Monthly Board Meeting
Transcription Summary from Audio Recording (Full notes available upon request.)
1. Welcome & Introduction of Guests
- Debbie Wiedwald from Westerville Rotary attended the meeting. She is visiting her mother, who lives in Westlake. Debbie attended Westlake High School.
3. Old Business
- Polio Guardians Game: Brief recap of the recent event; no basket winners this year.
- Rotary Wheel/Blow-up: Motion made and seconded to table the purchase/rental of the blow-up Rotary wheel for further discussion regarding potential use cases and storage options.
- Truck Project: Update provided that Rotary International required the grant to be rewritten because the vehicle was originally billed as an ambulance. The project is delayed for several more months while Health Mission rewrites and resubmits the grant to RI.
4. New Business
- Volunteer Opportunities & Target Goals:
- Service Project Target: The club discussed setting a formal annual goal of 2 service projects per month (approximately 24 total per year). The club noted it is already close to averaging 2 projects a month (including the July 4th event, Footpath, and Youth Challenges) but needs to do a better job tracking and logging individual/group service hours on member profiles.
- District Grant Project (UH Health, Wellness & Safety Day): Saturday, September 12th at the Westlake Recreation Center. Volunteers needed for remaining shifts: 11:30 AM–12:30 PM (1 volunteer) and 12:30 PM–1:30 PM (2 volunteers).
- Senior Center Luncheon: Wednesday, September 16th at 10:45 AM. Two volunteers needed to serve lunch and clean up. Lisa will create a sign-up list and send an email to all members.
- Upcoming/Suggested: Potential volunteer projects discussed with the Cleveland Foodbank and MedWish International.
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Discussed a recurring volunteer project where members assist by peeling return mailing labels off returned books so they can be re-delivered. Amy will be following up with Bob P. of the Literacy Cooperative.
- Rose Sale Revenue & Discussion:
- Historical Context & Performance: Members typically sell ~300 dozen roses annually for Sweetest Day, purchasing at $10/dozen and selling for $20/dozen to net $1,200–$1,500 profit. In past peak years, sales reached over 300 dozen, generating up to $3,000 in profit.
- Participation Concerns: Discussion raised that a small group of members (e.g., Pat, Jim, Graham) historically purchase/sell the vast majority (around 100+ dozen individually), while overall club-wide participation has dropped.
- Path Forward: The group agreed to continue the sale for Sweetest Day (October 17th). Suggestions included raising the price to $25 per dozen to double per-unit profit, creating pre-order signup sheets (e.g., at the golf outing), and expanding sales/drop-offs to local office complexes and nursing homes.
- President’s Review of Club Donations & Foundation:
- Dual Budget Explanation: The President highlighted the structural difference between the Club Administrative Account (90% of dues go to RI/District dues; 10% covers club admin expenses) and the Corley Foundation 501(c)(3) account.
- Corley Foundation Overview: Founded in the early 1990s by taking 10% off the top of all fundraising proceeds for ~15 years. The initial cost basis of ~$250,000 has grown to roughly $380,000–$388,000 today. Over $140,000–$150,000 in investment earnings have been pulled out and reinvested into local/international causes over the last 5–6 years, maintaining a principal balance above $300,000.
- Historical Giving Review: The President detailed past annual donation totals from the Foundation:
- 2021: ~$17,000–$21,000 distributed.
- 2022: ~$35,000 distributed.
- 2024: ~$55,000 distributed.
- 2025 (Last Year): ~$75,000 distributed (which included a $25,000 one-time gift to the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center for capital improvements).
- Impact Strategy: In addition to local grants (e.g., Connecting for Kids, Meals on Wheels, Haven Home), the club provides $6,000 in local scholarships, ~$3,000 for Rotary Youth Leadership (RYLA), and $15,000+ toward international/disaster relief. The club aims to formulate a 3-to-5-year plan to focus on larger, high-impact major purchases for local organizations rather than only small recurring distributions.
- Committee Reports:
- Membership: Strong lead activity; new application submitted by Julie Reed; ongoing follow-ups with prospective members.
- Speakers: Schedule is booked through September, with openings remaining in October.
- Westlake 250 / Mayor's Ball: Announcement that the Mayor's Ball will take place on Saturday, November 14th ($125/ticket or $1,000/table) with $250 nonprofit banner sponsorship options available. Note: It conflicts with the Connecting for Kids event.
- Golf Outing Update: Registrations are currently at 14–16 teams. Bentley | Hein Wealth Partners was announced as the Title Sponsor ($3,500 level). $8,500 total raised in sponsorships so far.
5. Club Fellowship & Good News
- Happy bucks shared by members.
Meeting Adjourned: 8:29 AM