with the “Characteristics of a Good
Rotary Club.” This review, made
previous to the official visit of the dis-
trict governor will be helpful to club
officers and district governor alike,
when the latter visits the club. See
further explanation of The Annual Re-
view on page 14.

Meetings of the board and of the com-
mittees are of sufficient importance to
merit careful planning. Usually they
should be held when ample time can

be had for an exchange of ideas and
constructive consideration of activities.
Evening meetings are desirable, be-
cause decisions can be reached after
thoughtful discussion.

The president who succeeds in get-
ting the board and committees to meet
regularly and to hold meetings long
enough for serious planning will do
much for the success of his own ad-
ministration and will turn over to his
successor a strong and efficient club.

The President’s Relationship to Club Meetings

One of Rotary’s unique characteristics
is that member clubs by their action in
convention, are required to hold meet-
ings weekly. Another characteristic is
the requirement that Rotarians shall
be regular in attendance (see standard
club constitution, Article IV, Section
7). Therefore the weekly meeting of
a Rotary club becomes a very impor-
tant and significant factor in the
furtherance of the Rotary program. In
consequence the president will wish to
devote careful thought and continuous
attention to the weekly meeting.

This attention should include the pro-
gram committee and its important func-
tion of carrying out the details of the
general plan evolved by the aims and
objects committee. Various plans for
organizing a program committee have
been tried. Some clubs have a com-
mittee whose chairman functions
throughout the year but who assigns
special responsibilities for one month
or three months at a time to com-
mittee members. Occasionally individual
members are assigned responsibility for
one meeting a year or oftener if the
club is small.

Program Planning

To carry out a diversified and yet co-
ordinated program, one in which all
phases of Rotary’s objectives are repre-
sented, requires first, thoughtful plan-
ning by the aims and objects committee;
second, cooperation by members of the
aims and objects committee in helping
to arrange for programs in their respec-

tive fields of Rotary service; and third,
conscientious attention by the program
committee to its function of translating
the general plans into actual programs
at club meetings. As chairman of the
aims and objects committee and member
ex-officio of all other committees, the
president has opportunity to follow
through on this process. His interest in
making the meeting successful should
prompt him to do so.

While variety is desirable and usually

‘can be obtained, it may be necessary at

times to have two or more successive
programs on subjects in one area of in-
terest. Some aspects of Rotary service
may seem difficult to develop for more
than a few meetings a year. However,
conscientious attention to the subject
by the respective committees will result
in discovering the desired number.

Presiding at Weekly Meetings

On 52 occasions during the Rotary
year it is the president’s duty to preside
at meetings of his club (see recom:
mended club by-laws, Article III, Sec-
tion 1). This function offers the presi-
dent the greatest opportunity to make
his personal contribution to the club.
No other phase of the president's obli-
gation is so exacting. Nothing else
requires such careful preparation and
thoughtful planning.

A regular club meeting consists of
three distinct periods. The first might
be called the fellowship period when

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