Speaker: Richard Bruckeder, President 2018/19

 

The Year Ahead, 2018 and 2019​ until end of June 2019!! What will be at the end of my term, the end of the term of the board and chairs of committees? Short answer: CONTINUATION.

 

For sure there is going to be a new President and a new President Elect, a Board of Directors with new and different ideas and for sure New Members for the Club and RASCK our Satellite, for our – All - Club the Rotary Club of Kitchener!

The good thing is we have a President Elect Paul Rostrup and there will be a search who will be the next President Elect. Who Knows?

 

Continuation means there will be still a strong Club in Kitchener with a strong wavelength to our Community, really strong connection and representation to our District and we have very strong connections internationally to our friends in Mexico and other parts in the world through so many years of youth exchange.

 

Through the work of our Foundation Board, where we pay out money like for RAWEF (Rotary African Women Education Fund) or for well selected groups in our community during our Rotary Year! By the end of the year we will have funds through our several fundraisers to give back to our beloved recipient KidsAbility where I personally love to contribute and raise money for!

 

Of course we will have a winner of a Car and happy people who enjoyed to check out the Internet auction or a great evening at In Vino!!

 

However by the end of my term I wish and hope that we are All Together in a good and acceptable HEALTH to further enjoy being Rotarians!!

 

This year’s Motto is Be The Inspiration​ selected wisely by our RI President Barry Rassin. To Inspire means for me that Belief​ comes before Action​. I am certain that in this room and in our Club there is a very strong Belief​ in Rotary and Service Above Self.

 

Action​ means for me that it needs to be planned, organized and executed which I strongly believe WE​ have these basic instincts in our almost 100 year young Club!

 

This was never a doubt when I agreed to be your President and to step up last November also not knowing How To Do it at that time! But I am learning from the best.

As I said at the turn-over-meeting I feel like a pilot where there is a co-pilot (past president and secretary), a navigator and a crew I can trust. The destination is locked in and we can take off into another good, flourishing year of Rotary!

 

The Year and Journey Ahead I would like to have it sorted in 3 main categories: 
 

To 1) Our club; I have it sorted in 3 subcategories

1.1 Vision and Strategic Planning and Club Survey

1.2 Members
1.3 Youth (focus on the next generation)

 

To 2) Our Community, which I have a few things in mind:

2.1 Public Relation projects

2.2 Sponsors and Acknowledgement

 

To 3) Rotary International, where I still know we continue to pay our dues;

 

DETAILS to 3 Main Categories
 

To 1) Our Club

 

1.1 Vision and Strategic Planning and Club Survey

 

Recently done Strategic Planning needs to be tabled to you our Club Members; I have many options to be worked out with the board how to present it and to follow up with our vision within the next 3 to 5 years. 

 

Strategic Planning and Ideas for Today and Tomorrow, see a few highlights!
 

1.2 Members and membership 
- Focus on Membership with support of RASCK. Their Approach can and will help to bring more members to our Club to sustain and retain.

 

1.3 Youth (focus on the next generation)

- We will still continue our youth program with involvement of the City of Kitchener and High Schools.

 

- For our weekly program the year ahead I still smoothing out the format in regards of the so called guest speaker (as of the strategic planning) that “involve youth rather than serve youth”. I know it might disrupt our traditional programming but be surprised beginning in October! Therefore I hope I can refresh the weekly meeting structure!

 

- I truly hope that we can continue to have an exchange student ​outbound and inbound!

 

To 2) Our Community, which I have a few things in mind: 

 

2.1 Public Relation projects 
(Peace Meetings, Website, Hands-On Activities, Fun Days, School food prep program)

 

2.2 Sponsors and Acknowledgement
A big part of our Club business are Sponsors for our big fundraisers. We continue to approach our sponsors however to reflect and acknowledge them we need to do a good job to show our appreciation publicly. The world in Media is changed!!! We know that.

 

How to do? Do we need a separate Website to sell more of our Car Draw tickets, to link to the Internet Auction and to boost In Vino?? and at the same time interested visitors of that website who could buy additional 50/50 tickets are able to identify our pool of sponsorship.

 

Is it doable? What are the costs? I am confident it is worthwhile to have a focus on at first at board level to make a cost-benefit calculation.

 

To 3) Rotary International, where I still know we continue to pay our dues;
 

What are the Rotary International Annual Goals for 2018 and 2019?

For us, our Club; (see brochures from Rotary International)

ROTARY’S Vision Statement ​(since 2017)

Thank you for listening and be the inspiration to others. 
Richard