Kapolei Rotary - Four Avenues of Service

We consider club service to be a very important factor when it comes to ensuring our effectiveness as a club. For that reason, we held a four-hour visioning workshop in May 2009 at a private school in our community. The purpose was to plan our long-range and annual goals as part of a broader effort to put into action a plan that serves as a blueprint for how the club should operate over the next five years.

To help build comaraderie within the club, we have held retreats as well as informal gatherings at the workplaces of various members. That is in addition to throwing parties at the homes of members.

At the same time, we contributed as much as $1,000 in May 2009 to a student-led effort to build two new classrooms at Kapolei High School. The funds helped the woodshop students cover expenses for such building supplies as paint, tools and safety equipment.

In April 2009, we sponsored three high school seniors for scholarships, ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 to assist with expenses such as tuition and books.

We also engage our members as well as high school students in team building activities intended to help them grow and develop leadership skills.

An increasingly big focus for our club is on the youth groups we have formed at schools and community colleges in Kapolei, Ewa Beach, Nanakuli and Waipahu. These programs help instill in our members and the young people they serve an appreciation for service above self.

In February, a club survey found a significantly high satisfaction rate among our members. Of 51 percent of members who responded to the survey, a vast majority felt welcomed and connected to the club. They also credited club leaders with being open to new ideas.