Traverse City Rotary - Becoming A Member

Thank you for your interest in Rotary and your consideration of membership in our club. I put this packet of information together for you. It will explain some of the Rotary principles and give you an overview of our club as well as Rotary International.

In this package you will find a copy of this year’s Rotary Basics, published by Rotary

International. This publication will answer the questions you may have about Rotary: who we are, what we do, and what we stand for. I have also included an application for membership in our club.

Rotarians take their commitment to Rotary seriously. It is neither a business networking

organization nor merely a luncheon club. We are part of an international service organization. In fact, we are the original service club, with over 1.2 million Rotarians in over 30,000 clubs, in 168 countries, around the world. The original emphasis on fellowship is still very strong within Rotary and within our club. As a group, we have fun serving.

Our club is the oldest and largest of the three Rotary clubs in Traverse City. We were chartered in 1920 as club #754, and we are part of Rotary District 6290, representing 63 clubs in western Michigan and Ontario.

While maintaining our membership is important to us, it will not be at the expense of admitting members who are not committed to service, contribution, and upholding the principles of Rotary.

If you have questions, you can contact any local Rotarian.

Thanks again for your interest. I look forward to serving with you.

Yours in Rotary Service,

Ken Osborne

President 2012

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ROTARY IN TRAVERSE CITY

In addition to our club, there are four other local Rotary organizations in Traverse City.

There are two other independent Rotary clubs: Traverse Bay Sunrise Rotary Club and

Traverse Bay Twilight Rotary Club.

ROTARY CHARITIES and ROTARY CAMPS & SERVICES

In 1955, the Rotary Club of Traverse City incorporated Rotary Camps & Services, a

supporting charitable foundation, to hold in trust two parcels of land used for youth

camps. The Scenic Trails Boy Scout Council uses 467 acres with frontage on Rennie Lake

for Camp Greilick. The Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore operates Camp

Sakakawea on 564 acres at the southern end of Bass Lake near Grawn.

When oil was discovered on the Camp Greilick property in 1976, a second supporting

foundation, Rotary Charities of Traverse City, was created to receive royalties from the gas and oil revenues. The mission of Rotary Charities is to improve the well-being of the five-county Grand Traverse region (Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau) using the income from the endowment created by mineral royalties. Since 1978, over $40 million in grants have been awarded to projects of non-profit organizations and units of government.

SERVICE PROJECTS

Some of our club’s major service projects include:

The Rotary Show – This is our largest club fundraising activity. Every member of the

club is expected to participate in this annual event held at the end of April each year.

Tag Day – This annual fundraiser is to support the Committee for the Handicapped,

serving the physically disadvantaged in our community.

Salvation Army Bells – During the holidays each year many of our members volunteer to

ring bells as part of the local Salvation Army annual campaign.

Annual NMC BBQ – It is a long-standing tradition for our members to assist at the local

NMC Barbecue. Rotarians have the privilege of grilling the main course: buffalo burgers.

Christmas Baskets Program – Each year our club works with local social services

agencies to “adopt” needy families and provide them with a Christmas basket. This is a

special opportunity for new Rotarians.

Youth Exchange Program – We are very active in Rotary International’s Youth Exchange Program and usually host more than one student from another country.

World Community Service – Every Rotary Club has a World Community Service committee and ours is no exception, participating in significant annual projects.

Water Studies – This committee works in association with the NMC Freshwater Program and local water advocacy groups to raise awareness and protect the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed.

STRIVE – This mentoring program pairs Rotarians with at-risk high school students in

the area, to improve their chances for educational success. Each year, we present college scholarships to high performance participants.

Wild Game Dinner – Each autumn, this committee works with a local chef to present a

gourmet wild game dinner to raise funds the protection and improvement of the Boardman

River.

SOME ROTARY OBLIGATIONS

100% ATTENDANCE

Regular meeting attendance is a mandatory part of being a Rotarian. If you are unable to

attend a meeting, you are encouraged to make up that meeting at another Rotary Club.

Not only is this a way to meet your attendance obligation, it is an excellent opportunity to

learn more about what other clubs are doing. It offers a way to meet like-minded Rotarians all around the world.

FINANCIAL

Upon entering the club, you will be assessed an initiation fee. Member dues are billed

quarterly and they include a subscription to the Rotarian magazine, district dues, and

club dues. Luncheon fees are also billed quarterly, in advance. Additionally, throughout the year, you will be encouraged to contribute financially to a number of different local and international Rotary projects. While none of these is mandatory, it may be prudent to set a personal “Rotary budget” for yourself in anticipation of these solicitations. Through The Rotary Foundation, every Rotarian is encouraged to donate $100 each year in the “Every Rotarian Every Year” program. This amounts to about two dollars a week – less than the cost of a large cup of coffee.

SERVICE

The hallmark of Rotary is service and volunteerism. Our club has a wide variety of activities and projects, and everyone is expected to participate. It is also expected that a member will never turn down an opportunity to serve or volunteer. It is through this commitment to participation that you will enjoy the wonderful opportunities to experience Rotary fellowship and community service.

THE FIRST YEAR

During your first year of membership, there will be a specified course of Rotary development and a mentoring program to help you learn more about all aspects of Rotary and to engage you in service projects. Current Rotarians will mentor you in this program, which consists of monthly meetings and orientation activities to better integrate you into the world of Rotary, our club’s mission, traditions, committees, and projects.

PRINT OUR MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION HERE

ACCESS OUR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION HERE