July flew by offering me awe-inspiring moments and meaningful insights into the membership experience across the District. I had the privilege of meeting with many club leaders and members, as District leaders and I attended or facilitated installations across District 5050. At every stop, I was struck by the energy, optimism, and insight of Rotarians whether it be a talented Rapper from the Rotaract Club of Surrey (yes, I’m talking about you, AQ) to skilled Rotary ambassadors leading Clubs in Marysville, Arlington, and Mission, to a Rotary leader from Hope who experienced the impact of Rotary in the Ukraine. We all come to Rotary with our unique life experiences and a common thread to do good in our world. I am drawn to Rotary not only from the work I feel driven to do, but also the experience I feel as part of a Rotary family.
During many of the Club visits I asked members to reflect on questions regarding their member experience and expectations from their Club:
Are you involved in projects that matter to you?
What makes you look forward to attending meetings and engaging in club projects?
Are you contributing to projects and feeling valued?
Creating a meaningful member experience begins with understanding what a member wants from the Club and building a culture of belonging and purpose. Clubs should continue doing what works well, both with projects and membership development initiatives, but also be open to shifting practice if needed. It’s important to find the right balance between what works well and what might need changing. Celebrate the pioneers and members who have contributed to the Club’s success while also embracing the needs of new members.
August is Rotary’s Membership and New Club Development Month. It is a time to celebrate our members, reflect on our community impact, plan with intention, and take action to ensure Rotary’s future vibrancy. It is also a time for Club leadership to think deeply about how members are being engaged and finding benefit in their participation. Essentially, is the Club planning and delivering on its value proposition?
Strong Clubs are grounded in engaged, diverse, and growing memberships. Club leaders are asking courageous and important questions:
Are we reaching the diverse populations in our communities?
Are we engaging our Public Image champions to let our community members know that we exist and are doing good in the community and world?
Are we welcoming new members to explore how they might also make a difference?
Are we creating leadership and service opportunities that feel relevant, inclusive, and empowering?
Are we gathering data on members’ existing skills and interests to better address future needs?
Membership is not just about growth in numbers. It's about cultivating a deep sense of belonging, where members feel seen, heard, and valued. It’s also about inclusive dialogue, leadership, skills development opportunities, and building sustainable pathways for service. Addressing gaps in community representation and reaching out and involving underrepresented voices will ensure Rotary continues to be a space where Rotarians feel valued and can truly thrive. Across Rotary District 5050, clubs are embracing innovation and creativity to meet the evolving needs of current and future members. Beyond flexible meeting formats, hybrid models, and service-oriented meetings instead of regular Club meetings, they are exploring the lifestyles of members. One Club leader is exploring the creation of a new club based on a shared Vegan lifestyle, an innovative concept that might emerge as a stand-alone club or a satellite club based on interest and area of focus. It’s an idea grounded in values of health, sustainability, and climate resilience. Another group is considering forming a District wide youth-centred Passport Club designed to engage students and young professionals whose schedules might not align with traditional Club models. These forward-thinking approaches demonstrate how Rotary can adapt and remain relevant across generations and lifestyles. It is also worth emphasizing that membership growth is not the sole responsibility of a Club director or committee. Every Rotarian contributes to the growth and vibrancy of the Club and District. We grow stronger and provide value when we welcome others into meaningful conversations, when we celebrate the contributions of existing members, and when we continuously ask ourselves: Is our Club welcoming, relevant, and inclusive? That intentional self-reflection and adapting to changes needed is critical for an uplifting member experience, purposeful action, and long-term sustainability.
While August shines a spotlight on Membership and New Club Development, these themes echo across all areas of Rotary. Let’s always remember to include other areas such as Public Image and Youth Services. Invite future Rotarians who share our common purpose, align with our clubs, and strengthen the communities we serve, while supporting them to stay, grow, and lead.
Access to District resources to enhance your Club’s speaking, knowledge sharing, and skills development efforts:
Each of these District leaders have an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team who are ready to help you. Please reach out to them! Click on the name to send them an email.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) wrapped up another successful event this past month, so we thought we’d share with you a rundown from the weekend along with a look-ahead for next year!
For those that don’t know, RYLA is a powerful 4-day leadership program that transforms potential into action. It’s an experience designed for aspiring leaders, passionate advocates, and those looking to get more involved in their communities, ages 18-30.
