Club Service

Club Service consists of activities which foster the logistical and operational support needed to make Christiana Rotary so successful. Club Service is often called "the fundamental building block" of a successful Rotary club, because without the organization and fellowship of the Club, none of the other Avenues of Service could ever be consistently or successfully accomplished.  Described below are examples of Club Service activities at Christiana Rotary.

Fund-Raising

On May 12, 2005, Christiana Rotary held its 11th annual golf tournament at the Newark Country Club. The golf tournament is our main fund-raising event, and it enables us to carry out our community and international service projects. Members are encouraged to participate by playing in the tournament, selling tee sponsorships and program ads, or securing auction items and give-away items that may be needed. The tournament is a lot of work, but it is well worth the effort.  

Fellowship 

For several years, our Club has actively supported "Rotary Night At The Phillies." A portion of every ticket sold is donated by The Phillies to Rotary International's Polio Eradication Program. Our Club's participation goes beyond buying tickets, as we turn the event into an opportunity for fellowship. The evening begins at a Philadelphia restaurant where our members come together for dinner before the game. Some members bring their spouses and their children, while others bring a friend. Sitting around an extremely long table, we have a teriffic time as our event leader orders one surprise course after another. Did somebody say "pass the garlic bread?" After dinner, we head over to the ball park, where we sit together and enjoy the game. We're proud to be a part of this inter-district event, and it's always fun to see the name "Christiana Rotary" on the scoreboard. One of our members has gone down to the field before the game and joined other Rotarians in singing our national anthem. Another one of our members is the coordinator of this event for Rotary District 7630.

Every year during the holiday season, Christiana Rotary holds a Children’s Holiday Party luncheon. The most recent event was a buffet and show held on December 30, 2004. This was an especially fun afternoon due to the science experiments that were used to provide the entertainment. The party was attended by children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces of Club members.  After the holiday season, our members have an annual party where they and their guests get together for an evening of fun and comraderie. The party may consist of a train ride to a restaurant, dinner at a hotel with overnight accommodations, a murder mystery dinner, or an intimate evening at a member's home.

Membership Development & Retention

A successful Rotary Club cannot exist unless it continuously focuses on identifying and recruiting qualified candidates for membership, and relying on its members to do the same. Attracting new members is just the beginning, however, as it is necessary to make certain that members stay involved and continue to benefit from their membership in Rotary.

Good Cheer

Each week, our Club recognizes members who are celebrating birthdays. This recognition consists of a stirring rendition of "happy birthday" led by our singing landscaper, Dick Moore.  We then fine the lucky member 10 cents a year, which is added to our Club's funds which support the other Avenues of Service.  If the birthday celebrant fails to sing happy birthday to himself or herself, the birthday fine is doubled.

Programs

An important part of each week's meeting, and something that our members look forward to, is an interesting guest speaker. A good program helps ensure good attendance at the weekly meetings. Pictured below is one of our guest speakers (on the right) along with Club member, Vessa Fulton.  The speaker is teaching the art of belly laughing, and bringing humor to the workplace.

Public Relations

Publicizing the work of our Club informs the community, attracts new members, and increases awareness and appreciation of Christiana Rotary's activities. 

Club Newsletter

Christiana Rotary's online newsletter, "The Voice Of Service," is published on a weekly basis and emailed to the entire membership, as well as to former members and friends who enjoy keeping up with what our Club is doing. 

Greeters

A greeter is a member who warmly welcomes members, visiting Rotarians, guests, and guest speakers as they arrive at the weekly meeting.  The greeter notes who attends the meeting, and sells 50/50 tickets, another fund-raiser.  The person whose number is pulled from the bowl wins the opportunity to try to pick the King of Clubs. If the wrong card is picked, it is torn up and thrown away, thereby reducing by one the number of cards left in the deck. This continues each week as the deck gets smaller and smaller, and the pot grows larger and larger, until somebody chooses the winning card.  

Happy Dollars

Members are asked to stand and share with the Club some event that has made them happy. It could be that an in-law has left town, a child has graduated from school, a baby has been born, etc. The cost is $1.00. Anyone can talk about more than one thing by contributing additional happy dollars.  Happy Dollars go to help cover Club operating expenses.