On the final day of December, our club had 200 Active Members, according to ClubRunner statistics. Attendance for December’s meetings was 40% (up 4% from last month). Average attendance at each meeting was 81 members and 7 guests. Our Engagement Ratio for the month was 54% (down 7% from last month).
We lost one member in December, Tom Conlin, for health reasons.
New Member Vote
Two New Members were voted into membership
- John Greden (Sponsors: Bob Mull and Ingrid Sheldon)
- Dale Ulrich (Sponsor: Norman Herbert)
Treasury Update
Our club financial highlights include Foundation total assets of $3,998, 505.17, and Club operating cash balance of is $1,917.01. Income from the GPO is currently at $111,295 and expenses $48,590. This exceeds the budgeted income from the GPO by $22,705.
As of this writing, we have 21 members who have not paid their CSA. Efforts have been made to contact them. Termination letters will go out for those that do not respond
Mental Health Initiatives
Collyer Smith attended the board meeting as a guest and has prepared a written outline for the proposed initiatives, with support from Dr. Sam Kottamasu, who has met with numerous mental health organizations to help refine the project’s focus. Dr. Emily Billick of the U-M Depression Center also contributed insight, sharing her work in youth mental health, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and the impact of social media. The initiative addresses the lack of resources and expertise in many rural communities to respond effectively to youth mental health crises. Collyer plans to pursue a Global Grant and will begin the application process soon, with a fundraising goal of $500,000; Rotary International will match 80% of district contributions, and firm funding commitments are already in place thanks to Dr. Sam. Board assistance is requested to help identify additional groups, companies, and foundations for financial support, and Cecilia Walter, Collyer’s Rotary International contact, has approved moving forward.
Annual Survey – Rona Hu (U-M Class)
Member Rona Hu is collaborating with Michael Elliott from U-M Biostatistics and is eager to work with several of her class participants to review and strengthen the current survey. Dawn will conduct interviews with these participants in January, February, and March to help them better understand how the club operates. Rona is highly motivated and enthusiastic about the project, and her group will also be responsible for the post-survey data analysis.
Plan for policies/February meeting workshop
Kathy Waugh has consolidated all existing policies into a single, updated document. While some policies can be addressed at the board level, others would benefit from input from members at large. Dawn will use the February 25th meeting to workshop key policies with the membership to gather broader feedback.
Corporate Memberships Proposal
Leo shared that the club is reviewing the Toledo Club’s corporate membership program with the goal of implementing a similar structure. The proposed corporate membership, priced at $950 and positioned above the current four membership categories, would initially target two corporations, each with two designated (“named”) members. Benefits would include corporate logos featured on the website, at meetings, and in the newsletter, along with broader recognition and promotion. Approvals would be handled at the board level, with discussion planned around a two-tier system for nonprofit and for-profit organizations. A one-page proposal will be distributed to the board for review, after which details will be finalized and a vote scheduled, and Dawn suggested also sharing the concept with the broader membership at an upcoming meeting.
