Random Thoughts About Rotary As I End My Rotary Year
New members of less than three or four months are the greeters and shake hands with the arriving members after they get their name tags. I like this. It is welcoming and new members get to know each other faster.
Meeting only twice a month is a mistake. Every club has some meetings cancelled because of holidays. When we meet twice a month and we miss one meeting for any reason, it is a full month before we see our members again. I am not talking about clubs that don't have a regular meeting because they are out doing projects. I mean clubs that just don't meet. We have one club in our district that never meets and says they just do projects. Perhaps they do, only I have been there 6 times and haven't found that club having a meeting or doing a project.
How can you make your club more vibrant, more interesting? The Ponca City Trailblazer’s had a “meeting” last month picking up trash at the local park. South OKC Rotary is going to have a Rotarian host our meeting at their business once a quarter.
Take a prospect and/or new member to visit two other clubs; They start to see the size, the scope, the different aspects of Rotary and guess what you talk about on the drive to and from.
Visit a club in our district that you have never visited.
Post Helen Keller’s quote in your bulletin – “I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble.”
Read or listen to Robert Putnam’s documentary, Join or Die, his books: Bowling Alone and Making Democracy Work. All are about the importance, the necessity of civil engagement; the importance of Rotary.
Matthew 6:5-6 tells us to go into our closets and shut the door to pray. My interpretation is “do not pray in front of others lest we yield to “Ohh, notice what a fine Christian I am!” How do you interpret these verses? I like a moment of silent reflection.
Stillwater Frontier Rotary Celebrates 100 Years of Pistol Pete
In late May, the Stillwater Frontier Rotary Club met in the beautiful OSU Edmon Low Library. Dressed in OSU spirit wear, club members took a group photo on the library’s elegant grand staircase. The first photo was pretty tame, but in the second photo, club members were “firing their pistols” in eager anticipation of a GREAT program on "100 Years of Pistol Pete"! In good cowboy style, the group feasted on a catered BBQ luncheon while enjoying a slide show of historic and really cool Pistol Pete photos.
Did you know that each Pistol Pete has an assigned number? That’s right! One of our Rotary members, Scott Petty, is Pistol Pete #40. Scott, along with two of his best friends, Pete #39 Rick Wilson and Pete # 33 Kurt Carter, gave a fantastic presentation about Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton’s impact on OSU. Rotarians also heard a few of their mild and wild stories as they answered questions about all things Pete. As a bonus, both of the current Pistol Pete mascots, Pete #97 Brayden Smith and Pete #98 Cooper Hamilton, talked about what’s it’s like to be the Pistol Pete mascot today.
The festivities didn’t stop there. After the program, club members enjoyed “The Year of the Cowboy” exhibit in the library’s Mark and Lisa Snell Gallery. The exhibit begins with a history of how Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton became OSU’s mascot and features items belonging to him, including his fiddle and spurs. Another section highlights the Pistol Pete mascot and features an official Pistol Pete ring, boots, chaps, spurs, and so much more. The final section honors 95-year-old Lillie Solomon. Affectionately known as “Pistol Pete’s Mom,” Lillie has been maintaining the Pistol Pete heads for more than 40 years. All are welcome to view the exhibit in the OSU Library. It is free and open to the public.
This Rotary program was so interesting and so much fun that news media covered the entire occasion. KOKH FOX 25 in Oklahoma City aired a wonderful news segment the evening of the event. Click here to watch it. To see an even longer and better news segment that aired the following evening, click here.
This is just a friendly reminder that June 30, 2025 is also the deadline to submit Global Grant scholarship applications for graduate-level scholars who will begin their studies in August, September, or October 2025.
Please submit the global grant application online using the Grant Center. All steps, scholar and sponsor authorizations must be completed for the application to be officially submitted to The Rotary Foundation. Rotary International has plenty of resources to help you as you draft your applications, including the Global Grant Scholarship Supplement, the Area of Focus Policy Statements, the Global Grant Terms and Conditions, and the guide on How to Use the Grant Center. All of these resources and more can be found at https://my.rotary.org/en/knowledge-and-resources/resources-and-reference/global-grants.
Ponca City Trailblazers Rotary Club: One Hour at a Time
The Ponca City Trailblazers Rotary Club has stayed busy serving our community! In May, members rolled up their sleeves for a park clean-up project, and in June, we partnered with the Attucks Community Alliance to help prepare their facility for upcoming Juneteenth celebrations.
At a time when many organizations are struggling to find volunteers, we’re proud that our club continues to show up. Sometimes, it’s just an hour after work—but that hour matters. It’s that consistent commitment that keeps our club strong.
And it’s contagious—just minutes after posting photos from our latest project, we received a membership inquiry. Service inspires service, and we’re excited to keep that momentum going.
In preparation of the upcoming Rotary year, take a moment before July 1 to review your membership with Rotary International (RI). You are invoiced on the number of active members in your club with RI as of July 1. They will not make changes. If you need any help accessing this information, please reach out to Amy Hollas (Rotary5750@gmail.com / 405-532-1139) for assistance.
Per the club vote held last year, dues for the district will change effective July 1, 2025 to $60 per member; and the semi-annual billing will be invoiced at $30 per member count on July 1.
The Rotary International Dues will have increases as listed below as the Council on Legislation just voted an increase for 3 more years. At this time the magazine should be relatively the same, $18 and the insurance/Council on Legislation costs at $7.13 annually. We received notification that RI insurance costs that are charged on your July invoice will be going up to $6.12/member. This is up from $5.51/member from last year.
RI Dues Annual
Current $78.50
2025-26 $82.00
2026-27 $85.75
2027-28 $89.50
Rotary Club of Guthrie
Terry Moore, Rotary Assistant Governor, joined Student Government Association Chief Justice and Student of the Week, Taran Richardson, for Rotary at Interbank in Guthrie.
The club welcomed guest speaker Becca Parks, Director of Fundraising & External Relations at Heartline 211. Rotarians and guests had the opportunity to visit with Rotary Vice President Coy McPeek.
To join the weekly email from Rotary Club of Guthrie, click the link to email below.
Are you ready to take your Rotary journey to the next level? The 2025 Rotary Summer Seminars are your opportunity to do just that—and more. With five exciting sessions offered across Zones 30 and 31, these seminars are your chance to connect, learn, and walk away with practical tools to grow membership, strengthen engagement, and deepen Rotary's impact in your community.
Register for August 9 in Oklahoma City! Click the link below
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