Club Procedures
Programs Committee
05/11
PURPOSE
To insure that the programs for the regular noon Club meetings are interesting, informative and emphasize the four avenues of Rotary service.
AVENUE OF SERVICE
Club Service
COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
The Program Committee requires 24 members in order to have a chair and co-chair for each month. Members should be able to recruit good speakers; however, the Club has many speakers who volunteer to speak to the Club. Members also must be willing to select speakers from this volunteer list whose topics are compatible with the Club’s focus and say no to those whose topics are not. If 24 members do not sign up for this committee, the Chair should recruit additional members.
DUTIES/PROCEDURES
The mission of the Program Committee is to prepare Club members for greater service by informing them about developments, needs and issues that affect our community and our world. This is done by:
Striving for excellence in every program,
Making sure that each program topic is timely, interesting and informative so that members are motivated to attend and to bring guests.
Maintaining a balance between business and community issues, the arts, social services and Rotary related programs.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE CHAIR
At the beginning of each Club year, the Chair of this committee will assign a month from October through September of the next year to two members of the committee, who will act as that month’s chair and co-chair in charge of planning the programs for that month. It works best to schedule monthly chairs or co-chairs through the month of September of the next Club year because of the July 1st committee changeover.
In July, the Chair should provide a list of the monthly chairs and co-chairs to the Club Secretary, as well as the names of any committee members he/she has recruited.
The Program Committee Chair is a key position in the Club and requires a considerable amount of time and attention. Once the Chair has made the monthly assignments, he/she must provide good oversight to insure that the programs:
- Are planned well in advance of the month to be presented,
- Adhere to the Rotary Four-Way Test and other standards set by the Club.
- Are submitted to the Board of Directors for approval 6 weeks in advance of the presentation of the programs.
- See attached sample letter from Committee Chair to members of the Committee.
The Chair must also communicate directions from the Board of Directors and program ideas from the membership to the Monthly Chairs and Co-Chairs. Throughout the Club year, the Chair should coach the Monthly Chairs and Co-Chairs as needed to maintain the Clubs high standards for its programs.
MONTHLY CHAIRS AND CO-CHAIRS
The monthly chairs and co-chairs are responsible for planning the programs for each regular meeting during their assigned month. The monthly Chairs and Co-Chairs must be advised of the mandatory programs that fall in their month, which they must plan around. The mandatory programs include:
April or May -- Cleo Fox program; time depends on schedule
May-- Student-led meeting with Rotary Speech Contest winners,
May or June-- Inbound Exchange Student’s report
June -- Educators in Excellence; after school is out
August-- Golf outing
Date varies-- Rotary District Governor; usually in the fall
-- Rebound Exchange student report; usually August
-- President’s Report on Rotary International Convention
Programs that are traditional to the Club but must be scheduled by the Monthly Chair/Co-chair include:
- Mayor’s state of the city, usually early January; call the Mayor’s office no later than the November prior to schedule this program.
- FWCS state of the schools, presented by the Superintendent usually on the last Monday in January
- Rotary Foundation report presented by members of that committee, usually in November, Rotary Foundation Month
- Rotary Youth Exchange departing “inbound” student and returning “outbound” student programs
- Excellence in Education Awards in June
- District Governor visit, usually in August
- Rotary Speech Contest winners typically in May
The Club does not meet on the following holidays:
- Memorial Day
- Fourth of July, if this holiday falls on a day just before or after Monday. This is at the discretion of the incoming President.
- Labor Day
- Usually last Monday of the year, maybe the next to last Monday depending how close to a Monday Christmas and New Years fall; Board’s decision.
Monthly Procedures
- Contact the Program Committee Chair for a list of volunteer speakers and program suggestions made by members.
- The Chair and Co-Chair should meet several months prior to their assigned month to discuss program ideas and distribute the workload. Usually the each will take half of the Mondays for which to plan a program. Others may be recruited to assist.
- Contact speakers and make preliminary arrangements.
