Welcome to the Santa Rosa East Rotary.

Our Rotary International President, John Kenny’s theme for this year is, “The Future of Rotary is in YOUR Hands!” Future projects, future members and future fundraising goals are critically dependent on a Rotary club that has an engaged membership. This year’s theme could very easily be passed over as just another pithy phrase attempting to motivate Rotarians into action. It is my hope that during my year as your President, we can indeed continue to build on the Rotary club’s tradition and history of “Service Above Self”.

During the 2009-2010 I hope we will partner with other Rotarians around the world to continue making a differences for the hungry, sick and disenfranchised.

On the International front, we’ve already put into motion a project, together with two other Rotary clubs and a Rotary International matching grant, funding an electrical generator for a Medical Clinic in Kitwii, Kenya. I am personally going to travel to the project in October 2009 to meet the people we are helping and bring back a report. In addition I’ve set a goal of raising at least $1500 towards the Polio plus campaign this year just by collecting an extra dollar or two each week as we pay for our lunches.

In our own community, we are committed to continuing distribution of dictionaries to third grader but we’ve hoping to do more by developing a literacy project within the Latino community. By distribution of Spanish/English dictionaries to first graders within a large Spanish speaking student populations we can reach their parents with a tool that can help them at home. We are also exploring other local programs and institutions for funding through our educational scholarships and endowment.

These are just a few of the many service projects we are engaging in for good in our community and in the world. As members of Santa Rosa East Rotary I’m asking all of you do  at least two thing this year: 1) Find a program niche to get involved in and contact that club committee. Don’t be content to sit on the sideline and let others carry the ball. Everyone gets to play on this team. 2) Bring at least one guest this year to our meeting to introduce them to our club. The strength of any organization is in its membership. You all know people who would be an asset to our club. Invite them. Thanks for all your support and lets have a great year.

In Rotary service together,

John Teague,

President