This year, RYLA was held at Camp Stillwood in Lindell Beach, B.C, 29 May through 1 June 2025. The camp is located on a beautiful plot of land just south of Chilliwack. It is outfitted with incredible accommodations and has a team of support staff worth bragging about. It was just the spot needed to hold a successful RYLA.
24 participants from across the district (and beyond!) attended RYLA this year, along with eight facilitators and two head facilitators. Billy Hager and Sofia Ngieng (our head facilitators) did a fantastic job leading their Fac team this year, making it a truly wonderful experience for the participants.
Over the course of the weekend, participants heard from a variety of speakers covering topics such as: Overcoming Adversity & Breaking Stereotypes, Ethics & The 4-Way Test, and Finding Your Why. The speakers shared professional and personal experiences, created safe spaces, and allowed the participants to take conversations in the directions that interested them. Beyond that, the participants completed a series of “RYLANTICS” (teambuilding activities) as well as indoor and outdoor projects that allowed them to utilize newly learned collaboration and communication skills brought forth during the weekend.
To say the least, this year’s RYLA was an overwhelming success. Those of us that have attended in the past have coined the phrase “the magic of RYLA…,” meaning the impact that’s left is something almost unimaginable. The phrase certainly rang true this year.
We would like to thank all the Rotary Clubs that financially sponsored and sent participants to RYLA—no RYLA could ever happen without your support! As the ‘25/’26 Rotary year kicks off, we hope your Club continues to prioritize sponsoring (and sending!) at least one participant to RYLA. The impact you all have cannot be overstated.
Looking ahead, RYLA 2026 will again be held at Camp Stillwood 28 - 31 May 2026. To help spread the word, the RYLA Committee intends on completing many more Rotary Club visits this Rotary year to share the impact that this program has on young people’s lives with your members, so be on the lookout for us! Thank you again 😊
The new Board enjoying summer at their installation in early July at Peace Arch Park: Phoenix MacLaren, Patricia Sibley, PDG Drew Antrobus, Rhian Piprell, Trudy Gallant, Allan Baedek, Sean Hogan
Lake Stevens
DGN, now DGE, Kathleen Olson installing the Board at their 80's-themed Party held in late June at the Lake Stevens Food Bank.
President Brian Rewis (r) presenting Past President Ron Rasmussen with a plaque thanking Ron for his service as President.
Chilliwack
The 2025-2026 Board is installed by DG Isabelle Hayer at their event at the Chilliwack Curling Club in early July.
Everett Port Gardner
Peggy Ray is being sworn in as the 2025-2026 President by PDG Dave Duskin.
Isabelle Hayer joined the Rotary Club of Surrey-Guilford in 1989. Her husband, Dave had joined the Surrey Club in 1986. She commented that Jim Follows saw something in her in the early 1990's that inspired her to achieve more. She has served as Club President--twice--the first time in 1997-1998 when she was the first woman President of the Surrey Club. Somebody else that has encouraged her Rotary journey has been Alf Marchi.
The year leading up to her Governorship has been busy with working on the revitalized Hands Across the Border events, filling out the District Leadership team, attending the President-Elects training to support our new Club Presidents, attending the District Grant Seminars and regularly meeting with the District Governor's Leadership team comprised of the immediate Past Governor, the current Governor, the Governor Elect, the Governor Nominee and the Governor Designate when that person has been selected. She has also been partnering with District Conference Committee on planning for next year's Conference at Harrison Hot Springs. The 2025 Rotary Convention was her first Convention.
She would like Rotarians to know that she is accessible to support their efforts, help Club's with the membership experience and ensure that members are feeling valued. Governor Isabelle added that we should find joy in what we do. In conclusion she wants everyone outside of District 5050 to know that our District has the most amazing Rotarians in the world. “They are diverse, they uplift each other and serve as a model of what Rotary is all about.”
Thank you Governor Hayer for visiting with the Journal in preparation for this article. We are excited about your Governor Year and can't wait to share it with our readers.
August 23: North Whidbey Island Challenge Series 33rd Annual Soap Box Derby Race (Morning)
August 24: Meadow Ridge (Lunch)
From the Editor's Desk
First off, thank you to the field photographers for capturing the happenings around the District. The Governor's Installation/Hands Across the Border event was a rousing success with great weather held at Peace Arch Park. See articles above. We would love to share more about your Club and the great things you're doing, but you have got to do your part by sending us the articles and photographs.
