How do you build the next generation of Rotary?
At the Dec. 21 meeting of the Waunakee Rotary Club, Teri Fairchild, who helps businesses with professional development, tried to provide an answer.
Teri is the past president of the Dubuque Rotary Club and learned about professional development while working at the Dubuque newspaper as the advertising manager. Her staff went from zero to nine employees at the time, and so took professional development training. She later began her own business and joined Rotary.
Teri read an article printed in the Dubuque paper in 1905 that told of Paul Harris’ speaking engagement at a Chamber meeting then. She wondered if Harris would have expected Rotary to be alive and well more than 100 years later.
She listed some key factors to building a legacy. The first was having a group of people to carry on its legacy, and to continue recruiting new members, knowing that some members will drop out.
Another is stressing the core values of the club, the Rotary 4-way test.
She had the club picture a bull’s eye with a key, noting the key targets and strategies for achieving those.
On top of that was a tape measure to measure the progress and performance of the organization, as seen in the financials.
Another factor is allowing each president to teach the best practices to the incoming presidents. It’s also important to allow the leaders to transition into their new roles and undergo the transformations necessary to create a new beginning.
Coaching through programs like the President Elect Training is also useful. The final visual she imparted was of Mt. Rushmore, signifying the valuable resources past presidents represent for current presidents.
Teri told a story afterwards about three horsemen on a journey who encounter a storm. They receive lodging from a gracious host, and the next day, as he leads them out, he picks up a handful of pebbles and hands several to each, telling them they will give them reason for happiness and sadness.
When the first horseman reaches his destination, he tosses the pebbles in the trash. The second horseman puts them on his desk, while the third takes a closer look and polishes them. He realizes the pebbles are actually jewels, and is happy to have them but sad that he didn’t collect more.
Teri said the lessons from her talk are also like those pebbles.

 

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Other news:
- Help is needed Saturday morning to fill the trailer at the Lights display with wood to keep the warming fire going at the greeters station. Show up at Qual Line Fence if you can help.  
-Alan Langfeld, who is the treasurer for the Waunakee Community Foundation, presented a $9,500 check to the club for its share in the profit from Wauktoberfest. Alan and the club thanked Ken Ballweg for opening up Endres Manufacturing for Wauktoberfest.
-Ken Pesik said the club has found a 20-foot-long trailer for the Rotary Lights displays. It will be available March 1.

 

Guests: Kim Hesperich, Emily Upstrom and Teri Fairchild, guests of the club.

 

Visiting Rotarians: None.

 

Birthdays: None.

Anniversaries: Jan. 2, Jim and Linda Schmitz; Jan. 2, Ellen and Vincent Schaaf; Jan. 9, Chris and Lynn Kenney.

 

 

Greeters: Dec. 28, Ray Statz and Don Tierney; Jan. 4, Jon Townley and Susan Vergeront; Jan. 11, Sean Wayne and David Weishoff.