Editorial - The Rotary Foundation Boot Camp

For years, I have participated in physical fitness routines.  Recently, I started participating in a boot camp program.  It starts out difficult (feel the burn) but over time, becomes a lot easier.  So, I began to think about how to harness that commitment and dedication (and challenge) into increasing our participation in The Rotary Foundation.  For many Rotarians, making those contributions may seem like a challenge and a commitment we may not be able to honor.  ”I want to but . . . .” do I have $1,000.00 to contribute each year?  Can I fit it into my budget?   

Let’s consider the possibility of – ‘The Rotary Foundation Boot Camp’. 

Just consider making a ‘personal’ match (like a matching grant) equal to what you would pay for the breakfast (or lunch or dinner) at one of your weekly club meetings.  Example, if your lunch meeting cost $25 (or $15 or $10), personally match that amount with $25 (or $15 or $10) and earmark that amount to The Rotary Foundation.  And, it doesn’t necessarily need to be weekly.  It can be $25 a month or every quarter (whatever you can personally afford).  Yes - it may start out a bit difficult to set aside an additional amount. However, it does get easier.  Especially if you are (or become) a Rotary Direct member.
As in a boot camp program where you feel good about yourself and your physical wellbeing, in ‘TRF Boot Camp’ you feel good knowing that the weekly, monthly, or quarterly contribution you’ve committed yourself to, is impacting and changing lives – lives of people within and around your community, your city, your state, the world.

Just as there are rewards of good physical health in a boot camp program, there are rewards in ‘TRF Boot Camp’.  Your club feels good because you are helping reach another plateau (possibly 100% Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) club; possibly 100% Paul Harris Society club).  Your District feels good because you are helping become number one in Zone contributions.   Your Zone feels good because you are helping increase awareness by becoming one of the top contributing Zones in the world.  The Rotary Foundation feels good because you are impacting lives around the world.   But more importantly, you feel good and, you’ve overcome the ‘burn’….

So……. Let’s just do it….. there’s still time remaining this Rotary  year to ‘Light up Rotary’ with your contributions.   Share this information with your club members and join ‘The Rotary Foundation Boot Camp’.
 

Roz Cooper

Zone 26 Paul Harris Society Coordinator and
Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator