Monthly Archive for April, 2007

May Meeting: International Project and Elections

Published on April 29, 2007 in Community Service and Meetings. 0 Comments

May’s meeting is on Tuesday and you won’t want to miss it.

Tuesday, May 1 6:30 p.m. at Rusty’s Pizza on Carrilo and Bath Streets. There’s a private room that we’ll be in.

1.) Guest Speaker: Wade Nomura from the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning will explain to us why clean water projects are so valuable to impoverished communites, and he’ll explain how our club can bring safe drinking water to people who need it.

If you want to be involved in this club’s first international project and our trip to Mexico, you’ll want to hear what Wade has to share.

2.) Elections: It’s not too late to throw your hat in for one of the 4 executive officer positions — president, vice president, secretary or treasurer. The job descriptions are on the Website (www.sbrotaract.com). We will be voting on Tuesday, so please let me know ASAP if you have any questions or would like to be on the ballot.

This is not the only opportunity for leadership in Rotaract. We will also have director and committee chairs roles to fill. Those are appointed positions.

3.) If you’re one of our founding members who joined in April or May of 2006, it’s time to renew your membership. Please bring your dues to Membership Chair Rita Newhouse at our next meeting. Not sure? Ask Rita at ritanewhouse@hotmail.com.

4.) Fiesta: Learn more about Rotaract’s Fiesta booth at the meeting.

Elections Soon

Published on April 18, 2007 in Meetings and Rotaract News. 0 Comments

Want to be part of the leadership team in Rotaract? We will have elections for the four main offices — president, vice president, secretary and treasurer before the end of June. Additional leadership positions are appointed, not elected. Those include directors and committee chairs.

If you are interested, please express your interest, including specifying the position, by May 1 by emailing sb_rotaract@yahoo.com or adding a comment to this post. The official job descriptions as written in the Rotaract International handbook are below. Because we are a young club, these descriptions are a guide and have some flexibility.

President

As the club leader, the president helps members develop as leaders and works to ensure that the club’s professional and leadership development activities and community and international service projects are successfully promoted and completed.

Responsibilities of President

  • Identifies members’ skills and interests and puts them to work in club projects
  • Maintains club operations, delegating responsibilities and establishing meeting schedules
  • Develops a plan for the year as early as possible
  • Presides over all meetings of the club and its board of directors (following parliamentary procedure may help to keep discussion relevant)
  • Appoints all standing and special committees, with board approval, and follows up on committee progress with the help of the vice president

The president should maintain regular communication with

  • Sponsoring Rotary club through joint activities and meetings
  • District Rotaract representative through club participation in district activities and meetings
  • Rotary International through participation in the Rotaract Preconvention Meeting and annual reporting

To help facilitate communication, the above groups should also receive the club’s bulletin or newsletter featuring the outstanding Rotaract club projects or activities.

Vice President

The club vice president can serve more effectively by understanding the year’s goals, projects, and activities, and being well versed in community and Rotary resources. To that end, it is important that the club president and vice president work together as a team. This can be particularly helpful for clubs that choose to have the incoming president serve as vice president before taking office. The vice president presides at all meetings when the president is absent and serves on the board of directors and as an ex-officio member of all committees. The vice president also acts as the “officer at large,” responsible for all assignments that are designated by the president. A well-organized and responsible vice president is often the key to a successful Rotaract year. The vice president can reduce the administrative load, allowing time for the president to develop new and exciting club projects and activities.

Secretary

The Rotaract club secretary has many responsibilities that require a person who is detail oriented and organized. Because the secretary promotes the club through correspondence to the Rotary club sponsor(s), outside agencies, prospective members, Rotary International, and other Rotaract clubs, this individual must have good communication skills. The secretary handles the club’s communication with the public, maintains all club records, and takes the minutes for all board and club meetings.
Once club members reach the Rotaract age limit of 30, the secretary sends the Notice of Rotaract Alumnus (Potential Rotarian) form (page 45) to the secretary of the sponsoring Rotary club.

