We are very happy to have you as a member of our club!!
On this page you will find information to help you become comfortable and understand your surroundings quickly as a “New Rotarian.”
To begin, please consider watching the following video that introduces you to “Rotary Basics.” (click here)
Happy and Crabby Dollars
Jim Waldorf (a.k.a. “Waldo”) is our Sergeant at Arms. After announcements are made each morning, Waldo goes around the room and asks for “Happy” and “Crabby” dollars and fines. These get deposited into the Sunrise Rotary Foundation account. Do contribute! Here are some reasons you might give a happy or crabby dollar:
- You want to promote an event that your organization is holding
- You want to announce an important event in your life.
- You want to recognize a fellow Rotarian for something she or he has done for you (or has done in our community).
- You want to brag about an accomplishment (either by you or a member of your family)
- You want to vent about something you’re unhappy about.
During this time, “Waldo” will also take “Birthday” checks. Rotarians have the option of writing a check to the Rotary Foundation for an amount equal to their age on their birthday. Waldo is good about not revealing the amount of a check (and thus a person’s age). He may heckle you, though.
You might also pay a $1 “fine” at this time as well. Fines for leaving early / missing a previous meeting are optional. You will, however, be fined if someone in our club pays a happy/crabby dollar to recognize you!
Note that while you can discuss a flyer for an organizational event that you may have left on the tables during happy dollars, you may not discuss nor distribute flyers pertaining to anything related to political candidates running for office. If you’re unsure if something falls into this category, then you’re better off not discussing it. Some rotarians are extremely sensitive to this sort of thing.
Fifty-Fifty Raffle
As you come in the door, Jerry is always there to greet you, record your attendance, and sell you a 50/50 raffle ticket if you so desire. Raffle tickets are $1 each, but if you spend $2, you’ll get 3 tickets. A 50/50 winner is drawn every morning. If you win, you receive 50% of the “pot;” the rest goes to either the foundation account or the international account.
Don’t let folks heckle you if you win too often. Some people are just sore losers!
Speakers and Greeters
Once or twice a year, you will be asked to be a “greeter.” (Check the schedule on the “Member Resources” page so you know your date.) On that day, you should arrive at 6:40am and stand in the doorway and greet your fellow Rotarians as they enter the room. When you’re done, please take the guest list from Jerry and put it on the podium for the President.
Additionally, once a year you will be asked to provide a speaker that would be of interest to the group. Ask your speaker to prepare a 15-20 minute speech; visual aid equipment may be available—ask the President. If you struggle to find a speaker, tell a member of the board. People are happy to assist you in finding a speaker, and everyone knows how difficult it can be to find someone to commit to a breakfast meeting!
On the day your speaker speaks, you will be asked to say the morning prayer and to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. You will also have the opportunity to re-introduce yourself to the club before you introduce your speaker. Besides induction, this is really the only other time you will be given to let some members of the club get to know you, so do take advantage of it!
If your speaker will need a laptop computer, it is up to you to provide it. If you don’t have a laptop, ask the President, who can connect you with someone in the club who does. We have a projector available to us – we just don’t have a computer.
Guests
Any member can bring a guest. We love to meet community members who are interested in learning about Rotary. Be sure to have your guest sign in as they enter and be ready to introduce them during announcements! If your guest is sincerely interested in joining Rotary, introduce her/him to a membership co-chair.
“$100 – Every Rotarian Every Year” Campaign
Rotary International strongly encourages clubs to have their members donate $100 to the Rotary Foundation over the course of every year. This can be done in one lump-sum check, or it can be spread out throughout the year. Be sure to note in the subject line of your check where you want the money to go – you can choose the Sunrise Rotary Foundation (so it stays in our account) or the International Foundation (so it goes to the main (International) Rotary fund).
Where should I sit?
Good question—and the answer is: EVERYWHERE! Try to sit next to someone new each week. You’ll get to know others, and they’ll get to know you, very quickly this way. Don’t be shy! If you take nothing else from this page, take this: sit at a different table every week. It’s the best advice you’ll get!
Joining a Committee
We encourage you to become active in the club right away. Each new member is asked to informally choose a committee in which to be involved. You can be on the International Committee, which raises money for International projects, or the Vocational Committee, which chooses the Education Ambassador and Scholarship recipient every year (we fund a scholarship at Heartland Community College). You could be on the Community Service committee, which plans the Brats and Bags event as well as monthly service events (though you certainly don’t have to be on the committee to suggest a service activity), or you could help the Club Service Committee plan outings and social events for our club.
Committees meet infrequently, depending on the project they’re undertaking at any given time. If a committee head announces a committee meeting that sounds of interest to you, do attend! You can be in as many committees as you desire.
The names of each of the committee co-chairs can be found on the Leadership page.
