About five years ago I attended the PETS (Presidents Elect Training Seminar) in Los Angeles. At one of the dinners I had the good fortune to sit next to a young woman from a country in Africa.
I asked what she was doing at PETS in Los Angeles. She said she was president-elect of an e-club and thought this was the best place for her to train. Her club had members from around the world. Her big challenge was finding a time for the members to join in the conference call given all the time zones. The club did projects of mutual interests to improve their communities wherever they were.
This was the first time I had ever heard of an e-club or what they did. I could not fathom how they cultivated fellowship as an internet based club. She said that wasn’t a problem at all.
Well, wouldn’t you know it. Today, we are all members of an e-club. No one is meeting in person. We are all on Zoom. We have adapted to this technology.
In the terms of last year’s Rotary theme: we are connecting with the world. And, with this year’s Rotary theme, Zoom has opened opportunities for us in Rotary.
In the micro, we get to see our friends in Hollywood Squares-style boxes as we kid each other before the meeting starts. We conduct our business and bring in speakers to inform and inspire us. Nothing has changed. And yet, everything has changed.
Our club board meetings and committee meetings are on zoom. So convenient. So efficient.
One of the great things about Zoom is that we can bring in speakers from around the country and around the world to present to us.
In May, RI Vice-President Johrita Solari, from Anaheim, spoke to our club presidents about what she sees for the next Rotary year. In June, RI president Holger Knaack from Germany spoke to the club presidents about his vision for this Rotary year. In July RI Director Elect Vicki Puliz, from Reno, spoke to the club presidents about adapting in this time. And, in August Past RI President John Germ, from Tennessee, will address the club presidents about the Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus.
My point is: we can find speakers anywhere in the country and the world who will share their experiences and stories. All we have to do is ask.
I prefer having a Zoom call with one person to two persons as opposed to a phone call. I like to see who I am speaking to. As my poker buddies remind me, I am the least technological person they know. So, if I can do it...
I have noticed that clubs are becoming far more proficient in the use of Zoom. They are expanding their reach by using chat rooms where 4,5, or 6 people can huddle up and then rejoin the meeting. All great stuff.
If you need help with Zoom or anything techie, Rotary has set up a help center for our zone to give us the support we need.
Just email: techteam@zone2627.org and your program will be solved.
Our Rotary and Rotaract clubs today are not the same as they were five or ten years ago. They are not the same as even six months ago. We have adapted and will continue to adapt to this new way of communicating. We are rebuilding, reforming and reshaping our present and future. It may be challenging and awkward. But we are up for the task. After all, we were built for this time.
I believe we will have a great year and do many great things together because we have embraced the new technology.
Here’s zooming at you, kid.