Meetings

The purpose of our weekly meetings is to develop friendships and strong ties among club members. Meetings also provide opportunities to help our members grow personally and professionally and enhance leadership skills. They also help us gain an understanding of community and international issues and how we might impact them.

Most of our club meetings feature a presentation from an expert on a topic of interest to club members, such as current events and issues or needs in the Worthington and Dublin communities, in central Ohio, or in organizations that share common goals. We also invite representatives of local businesses to speak, and sometimes the speakers cover unique or fun topics. We also devote meeting time each quarter to engage our members in a local community service project.

Visitors from other Rotary Clubs are always welcome. If you’e not a Rotarian, but want to learn more about Rotary and our club, please join us at a meeting as a guest.

Meeting Schedule

For more than 40 years our club met at noon for lunch. In 2017 we changed our meeting schedule format to a combination of breakfast and lunch meetings to provide a more flexible schedule for members. Our experience during the Covid pandemic with Zoom meetings provided a new way to provide flexibility. The club meets on Wednesdays of the month for lunch from noon to 1:15 p.m. Members may attend in-person or by Zoom.

Hybrid meetings address varying work and personal needs of our members. Because of work schedules or responsibilities, taking an extended lunch break is difficult for some members or potential members. Providing a hybrid meeting format makes the noon meeting time more convenient for members who work in downtown Columbus or other areas of central Ohio and may have difficulty attending in person..

Most club members choose to eat, but dining is optional. And the cost of meals is very reasonable.

WHAT TO ANTICIPATE AT YOUR FIRST ROTARY MEETING

The format of our meetings is generally the same. There is a greeter and check-in table where you will be welcomed and invited to join us for  lunch, which is optional.

Hope You’re Not Ruffled by Our Raffle – Before you leave the check-in table, you will be invited to participate in our raffle (1 ticket for $1 or 3 for $2) for two drawings. The money raised is shared between the winners and the club. The club’s portion supports our social activities.

Where’s the Action? – Fifteen minutes have passed, and nothing has happened yet. It’s okay. The beginning of the meeting is a time for members to catch up with each other and connect with new members, visiting Rotarians and guests. We normally start the formal portion of our meeting around 12:15 p.m.

Going Back to School – After the bell rings, each meeting starts with the invocation. We stand up for the invocation and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we sit back down to finish eating and get ready for the rest of the meeting.

Be our Guest – After everyone is seated, we will introduce you, Rotarians visiting from other clubs and any other guests. You are invited to say a few words if you wish.

What’s Up? – Announcements and reminders will be made about club or community activities.

Why Do We Need a Sergeantat-Arms? – Our Sergeant doesn’t keep order; in fact, sometimes he or she sometimes causes disorder. The Sergeant fines  members, varying from $1 to $2, for making the news or celebrating a special event or doing something special for the club. It’s our way of recognizing members in a fun or humorous way. Members are also invited to contribute a Happy Dollar, sharing something that is making them happy in life. Sergeants may also pose a question related to the speaker’s topic or another subject to those at each table. If they fail, they’re fined. All of the contributions are used to support the club’s social activities. So we have some fun to generate more fun and fellowship.

Speak Up! – Finally, our speaker. The topics of presenters vary from issues or needs facing our community to matters of state or national interest to subjects related to members’ work or interests. Sometimes they’re just for fun. Speakers usually talk for about 20 minutes with additional time for questions. Once each quarter we do a community service project during this part of the meeting.

Will You Be a Winner? – After the speaker, the winning raffle tickets are drawn. Most participants are disappointed!

Take Part in Our Test – At the end of the meeting we stand and recite the Four-Way Test, which is the ethical standard for Rotarians. A large banner displays the 24-word test so you can join us if you wish.

Hope You Return – If you enjoyed your experience, then please come back and continue to get to know us and decide if this is an organization for you.