- Finalize the list of programs to be presented to the Board of Directors for approval 6 weeks in advance. Program information to be presented to the Board must include the following for each weekly program (see attached sample). Twenty-five copies will be needed.
- Date of the program
- Speaker’s name, title/position, employer or group affiliation related to topic of his/her speech
- Title of speech or a specific topic at a minimum, preferably a paragraph description for the Board and PR committee information
- Name of the person who will introduce the speaker.
- From time-to-time, the Board or President will make changes to the program schedule, i.e. special Rotary program needed, too many similar programs during a month.
- Do not make final commitments to the speakers prior to the Board’s approval or the President’s OK if necessary to commit before the next Board meeting.
- Present programs to the Board of Directors for approval. This is usually done by the General Chair, who is a member of the Board.
- If possible, present February programs in November, because there usually is no December board meeting.
- Keep The Spin Editor, President, Secretary, and PR Committee Chair informed of programs and program changes. The PR Committee needs to inform news media 3 weeks in advance to get coverage
- Notify speakers in writing (see sample letter attached) and follow up with the speaker and introducer a week or two in advance of the program to insure that they will be at the meeting (and on time) and if special arrangements have been made for the screen, microphones etc.
- The Club does not provide visual equipment to speakers, they must bring their own.
- Sometimes members of the Club will volunteer to bring their equipment for a program.
- Politely say “no” to would-be speakers who do not meet our mission objectives.
- Make sure speakers are aware of our standards for decorum, language and non-solicitation (no fund raising).
- Notify the Holiday Inn or other meeting venue if a projection table or other arrangements need to be provided. (Cindy Keller has been the main contact.)
- Write thank you notes to speakers as is appropriate.
TIMETABLE
July-- The Chair assigns monthly chairs for the months of
October through September of the next year.
Ongoing -- The Chair follows up with the monthly chair at least one
month in advance to insure the assigned month will be
covered
October-- Transition to committee for the new club year.
GUIDELINES FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTED OFFICE AS SPEAKERS (adopted 1/11/11)
- In a contested race, candidates from both major parties for a given office will be invited to speak. If only one of the candidates accepts, we will honor the invitation and inform club members that the other candidate was invited but did not accept, giving the reason if appropriate. Every effort will be made to accommodate candidates’ schedules so we don’t exclude a candidate.
- We will not invite candidates in a primary race to speak, i.e. we will invite candidates from different political parties, not the same party.
- 3rd party candidates will be included in the above as appropriate for a particular election and office, e.g. including but not restricted to when the 3rd party may have a significant impact on the outcome of the election or when the 3rd party position may be of significant interest to club members.
- For non-partisan races (judges, school board) the same rules will apply.
- Anyone who has declared their candidacy for public office will not be invited to speak to the club on any non-election related issue until after the election.
ROTARY STANDING PROGRAMS
JulyReturning RYE student report
AugustReturning outbound GSE report
SeptemberGolf Outing
SeptemberCleo Fox Program (last Monday of the month)
FallRotary District Governor
FallPresident’s Report on Rotary International Convention
October
NovemberRotary Foundation Month
DecemberHoliday Program (last meeting of the month)
JanuaryMayor’s State of the City Address (mid month)
FebruaryUpdate on Washington School
March
AprilRotary Speech Contest winners (1st or 2nd Monday)
World Affairs Conference Report
MayNote primary election results; begin to plan/schedule candidate presentations
JuneExcellence in Education Awards (mid month)
Returning RYE Student Report (anytime)
OTHER COMMENTS
None at this time.
To:Rotary Program Committee From: John Peirce, 2002/2003 program chair
Re:Program goals and guidelines
Thank you for agreeing to be part of this year’s Program Committee. The quality of our meetings is driven by the quality of the programs we offer to enlighten and entertain our members. Your contributions and efforts are highly valued.
Programs are to be timely, interesting and informative without being overly controversial. We strive for excellence at each meeting and for a good balance over the course of a year.
The people who seek us out to speak are sometimes self-serving and not the best choice. I urge you to stay informed about current events and issues that shape our community and be creative about identifying potential programs.
