Good morning Rotarians!

I hope this newsletter finds everyone well. 

Mequon - Milwaukee After-hours Club, Charter / Fundraiser last Saturday was a very nice event, it kind of felt like history was being made. The new Club is very energetic and I would encourage you to visit their meetings when you have an opportunity.

I mention this at last weeks meeting, but I wanted to repeat it for those who we not able to attend and reiterate for those that were:

A year ago I was looking forward to your year as President of your club, preparing to attend pre-PETS and PETS; wondering how your year would go and what you might be able to accomplish as Club President.  Today, I am more than three-quarters of the way through your year!  As I look back, there are so many more things I wished I had found the time to do better!  One of those things was to explain to my club members the importance of Annual Giving to The Rotary International Foundation through Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY).  It’s a slogan I know you’ve heard. 

To me, it’s far more than a slogan – it’s the lifeline of Rotary International and the thousands of projects that are successfully completed around the globe every year! Thanks to EREY, lives are saved and improved, sometimes right in your own backyard! I say this today to remind you that you still have the opportunity to  know the phenomenal benefit that your annual gift to the Rotary International Foundation will bring.  When I began preparation to be a Club President, there were many pressing matters – training to attend, learning how to run the meeting, assembling a team, proposing activities for your club to do, and so forth.  Amid your duties as President and those of your personal life (family, job, community, etc.), the needs of the Rotary International Foundation may not have been at the top of my list!

That’s why, as I begin to realize that my year as Club President is coming to a close, today is the time to focus a little bit on how I might help reach the annual giving goal I set for our club this year. Annual RI Foundation funds support six areas of need: clean water projects, education, saving mothers and children, fighting disease, peace efforts, and growing local economies.  Gifts can also be directed to a number of other areas as well. Three years from now, half the money we contribute today to the Annual Fund will come back to our district to support the clubs and projects of our district.  The other half of the money is used to support RI projects all over the world.

Remember, Every Rotarian Every Year – it’s more than a slogan, it’s our promise!  So when you see the “option" on you pledge, please remember to support RI.

We are also working on other options to allow you to support EREY, those ideas will be forthcoming.

• Upcoming Events: 
• Red Bud Tree Trimming - May 9 (YES THAT IS THIS SATURDAY)
• Rotary Tri-District Conference - May 15-17 
• MT Sunrise Rotary 25th Anniversary  Celebration- Jun 06, 2015

This week’s at MTSR:

• This week we are meeting at CUW - the Friends of Concordia Room and then the remainder of the May meetings will be at Logeman Center.
• Next week, May 15, I will be traveling for business, Michael Kim will lead our meeting.

As always, the schedule for Greeter, Thought of the Day and Rotary Minute are accessible (click here). Please be prepared when it is your turn and find a replacement if you are unable to attend when you are scheduled. 

I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.