Thank you for considering membership in the Pocatello Rotary Club. Rotary membership is not only a privilege, but a commitment to the service of others, both locally and internationally. Rotary’s motto is “Service above self.” Our Club’s expectations of its members are outlined below. While we understand that members juggle multiple priorities and cannot always meet every expectation, it is important to understand what they are.

SERVICE

Our Club, as with every Rotary Club in the world, is a service organization. Members are encouraged to volunteer their time and skills to serve our community by participating in Club service projects. We also request that members share their ideas for service in the community and the world.

Some of our service projects include:

• Highway Cleanup. We adopt a portion of a local highway and clean it annually.
• Rotary’s Dictionary Project. We hand-deliver special dictionaries to every third-grader in the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District.
• Children's Literacy.
• Rotary Rose Garden. We plant and tend roses to beautify our City.
• Habitat for Humanity.
• I Love ISU. We volunteer to make calls to raise scholarship funds for Idaho State University.
• Rotary Helps (assistance for K-12 graders).
• Idaho Foodbank.
• Interact, Rotaract, RYLA and Rotary Youth Exchange (youth leadership).
• Community Improvement/Beautification.
• Veterans Services.
• Annual Blood Drive.
• International Service.

FELLOWSHIP

PARTICIPATION IN CLUB ACTIVITIES

• Members are asked to join a Club Committee and serve as a participant on that committee. We are confident that our club has a committee that will both interest you and provide you with an opportunity to help the club in a manner that is compatible with the many other demands we know you must have on your time.
• Members are encouraged to volunteer for fellowship service (serving as a greeter, leader of the Pledge of Allegiance or delivering an invocation or motivational thought).
• Members are encouraged to participate in the Club’s service, fund-raising and community involvement activities wherever possible. The service activities are listed above.

ATTENDANCE

We hope you will be able to attend Rotary meetings weekly. Rotary asks that members attend 50% of their club's scheduled meetings in a year but this is no longer a mandatory requirement to maintain active membership. Also, since we live stream our meetings via Facebook, you should be able to stay informed on what is happening by watching some or all of the recordings (which are archived after the live stream is over). If you cannot attend a meeting of the Pocatello Rotary Club, you are welcome to attend a meeting of any of the other Rotary Clubs in the area or around the world.

FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

Dues and meals. Pocatello Rotary Club members are invoiced quarterly for dues and meals (click here for more details). Lunch is served at all meetings. Your quarterly dues also includes a subscription to The Rotarian magazine and a mandatory $7.00 per quarter contribution to the Rotary International Foundation Annual Programs Fund. Most members are charged for meals whether they attend the meeting or not, so we encourage you to come. There are some exceptions to the 'no refund' policy when you attend a 'make up meeting' or qualify for a reduced fee club membership. When members attend make-up meetings and pay for their meal at the make-up meeting, they receive a lunch credit upon reporting back to the club secretary.

About make-up meetings: When a member is unable to attend a Pocatello Rotary Club meeting, they are encouraged to attend a meeting of another Rotary Club (anywhere in the world). When doing so, members may be required to pay for a meal. In such cases, Pocatello Rotary members are refunded the clubs current meal cost when they are required to pay for a meal while attending another club in a make-up capacity. To receive your meal refund, bring your Rotary visitor card (provided by the club you have visited) to the Secretary of the Pocatello Rotary Club. In cases where the club you visited does not offer visitor cards, convey this information via an email to pocatellorotary@gmail.com when applying for your refund.

Rotary International Foundation. Members are strongly encouraged to contribute to the Rotary International Foundation. This is the charitable arm of Rotary International. Members are invoiced $25.00 per quarter as a charitable contribution to the Rotary International Foundation unless they choose to opt out. Rotary International’s goal is that every member contributes at a minimum $100.00 per year to the Rotary Foundation. Additional gifts to the Rotary Foundation are encouraged. When a member’s total giving reaches $1,000.00, the member is named a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) and is recognized with a commemorative pin and certificate at a Club meeting. (Paul Harris was the founder of Rotary International.) After earning their own personal recognition, members are encouraged to continue donating for which they are given one 'point' for each dollar given. These points can can be given to family members or others to help them achieve their own PHF recognition. PHF achievements are an honor that is recognized world wide.

Fines. The Pocatello Rotary Club appoints a Sergeant at Arms, whose responsibilities include researching and announcing the good deeds and accomplishments of members of the Club and “fining” them for their good work. Fines tend to range from $1.00-5.00. Funds raised by these fines are given to a local charity each year that is chosen by the Sergeant and approved by the board.

Fifty-fifty drawing. As members enter the meeting room, they may purchase raffle tickets for a drawing held as part of the meeting. Members whose raffle numbers are drawn have the chance to win half of the accumulated “pot.” The other half is given to Polio Plus, an initiative of Rotary International designed to eradicate polio from the Earth.

INVITING GUESTS

Members are encouraged to bring guests to any and all meetings. No reservation is required. Members will be invoiced the current meal charge for each guest’s meal. However, prospective members who visit the club have meal charges waived for the first two meetings visited. Bringing guests to Rotary is the best way to grow our club and to introduce others to the work that Rotary does. Don't be shy! Bring a friend!

TRAINING

Members are encouraged to take advantage of District and International training opportunities. Rotary activities beyond the club level help members get a vision of what Rotary accomplishes globally. Our club is one of more than 40 clubs that make up Rotary District 5400. The District holds regular training conferences, events, and assemblies all designed to help Rotarians carry out the work of service in their communities and in the world. Rotary International also has an annual Conference held in a different place every year, somewhere in the world. These conferences attract the best speakers, entertainers, and Rotarians from all over the world. All Rotarians are welcome at any of these District, Zone, or International events.

LEADERSHIP

We encourage new members to aspire to Club leadership, to get involved, and help our Club improve its effectiveness as a service organization. Leadership opportunities within the club include serving as a committee chairman, board member, or club officer.

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions about membership, please don’t hesitate to ask your sponsor, a member of the membership committee, or a member of the Board. Information about Pocatello Rotary Club activities is readily available at www.Pocatellorotary.org and on Facebook.com/pocatellorotaryclub.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Club!