supplies for individuals navigating difficult transitions. Reach out to Alison Norris.  

3.        FODAC Equipment Collection (August 8): Lend your hands for our upcoming medical equipment collection in August for Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC), helping provide mobility and independence to those in need. Reach out to Dave Burr.

4.        Compassion Coordination: Coordinate greeting cards on behalf of the club for members who are dealing with illnesses, recovering from surgeries, or experiencing the loss of a loved one, keeping our club family closely knit.

5.        Sergeant-at-Arms Team: Participate as a sergeant-at-arms to assist with the setup and storage of all our club flags, banners, and meeting equipment, ensuring our weekly assemblies run seamlessly.

6.        Host a reception for our GRSP Student: Host a reception at your home to welcome our new GRSP student.

7.        DeKalb Rotary Council Representative: Represent our Dunwoody club at DeKalb Rotary Council meetings to collaborate with surrounding clubs, coordinate larger district-level programs, and share regional best practices.

8.        Present "Morning Sunshine": Bring positive energy to a weekly meeting by presenting a 2-minute "Morning Sunshine" segment—sharing fun facts, a humorous anecdote, an inspiring perspective, or a brief Rotary insight.

9.        Maintain Club Placards: Help preserve our weekly meeting tradition by keeping our table name placards organized, updated, and neatly displayed on the tables for every single meeting.

10.   Major Community Events: Step up to organize our annual 4th of July parade float or help run our community booth at the Dunwoody Arts Festival to keep Rotary visible and integrated locally.

11.   Establish a Rotary Peace Pole: Identify a prominent and meaningful location in the local Dunwoody area to permanently install a classic Rotary Peace Pole as a symbol of our global mission.

12.   Design a "Done-in-a-Day" Project: Create and lead a new hands-on, highly accessible "Done-in-a-Day" volunteer project that allows busy members to complete a tangible service activity in just a few hours. Examples include the Sandwich Project. 

13.   Host a Wine Fellowship: Open your home or coordinate a venue to host one of our signature Wine Fellowship social events, strengthening our bonds outside of our normal morning meeting structure.

14.   Write or Share Newsletter Content: Contribute to the very newsletter you are reading! Write an original article about your community work or share a relevant local news story that our membership would find valuable. Send your stories to Jackie Cuthbert.

15.   Serve as a Meeting Greeter: With 34 more meetings scheduled for this Rotary year, we need friendly faces at the door. Act as a meeting greeter to welcome members and visitors with genuine warmth.

16.   Host a GRSP Student for the weekend: Open your home to host a Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) international scholar during their upcoming leadership training weekend in January, creating lifelong cross-cultural connections.

17.   Interview a Member for "Member Moments": Sit down with one of your fellow members, interview them about their life, career, and passions, and write a brief, engaging "Member Moment" highlight for an upcoming newsletter.

18.   Storage Facility Cleanout: Help clean out and reorganize our club's storage facility. We have a lot of historical physical materials and equipment that need sorting, archiving, and clearing out.

19.   Build a Digital Archive: Help construct a modern digital archive of our club's materials, organizing existing digital files and scanning historical photos to preserve our club's decades-long legacy online.

20.   Charitable Fund Strategic Direction: Serve on the core committee tasked with analyzing and establishing the long-term strategic direction and allocation criteria for our club's charitable fund.

21.   Donate to the Whiskey Raffle: Donate a bottle of whiskey, scotch, rye, or bourbon to be included in the auction.

22.   Propose a Speaker: Use the online form to submit the name of someone. Suggest someone you personally know or even a complete stranger that you'd like to see at our meeting. 

23.   Bring a Guest to a General Meeting: Did you know that most of our new members are referrals from existing members? Spread the word to your neighbor, friend, colleague, fellow church practitioner or nonprofit member, or local business owner. Encourage them to attend our general meeting so they can learn more about Rotary and help spread the word.

24.   Reach out to a new member: Meet with a new member for coffee or lunch to get to know them. BTW, the newest members are Teayanna Leytham, Sherry Levey, Brian Moran, Sarah Friend, Juan Lago, Lindsey Fentress, Jason Creech, and David Ready.

25.   Spend an hour in the sunshine: The club maintains the traffic island in front of the Dunwoody library. We meet 6-8x per year on Saturday mornings to improve our community and build fellowship. It's only 1 hour of time - we start at 9am and are packed and done by 10am. Bring your kids, your neighbor, out-of-town guest, and anyone interested in Rotary. 

Whether you choose to lead a committee, pack a backpack, host a gathering, or write a quick newsletter spotlight, your participation is what breathes life into our motto of Service Above Self. Let's make this year our most cohesive and impactful one yet.

Please reach out to President Dave directly or chat with him at our next meeting to let him know which of these areas speaks to you. Thank you for your dedication to our club and to the Dunwoody community.