Dear Rotarians, Happy New Year! On Monday, January 9th, our District celebrated the chartering of our newest Rotary Club: The Verdes. They are located North of Fountain Hills in the Rio Verde area. Their Club President, John Collucci, leads 22 Rotarians -- many of which are returning to Rotary. The evening was wonderful. Events like that are some of the best parts of this role. In a historic year the evening was full of hope, and new beginnings. I encourage your club to connect with The Verdes to partner and collaborate on future service projects. Membership for our District has fallen to just short of 2000 Rotarians. As many of you have heard me say in my DG Club Visits, my approach on growing Rotary is a departure from conventional wisdom. The data has revealed we do not have a problem recruiting new members. The data has also revealed that we have a significant problem engaging and retaining Rotarians. Turns out, most of Rotary has this same problem. The solution is two-fold: 1. Clubs need to focus inward— engage your membership— be the family we Rotarians truly can be. 2. Lead with service to recruit new Rotarians: Do you invite prospective members to a meeting or to a service project? I have a goal of chartering at least two more clubs before June 30. People want the power, impact, and reach Rotary has to offer. You prove it every day. Our communities need us now more than ever. Once communities find out about what we do, I’ve seen them want a piece of what we have! Our third annual Rotary Week Of Service will provide your clubs and your communities the chance to connect, and grow, and give back. No more best kept secret. Instead, our best foot forward. The chance to induct a new team of change leaders will be a dream come true. While that dream is developing into a reality, thank you for doing what you do best: being family to your fellow Rotarians, and being people of action in your communities. Sincerely yours, Larry Horton
District Governor 2022-2023 | 
