Rotary Through My Eyes: Bridging the Gap Nathan Reynolds

My Rotary History 2006-2007: Rotary Youth Exchange Student to Switzerland 2007-2008: Interact Member at Cadillac Senior High School 2008: Life Leadership Conference in Tustin 2012-present: Rotex 2012-2013: Rotaract Club of Kalamazoo 2013-2014: Rotary Global Scholar

What Attracted Me to Rotary Global Network of 1.2 Million like-minded people present in 200 countries Opportunities to serve my community “Think Global, Act Local” Scholarship opportunities Professional Development and Networking Friendship

Youth Exchange Experience Hosted by the Rotary Club of Zermatt; Attended School in Brig Immersive and transformative experience “If every 17 year old student went on a Rotary Youth exchange program there would be no more war in the world.” RI past president Carl Wilhelm Stennhammer Possible D6290 idea: Host an Israeli and Palestinian student in our district

Rotaract Club In Kalamazoo, I became a member because I wanted to connect with young professionals with similar interest Volunteer opportunities in Kalamazoo Kalamazoo Gospel Mission Verburg Park project Engaging speakers that enabled the club to learn more about the Kalamazoo business and civic community

Global Scholar Experience Opportunity to see the global commitment of Rotary During any Rotary Meeting, the Jerusalem club was: Hosting visiting Rotarians from all over the globe Brainstorming new projects both in Jerusalem and abroad Encouraging and assisting students from abroad to become engaged with local projects Effectiveness of the 6 Areas of Focus in terms of defining what Rotary represents What I saw in both Israel and Switzerland: Membership is maturing

Membership Reasons: Economic Personality Differences Knowledge Gap Etc Is there a Pipeline Problem, in terms of recruiting Millennials?

Unfair to categorize Millennials as arrogant, overly self-confident, and borderline narcissistic These attitudes are hallmark traits of young adults navigating a period of change 1970’s “The Me Decade” (1976, New York Magazine) Overwhelmingly, Millennials are looking to combine Profits (personal, material, intellectual) and PURPOSE

Millennial Membership Rotary fosters a strong sense of both local and global purpose It has done a great job defining what the organization is: a global service club that focuses on literacy, peace and conflict resolution, water and sanitation, disease prevention, economic development, and maternal and child health Modesty is a virtue, but don’t be bashful when speaking about Rotary’s achievements! Evidence of results and process transparency are appealing to this generation

Membership Continue to focus on Interact, RYE, and Rotaract Community awareness mailing or billboard for potential members Work with trade schools or colleges to inform new graduates about what Rotary does Young professionals have more time and ideas than they have money, so engaging with them in grant writing seminars or club meetings about fundraising might be helpful

Thank You For Your Attention