President’s Note:
I may not be sitting outside today working, as the rain has arrived, but it does give me pause to reflect on what beautiful weather we’ve had. It reminds me that less than desirable weather is not only inevitable, but necessary, and that beautiful weather will be here again. This reminded me a great deal of what our club has been going through.
We were all moving along nicely pre-covid, and then we hit a bit of bad weather, and now here we are emerging as the light begins to shine again.
I would be remiss if I didn’t say that our lunch meeting last week stirred up some great emotions in me. I saw Rotarians I haven’t seen in a while, guests, and even a pending new member. If that wasn’t enough, we had many members pitching in to help where they could and I had Bill Sparks on the piano. As happy as I am with our journey so far, there is more work to be done. We are working hard to retain and add to our membership, and that’s important.
I'm appreciative of the commitment each of you has made to Canton Rotary and likewise, I am committed to each of you. We are, as they say, family and there is no way I'll let my family struggle without providing workable solutions.
The pandemic was brutal on our club, as well as being difficult on all of us individually. Your club leaders have spent many hours not only navigating this, but also developing plans to re-emerge as a leaner, more agile, and community focused organization.
My year is all about furthering the passions of new and existing members and helping them to see Canton Rotary as a place to give their passion a home. I've long felt that Canton Rotary isn't defined by projects, but rather friendships, collaborations, and resources that can be focused on the passions of our members. That's where I think we shine the brightest.
Let’s keep building on what makes us great.
Yours,
Mark Clendenin, President