Greetings, Rotarians!
Before I talk about the new year ahead, I had one final club visit in 2025:
Rotary Club of Menomonie
A noontime club, led by President Joel Helminiak, has a warm and friendly atmosphere. This club is rich in history since 1923, and has a strong community connection. A main focus of theirs is on Rotary Feeds. They have packed more than 1.6 million meals to help fight hunger in the Menomonie area and beyond and still manage to award thousands of dollars in grants to community programs that benefit their community and beyond.
On to 2026
We’re officially at the halfway mark of the year and as I look towards 2026, I am amazed to see how steadily we are evolving to a faster, more modern way of conducting business while still maintaining many of our club traditions.
Thinking Long-Term
For a long time, we’ve hit the "reset" button every July with a new theme. But we’re seeing a big shift in how we lead. While our previous President Stephanie Urchick showed us "The Magic of Rotary" through peacebuilding and our push to end polio, our current President, Francesco Arryo, has brought in a fresh approach.
With the new message "Unite for Good," we’re moving away from "theme-of-the-year" thinking and toward a consistent global brand. The best part? This is backed by our new 3-Year Rolling Goal strategy. No more stopping and starting every time a new President takes office. By planning three years out, our projects in District 6250 will actually have the time they need to grow and last.
Making an Impact in our World
Our work still centers on our seven Areas of Focus, and I love seeing our local clubs jump into our newest one: Supporting the Environment. Whether it’s planting trees or protecting our local watersheds, you’re proving that Rotary is a modern force for the planet.
Of course, we can’t forget our "North Star"—ending Polio. We are so close to a polio-free world, and the money we raise for PolioPlus is what’s going to get us across the finish line. We’re the generation that’s going to get this done.
Building Stronger Clubs
To stay relevant, we’re following a simple Action Plan:
- Increase Impact: Let’s do projects that actually move the needle and prove our results.
- Expand Reach: I’d love to see more satellite or cause-based clubs that fit the schedules of busy young professionals.
- Enhance Engagement: If you’re having fun and feel valued, you stay. Let’s make the "Rotary experience" as great as the service we do.
- Keep Adapting: Let’s keep meetings lean and stay flexible.
Taking Care of Our Own
Lastly, let’s keep having fun while we focus on doing good in our communities and around the world as we strive to live by the principles of the 4-Way Test! And please, keep checking in on each other. By keeping the conversation about mental health open, we make our fellowship even stronger.
I cannot say it enough, thank you for all that you do in Rotary!
Unite for Good,
Michael Kloss
District Governor 2025-26
Rotary Club of Eau Claire WI