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The 2005-2006 Board of Directors

Club Service

Perhaps the least understood Avenue of Service is that of Club Service, but in many ways, it is the fundamental building block of a successful Rotary Club. Without the organization and fellowship of the Club, none of the other Avenues of Service could ever be consistently or successfully accomplished.

The primary functions of Club Service are twofold: First, to provide for smooth transitions from year to year, as new Rotarians become officers and take over the leadership roles in the Club; and second, to stabilize and increase the membership in the Club.

This seems simple, but it isn't. When Don Medeiros became the President of the Club, his successor, Mary Scott, had already been elected, and will spend a year observing and assisting, so that programs created under the other Avenues of Service are continued without interruption. In some of the smaller clubs, like Arnold, the passing on of knowledge and experience is a little easier, because members are more intimately involved.

The membership of a Rotary Club is constantly changing, as members become inactive or move. Additionally, Rotary International wants the Clubs to be a microcosm of their communities, representing all of the industries with minimal duplication; the idea is for members to share in their diversity, rather than become a miniature association of individuals in the same industry.

New Rotarian Toni Glass receives her pin from her husband, and fellow Rotarian, Ron. Dave Arnold acted as President for the evening, and presented her to the Club.

Doug Scott arrived at his Kickout Dinner, celebrating the end of his term as President of the Club, in grand style with his wife, Mary. The Kickout is a light-hearted celebration of the accomplishments of the Club under the President's leadership.

Gene Spencer, the newest member of the Arnold Rotary Club, is also one of our most long-standing members. Gene's association with Rotary goes back to 1954 when he joined the Walnut Creek Rotary Club. He transferred to the Arnold Club in 1973, and was an active member until 1994, serving as Club President in 1976. His long standing support of the Rotary International Foundation makes him a Paul Harris Fellow; this title is given in honor of Rotary's founder.

Before his retirement, Gene worked in the petroleum products business. He is a veteran of World War II, having served as a U.S. Marine in the South Pacific. Asked if he is now pursuing any work-related projects, he replied, "Nope. I'm just livin' the life of Riley."

Gene has fond memories of earlier days with the Arnold Rotary. He served for seven years as the Demolition Derby Chair, running the event at the Calaveras Jumping Frog Jubilee. Since returning, Gene has assisted Rotarian Gary Duda in planning for our Rotary Centennial Project. Arnold Rotary Past President Doug Scott says, "Gene knows who to call for what in the county. He's going to be a great addition to our club." Welcome back, Gene!