This is my first President’s Message for the upcoming year. I am going to be totally honest….I am more than a little nervous to be President of Brookings Rotary. But, I look forward to the coming year as a challenge and a chance to expand my knowledge of Rotary and to get to know some of the Brookings Rotarians that I don’t know very well. I believe that the club has an awesome team of Board Members that I will be able to lean on and ask for their advice and their deep-well of knowledge.
The theme for the 2024-2025 Rotary Year is – The Magic of Rotary. I am very excited about this since I love movies and books about magic: Harry Potter, Merlin, Hocus Pocus (witches), etc. Of course that is the first thing I think about when I think about magic. BUT….I know that is not what Rotary and our Brookings Club will be focusing on this year. The Magic of Rotary will be to call on members and to recognize and increase Rotary’s power to save lives. With every project completed and every dollar donated – we save lives!
Another area that we will be discussing is balancing continuity and change. Change can upset tired habits and impose better ones BUT I am a firm believer in “if it is not broken, don’t try to fix it”. At the same time, improving existing habits and practices can sometimes make things better. Brookings Rotary Club does so many great things throughout the year so we will continue making things better for the Brookings Community and it’s people.
Finally, membership needs to continue to be on the front-burner of all Brookings Rotarian minds. Continue to be mindful of people who may be interested in Rotary and providing “Service Above Self.”
I look forward to the upcoming year and I am sure that I will be leaning on many of you for support and advice. Past President Michael set the bar high so I will strive to continue to make Brookings Rotary Club amazing!
Jennifer (Jen) Olson
A Nervous President