Last month we asked you to share your thoughts about your Convention experience. Thank you to AG Shawn Gold for sharing this:
I found it a truly inspirational event. I spent most of my time in the House of Friendship being inspired by a lot of people, projects and booths. I was pleasantly surprised by the "Areas of Focus" sections and booths as well as the "Fellowship" booths. I believe I spent about 20 hours in there. I did go to ed sessions and breakout rooms, that were sometimes half empty and others were full to capacity and I couldn't get in. I learned to get there early if you wanted a seat. I also really enjoyed the general sessions in the Saddledome with very good speakers. I'm not a fan of Danielle Smith and would rather have had the Calgary Mayor and Lt. Governor of Alberta instead (as was the case in the second session). I spent most of my time in the Environment AOF mostly with ESRAG stuff. There was a lot going on there and I was thrilled with the opportunity to join them for dinner at the Vegan Street restaurant (my favorite place to eat in Calgary). Speaking of eating, I did a quick check of the available food in the food court on Saturday and afterwards chose to bring in my own food. I loved the district get together, but was disappointed with the food option for me, but was happy they had something. My experience on that end suggests that Rotary is not very inclusive and that concerns me. I was glad I didn't go to the Zone event as I'm pretty sure I would have been disappointed. As it turned out, I had another night at Vegan Street with more ESRAG folks on Tuesday night. I have lots of ideas for take away projects that I want to pursue and I learned a lot.
Governor Hayer shared her thoughts on the Convention as well:
My take away projects were all environment focussed.
Solar panel challenge and partner with Habitat for Humanity to target renovations adding solar
Club CO2 challenge and tracking carbon footprint
Contact ESRAG Scott re: adding the new 15 day plant rich diet challenge on the unorthodox vegan podcast
Recovered soap project
Carbon footprint calculator for tracking
Consider establishing a Tool Library or Repair Cafe
****
I also spent quite a bit of time in the House of Friendship, meeting people from all over the world, soaking in the enormity of the event and marveling at the planning and logistics of the entire Convention. I participated in several breakout sessions including one for First Time Convention Attendees. I even joined a Fellowship!
The plenary sessions were generally inspiring. I appreciated the welcome by Premier Smith who invited everyone to stay a few extra days or come back to enjoy all that Alberta has to offer. It was great to hear from actress Geena Davis and how she has helped change children's entertainment for the better. All of the plenary sessions are available for viewing via the links at the Rotary,org website.
As you no doubt have noticed, the Governor's Club visits schedule is shown above. Please send us photos and brief recaps of her visits with you. Let's Unite for Good!
Did you read the July issue of The Rotarian? It was distributed later then planned because of the last minute change in the RI Presidency. I recommend you finish quick because the August issue is close to your mailbox if it hasn't already arrived. The Rotarian is always full of wonderful information and a great resource for you to share with your spheres of influence. I mention this in part because of the RSS Feed in the column to the left. There's a chat with RI President Arezzo. I highly recommend it.
If you want your Club's program, initiative, fundraiser and success story to be seen by the entire District (and our friends outside of the District), send us the information! With graphics or photos. And please make sure you identify everyone in the photos. Remember, the deadline is the 23rd of the month before publication. Thank you to those that are sending material. Best to use the Story Submittal forms available at the District website and photos should be separate in jpeg format with everyone identified. Word documents are the best. Make sure any graphics or images you use in your submissions are original, perhaps even created by your own members and not taken off of the internet unless you have received copyright permission.
This monthly publication is a service to District Members and Friends. It is intended as a source of news and opinion from throughout the District.
The mission of the Peace Arch Journal is to promote communication, understanding, fellowship and fun beyond club meetings, in a manner complementary to shared efforts at placing Service Above Self.
Please send articles and news with or without pictures attached to emails. Photographs are always a plus! Note that the editor appreciates conservation of space in order to meet the sender’s needs and the editor’s time.
The deadline is the 23rd of the month.
Address any and all information to the Peace Arch Journal Editor.
Time banks benefit community members by operating on the premise that everyone has something to offer and that everyone’s time and skills are valued equally.
The Rotaract Club of Little River Current Transitions, South Carolina, includes members with disabilities who learn life skills in the local Current Transitions program