Treasurer

As the collector and disburser of club funds, the treasurer is responsible for the club’s solvency and financial stability. In preparing for this assignment, the treasurer should meet with the previous treasurer and consult the sponsoring Rotary club treasurer and a certified accountant.

Responsibilities of Treasurer

  • Chairs the finance committee
  • Works with the board of directors to develop the budget
  • Collects dues and all funds raised by the club
  • Pays all club bills and reimbursements for club expenses
  • Reports the club’s financial status at each meeting
  • Has the books audited at the end of the fiscal year

KCOY 2007 Spring Food Drive

Published on April 12, 2007 in Community Service. 0 Comments

This year’s Spring Food Drive lasts from April 23 to March 23. The Food Bank can really use volunteers on any of their three One Hit Saturdays which are on April 28, May 5, and May 19.

During the month participating grocery stores will host a One Hit Saturday. I am recruiting volunteers to staff these locations from 10 am – 3 pm. Volunteers will pass out flyers and encourage customers to make a food or monetary donation. Albertsons, VONS, Ralphs, Gelson’s, Scolari’s and Lazy Acres have committed to the event. Instructions, flyers, a table and two chairs will be provided.

I recommend finding 4 volunteers and dividing the day up into two shifts; a minimum of 2 volunteers need to be on staff at all times.

Contact Jane Lindsey at 805-967-5741 x 101 or email.

Displace Me – Send A Message About Uganda

Published on April 11, 2007 in Member Announcements. 0 Comments

Anyone who was a member of Rotaract last year has undoubtedly heard about the Invisible Children of war torn Uganda. On April 28th, 2007, thousands of Americans will converge on displacement camps in 15 major cities to send a message to politicians and media about the longest running war in Africa and demand change. In an event appropriately titled “Displace Me,” activists will bring attention to the 1.5 million Ugandan citizens that were forced to move overnight into large camps that are riddled with violence, disease, and other inhumane conditions.

Learn more about about the event here and about Invisible Children here and here.

Hiking in Arroyo Hondo Preserve

Published on April 2, 2007 in Community Service. 0 Comments

This could be you if you volunteer on April 7. See below.

Other Volunteer Opportunities in April

Published on April 2, 2007 in Community Service. 0 Comments

1. Arroyo Hondo Habitat Restoration, Sat. April 7 — 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The preserve needs volunteers to help with weeding and planting and other hands-on work in the great outdoors. After you volunteer, you can explore the hiking trails that are only open to the public a couple of days each month. Volunteer 3 times and get a T-shirt.

To sign up, contact Jane at volunteer@sblandtrust.org.

To arrange carpools to the preserve, contact Natira at natira.jones@gmail.com.

2. Habitat for Humanity, Sat. April 7

Rotaract has been there twice before. This Saturday will be the final day with just finishing touches remaining. Come help and see the completed project.

2. Zoo-To-Do, Sat. April 14 — 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Zoo calls to the community to volunteer on this day for a specific project. Past projects include: clearing future exhibit areas, cleaning up train tracks, and planting new garden areas. Volunteers will receive lunch, two guest passes to the Zoo, and a free event T-shirt. Pre-registration is required. Contact: Tiffany 962-5339 ext. 49

Fiesta Committee — Looking for a Chair

Published on April 2, 2007 in Rotaract News and Social Events. 2 Comments

As I announced at our March meeting, our club is hoping to have a booth at this year’s Fiesta (August 1-5). The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara North has previously had a booth that sells some drinks and ice cream, and they’re interested in turning management of the booth over to our club.

We will need Rotaract members to volunteer to work shifts at the booth in De La Guerra Plaza, but first we need Rotaract team to help organize and execute the booth. This includes completing the appropriate paperwork, coming up with a product strategy, purchasing supplies and organizing the volunteer schedule.

Thanks to the many members who already expressed interest. I am including your names in the comments section. If you haven’t signed up yet, but you’re interested in being on the committee, please add your name to the comments section.
This project could use a leader. Is anyone interested in taking the lead on this project? If so, please contact me at sb_rotaract@yahoo.com.

Viva la Fiesta!