Rotary Club leaders receive encouragement and training for the work that keeps this worldwide organization serving humanity. The structure of Rotary resembles an upside-down pyramid, with the 33,000 clubs in 200 countries making most of the decisions on the allocation of volunteer time and financial appropriations.

The Rotary Club of Brunswick has adopted the suggested model of succession for club leadership. New members are assigned to committees such as fundraising, public relations, and community service. This involvement often leads to a position on the board of directors. After one or two years as a director, dedicated members are asked to begin the progression of leadership by becoming an officer of the club: secretary, treasurer, foundation chair, or vice president. The vice president becomes president-elect after a year of service and then serves as president the following year. The progression includes a year as past president, which serves to foster continuity within the leadership of the club.

Serving 40 Rotary Clubs in southern Maine and southern New Hampshire is an organization called District 7780. The many functions of the district include training for club officers, which includes on-line resources as well as training through club visioning, the Rotary Leadership Institute, the District Training Assembly, and President- Elect Training Seminar (PETS).

The excitement created by Northeast PETS cannot be overstated. With more than 500 Rotary Presidents elect from eight Districts and two countries who gather at the Sheraton Framingham Conference Center in Massachusetts, the opportunities for collaboration and stimulating conversation abound. Keynote speakers from around the world inspire the incoming club presidents and break-out sessions inspire, empower, and encourage “thinking out of the box.” Training is also offered to assistant governors who assist the district governor as a resource for individual clubs. While the district governor, whose training comes from Rotary International, provides a vision for the clubs, the assistant governors offer more concrete mentoring. Assistant governors rise from the ranks of past club presidents.

All of this leadership training translates into serving local communities with projects such as eliminating food insecurity, providing youth services, collaborating with local non-profits, and discovering the needs of the community. The Brunswick Rotary Club has an ongoing presence with Midcoast Hunger Prevention Project, The Tedford House (providing shelter and working to end homelessness), and Read Across America. The local club’s signature events are The Bike Rodeo, 4th of July Games on the Mall, and Midcoast Maine’s Got Talent.

The Brunswick Rotary Club also supports international projects such as PolioPlus, a water project in the Dominican Republic, a hygiene education program in Zambia, and educational programs in Guatemala and Nigeria. Rotary International’s 30-year battle to eliminate polio throughout the world is a model of determination and dedication. To date, Rotarians have contributed more than $1 billion to the cause and provided two billion children oral polio vaccines.

All Rotary Clubs offer opportunities for service in the areas of maternal and child health, clean water, disease treatment and prevention, growing local economies, supporting education and promoting peace. All club members are eligible to travel around the world to work on service projects. Individual club members can also take part in projects funded with district or Rotary Foundation money. These funds come from contributions by the 1.2 million Rotarians from around the world.

To quote Rotary International itself: “Rotary International is an international service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. It is a non-political and nonsectarian organization open to all people regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, or political preference.”

You are welcome to attend meetings of Brunswick Rotary, one of 34,282 such clubs worldwide, at The Daniel, 10 Water Street, Brunswick, at noon Mondays. Meetings consist of a lunch, a speaker, and club fellowship. For more information, go to www.brunswickmainerotary.org.

Claudia Frost is the assistant district governor, Rotary District 7780, and member member of Brunswick Rotary Club.