We seek a balance between business and community issues, the arts, social services, and Rotary programs. The Board of Directors has the ultimate say over the programs and may on rare occasions find it necessary to ask us to rearrange dates to meet certain club needs. We will make every effort to identify those in advance, but ask you to be flexible in cases where that is not possible.
For this reason, please fax your proposed program speakers, topics and introducers to me 6 weeks in advance of your program month, so that I can present it to the board.
Please note: The Holiday Inn does not have any projection or VCR equipment. A pull-down screen is available. If your speaker wants to use this or has other special needs, please inform Cindy Keller at the Holiday Inn, Tel. 422-5511.
The attached letter to speakers has additional information you will need to pass on to the speaker. I strongly recommend that you confirm everything in writing so there are no misunderstandings. Speakers are our guests and receive a complimentary meal. Please arrange for someone to meet them and help them get their meal and seating.
I will pass on interesting topics that I receive and welcome your ideas and questions. Thank you for your efforts to make Rotary programs something we can all be proud of. If you have any questions, please contact me.
Sincerely,
John J. Peirce
Work Tel. 424-1564 Ext. 321,
Fax 424-0635,
Home Tel. 492-7800
Suggested confirmation letter. Modify to suite the occasion.
May 4, 2011
Dear :
Thank you for agreeing to be our guest speaker at the Downtown Rotary Club on Monday, (DATE). Our Rotary Club membership consists of business and professional leaders from the Fort Wayne area. Approximately 150 members will attend the meeting.
Our meetings are conducted at the Downtown Holiday Inn, 300 East Washington Boulevard, in the Grand Hall on the second floor. Our meetings begin with a buffet lunch at 12 noon (our compliments of course). Please plan to arrive a few minutes before noon. I will plan to meet you at the door to the Grand Hall.
Your portion of the program will begin at approximately 12:50. (NAME) will introduce you at that time. I would appreciate receiving a bio-sketch for making the introduction, or I can call and get the information verbally. Our programs conclude promptly at 1:15 p.m. We adhere strictly to the end time.
There will be a podium at the head table with a stationary microphone for you to use. If you require anything else, please inform me so I can make the arrangements. The hotel does not have projection equipment or a VCR. There is a pull-down screen, if you need one, on the west wall.
Please note that ours is a diverse organization including men and women from a wide range of backgrounds, businesses, professions and not-for-profit organizations. We respectfully ask all speakers to use the highest professional standards when making presentations and to use our forum to inform, not to solicit donations.
If you have any questions, please call me at (TEL. NO.). Thank you. We look forward to your presentation.
Sincerely,
ROTARY MASTER PROGRAM SCHEDULE
2010 – 2011
MONTHCHAIR(S)
*July 2010Bill Gabbard
5No meeting
12Speaker: Jason Boyers, Regional President, The Chef’s Academy
Topic: The Cooking Industry in America
Introduced by: Dee Hoffman
AV Needs: PowerPoint
19Speaker: Dee Hoffman
Topic: RI Convention Report
AV Needs: PowerPoint
26Speaker: Jeff Lewis, General Manager, Raytheon
Topic: What’s Going on at Raytheon Fort Wayne
Introduced by: Al Brothers
AV Needs: PowerPoint
*August 2010John Alexander
2Speaker: Wendy Davis, Allen County Prosecuting Attorney
Topic: White Collar and Violent Crime
Introduced by: Dee Hoffman
AV Needs: none
9Speaker: Tony Hudson
Topic: Blue Jacket – Filling the Gaps
Introduced by: Bob Hudson
