1. Rotary Through My Eyes: Bridging the Gap
Nathan Reynolds

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Thank You For Your Attention