Guests
- Nihi and her husband
- DG (District Governor) Geeta
Inspiration was by Andrew Howard
- Reflecting on 20 years of membership: gratitude for fellowship, mentorship, laughs, service opportunities, and community connections
- A worldwide family of like-minded people, met across many different places — but the ideals of Rotary unite everyone regardless of location
- Despite busy duties, jobs, and families, members make time to show up
- Overall theme: "an ordinary man given extraordinary opportunities" — gratitude for membership and the opportunities it brings
The Great Race
- Registrations are still in progress
- Coffee cards available to help with registration; donations welcome for those who can't attend or run
- A walk version is being offered for those who can't run
- Mike and Lisa will send out a volunteer sign-up link
Upcoming Opportunities & Events
- Aug 22 — Blood donation at St. Luke's
- Aug 25 — Oak Meadow BBQ, 5–8pm
- Sep 1 — First Tuesday event at Anjana's house
- Sep 16 — Rotary Collaborative Impact Summit or volunteer at Taste of Los Gatos (details via email from Lissa)
Guest Presentation: Andrew — Los Gatos Troop / HS Senior Patrol
- Troop 2 is the oldest Boy Scout troop in Santa Clara County
- Rotary has sponsored the troop since 1984
- The troop hub relocated in 1968 to behind the high school
- Currently has 53 active scouts and 9 adult leaders supporting mentorship and event organizing
- Leadership elections held every 6 months for senior positions
Troop activities and community involvement:
- Helped set up pasta and recruit Cub Scouts at the Blossom Hill event
- Assisted with Cub Camp to help transition Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts
- Community service at the Los Gatos 4th of July flag raising and the Christmas holiday parade
- Help with Crab Fest and the Great Race Rotary events
- Monthly campout
Related Troop Update (Achievements & Upcoming Events)
Achievements:
- Over 22 ranked advances this year; many new scouts reached higher ranks
- Five scouts earned the Eagle Rank (highest scouting rank, achieved by only ~2% of scouts)
- Merit badges explained as short courses tied to scouts' interests (examples: cooking, sustainability, canoeing, citizenship-related badges)
Upcoming Events:
- Aug 16 — Court of Honor ceremony and troop celebration
- Los Angeles "spicy fish" trip — early fishing and cooking activities
- Sep 19 — Volunteer shift at "Taste of..." event
- Volunteer shift at a graveyard event
- Sep 29 — Recognition event
Guest Speaker: Daeun Jung — Area 11 Interact Director
- Has been involved in Interact for three years; currently still in high school
- Interact is part of Rotary's youth services program, engaging high schoolers in fundraising projects and global/community initiatives
- Co-president of her high school's Interact club
- Focused on strengthening the network between Rotarians and Interact students
- Area 11 covers 8 high schools, including Cambrian, Saratoga, Lee, and Wilcox
New Member Blue Badge Bio
District Governor Spotlight: Geeta
- Background as a scientist working in biotech
- Completed a postdoc at Stanford
- Has worked with NASA
District-Level Discussion (Membership, Structure & Growth)
Notes from a broader district meeting/recording covering Rotary structure and membership strategy.
Rotary & District Structure
- Rotary International has approximately 46,000 clubs worldwide
- The district has 63 clubs, including 3 online clubs and 11 century-old clubs
- Typical districts have 50–70 clubs; some U.S. districts are merging due to declining membership (examples cited in Texas and Oklahoma)
- Local example: Fremont, population ~250,000, shows a notable membership shortfall relative to community size
Membership Growth Tactics
- Emphasis on project-focused recruitment over general/global messaging
- Recommended tactics:
- August membership initiatives
- Two-minute member talks
- Social events
- Asking prospects directly about their interests
- Matching volunteers to activities using Rotary's seven areas of focus
- Social media content (TikTok/Instagram)
- Pitching specific local or international project stories tends to be effective, since international projects often show larger visible impact
Youth Pipeline & Retention
- District tracks roughly 4,000 Interactors and 8,000 parents as potential future members
- Tools for recruitment/retention:
- Sponsorship of Interact clubs
- "Journalist squads" to help recruit volunteers
- Member health checks
Partnerships & Operations
- Memorandum of understanding (MOU) with LATEC
- Use of a virtual assistant to help manage outreach emails
Fundraising & District Events
- District table fee: $100 for nonprofits (an $8 return figure was also mentioned)
- District speaker events featuring a Paralympian, AI experts, and the Taiwan Director General
- District goal: host interactive activities reaching 400 participants
- Repeated calls for clubs to register and to host district-wide activities
Open Issues / Notes
- Ongoing membership decline in some U.S. districts
- Uncertainty around exact local Rotarian counts (e.g., Fremont)
- Continued focus needed on converting Interactors and their parents into long-term club members
- Geeta (DG) is writing a book documenting club histories, with support from current and past club presidents — includes celebrating century-old clubs and scholarship work