AV Needs: power point
16Speaker: Jen Fisher et al
Topic: GSE trip to Mexico report
Introduced by: Noel Knox
AV Needs: power point
23Speaker: Tom Snyder, President, Ivy Tech
Topic: Accelerating Greatness: Changing Lives and Making Indiana Great
Introduced by: Jerrilee K. Mosier, Chancellor, IvyTech NE
AV Needs: power point
30Speaker: Patti Mustapha, returning RYE student
Topic: My Year in Mexico
Introduced by: Doug Hiatt / Brenda Betley
AV Needs: power point
*September 2010Roger Sipe
6Labor Day – no meeting
13Golf outing
20Speaker: Steve VanScoik
Topic: Rotary District Governor
Introducer: Dee Hoffman
AV Needs: None
27Speaker: Dan Ryan
Topic: Rotary Foundation
Introducer: Dick Conklin
AV Needs: Power point
*October 2010Dave Humphreys / Kim Wagner
4Speaker: Jo Young Switzer, PhD, President, Manchester College
Topic: Exciting Happenings at Manchester College
Introduced by: Louise Jackson
AV Needs: power point with projector
11Speaker: Tom Hayhurst, 3rd District Democratic Candidate for US House of Representatives
Introduced by: Kim Wagner
AV Needs: none
18Speaker: Marlin Stutzman, 3rdDistrict Republican Candidate for US House of Representatives
Introduced by: Dave Humphreys
AV Needs: none
25Speaker: Joe Dorko, CEO Lutheran Hospital
Topic: Leading by Example
Introduced: Kim Wagner
AV Needs: power point
*November 2010John Fenoglio / Marty Pastura
1Speaker: Ron Galaviz, Public Information Officer, Indiana State Police
Topic: Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
Introduced by: John Alexander
AV Needs: PowerPoint (bringing his own equipment)
8Speaker: Sharon Versyp, Coach, Purdue Women’s Basketball
Topic: IHSAA “Role Model Students”
Introduced by: Dick Conklin
AV Needs: power point
15Speaker: Bob Chase & David Franke
Topic: The Fort Wayne Komets
Introduced by: Bruce Lehman
AV Needs: power point
22Speaker: Dan Robertson, VP & General Mgr, North American Van Lines
Topic: The relocation industry – Past, Present and Future
Introduced by: Bill Raftree
AV Needs: power point
29Speaker: Lisa Timmerman, Chicken Production Manager, Cooper Farms, Fort Recovery, Ohio
Topic: Modern Food Production
Introduced by: Marty Pastura
AV Needs: power point
*December 2010Beth Kennedy / Alan McMahan
6Speaker: Dave Bennett
Topic: The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne
Introduced by: Alan McMahan
AV Needs: power point
13Speaker: Brad Skiles, Woolman Financial Group
Topic: Hoosier legend Hugh McCullock: from cashier to Treasury Secretary
Introduced by: Beth Kennedy
AV Needs: power point
20Speaker: Holiday program – the Rotary singers
27No meeting
January 2011 Valerie Magana / John Peirce
3Speaker:
Topic:
Introduced by:
AV Needs: PowerPoint
10 Speaker: Heather Schoegler & Katy Silliman
Topic: Vision 2020
Introduced by: John Peirce
AV Needs: power point
17Speaker: Jason Daenans
Topic: Trip to Ghana
Introduced by: Valerie Magana
AV Needs: power point
24Speaker: Mayor Tom Henry
Topic: State of the City of Fort Wayne
Introduced by: Valerie Magana
AV Needs: power point
31Speaker: Babra Dadirai Chakanyuka, Family Support Manager, CVC
Topic: Cultural Diversity in Fort Wayne
Introduced by: Valerie Magana
AV Needs: power point
February 2011Tom Wooding / Irene Walters
7Speaker: Beth Malloy, Deputy Mayor, City of Fort Wayne
Topic: ????
Introduced by: Irene Walters
AV Needs: power point
14Speaker: Charles Shepard
Topic: ????
Introduced by: ????
AV Needs: PowerPoint
21Speaker:
Topic:
Introduced by:
AV Needs: PowerPoint
28Speaker: Leonard Helfrich, Talent Initiative Director, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
Topic: The Talent Initiative
Introduced by: Irene Walters
AV Needs: PowerPoint
March 2011Tony McNair/ Brenda Betley
7Speaker: Dr. Schwartzrubber
Topic: ???
Introducer: Tony McNair
AV Needs: PowerPoint
14Speaker: Charles Shepard