For the Club President

THE CLUB ASSEMBLY

a Way to
Put Rotary in High Gear

Cy of the points of strength in the
Rotary movement is that each
year nearly all officers (club, district
and international) are changed. New
blood, new points of view and abilities,
and new determination to carry on, are
some of the valuable results. If there is
any weakness about this policy, it is
that each year, to a certain extent, a
new start has to be made.

This starting process may be com-
pared to putting an automobile in mo-
tion. It begins with the international
assembly where the directors of RI.
and the district governors nominee
come together “to confer and to plan
cooperatively the work and activities of
R.I. and its member clubs.” Using the
figure of an automobile, this is low
gear, the first application of power
which puts the car in motion.

Returning from the international as-
sembly and convention, each district
governor conducts a district assembly
in which, with the club presidents and
secretaries, he plans the program for
the district. This is like “putting it in
second,” increasing both speed and
smoothness of operation.

But it remains for the club president
to “put it in high,” and the club assem-
bly is usually the best medium. (The
club assembly consists of the officers,
directors and committee chairmen.)

Appointments

Soon after his election the president
appoints committees and makes certain
that each chairman is supplied with
such literature and other material from
the secretariat as will enable him to
understand the responsibility of his

committee and to formulate tentative
plans for discharging that responsibil-
ity. One or more informal meetings of
the new officers, directors, and chair-
men, may be desirable at the beginning
of the club year (1 July) or even be-
fore. This will prevent a lack of direc-
tion during the early weeks of the new
club year. However, definite planning
of the program for the year should be
taken up after the district assembly.
The general plan should then be for-
mulated by the club aims and objects
committee. Ways and means of carry-
ing out the plan are discussed in the
club assembly, which consists of the
officers, directors, and chairmen of all
club committees. Following is a sug-
gested program for this first meeting of
the club assembly after the district as-
sembly.

Program for First Meeting of Club

Assembly

1. Reports by the president and sec-
retary regarding policies, objec-
tives, and plans discussed at the
district assembly. These will have
to do with such topics as: organ-
izing new clubs within the dis-
trict, promotion of the Rotary
Foundation, the coming district
conference and international con-
vention, such projects as institutes
of international understanding,
essay contests, intercity meetings,
CLC.

2. Presentation of the general plan
formulated by the club aims and
objects committee.

3. Comments and questions by each
committee chairman growing out

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