Our program featured Mary Cook from the Rotary Club of Collegeville. She will be our District Governor Nominee beginning in July. She came representing the newly-formed District 7430 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Sadly, the DEI label has become polarizing in a variety of ways. The actual purpose of the Committee is to help Clubs adopt a more welcoming atmosphere so that anyone who visits will feel at home.
Mary believes that Rotarians do three things really well: develop leaders, serve our communities, and build peace. Mary used examples from her own Club to highlight the need for change. In 2015, Collegeville had no President and was somehow supposed to support an incoming District Governor. Three members stepped up to pledge consecutive two-year terms. They upgraded their meeting place to the campus of Ursinus College. They recruited new members from a variety of religions and ethnicities. They found people that could handle electronics and navigate the various social media avenues. Encourage new members to join with a friend.