You may not be aware that for each committee in your club, there similar District committees that serve to help you and your club succeed.
Your Rotary club is the heart of Rotary. It is where friendships are built, service projects come to life, new members are welcomed, and communities are changed. District committees exist to support that work, not to get in the way of it.
Think of the district as a team of Rotarians with experience in different areas ready to help when your club has a question, a challenge, or a new idea. Need help growing membership? There is a committee for that. Want to apply for a grant? There are Rotarians who can guide you. Need ideas for service projects, public image, youth programs, training, Foundation giving, or club leadership? The district team can connect you with people, tools, and examples that make the work easier.
District committees can help your club find speakers, strengthen projects, tell your Rotary story, train leaders, build partnerships, and learn from what other clubs are doing well. They are also a great way to share ideas across the district so no club has to figure everything out alone.
A Rotary district is not meant to be another layer of rules or meetings. It is a network of Rotarians from across the district who are here to serve the clubs. The district governor, governor-elect, governor-nominee, lt. governor, area governors, and district committees work together to listen to clubs, share resources, solve problems, and help clubs reach their goals.
Our District has 11 areas; each has an Area Governor (AG). The AG is often the best place to start. They visit your clubs, they know your club, listen to what you need, and can help connect you with the right district committee or resource.
District committees bring experience and practical help in key areas such as membership, public image, The Rotary Foundation, learning, service projects, youth programs, Rotaract, alumni, and district events. These committees can help clubs find speakers, strengthen projects, apply for grants, tell their Rotary story, train incoming leaders, grow membership, connect with community partners, and learn from what other clubs are doing well.
A strong district helps build stronger clubs. Building stronger clubs happens by drawing on the strength that is in the district and collaborating with other clubs and organizations. When clubs use the district leadership team, they do not have to solve every problem alone. They gain access to experienced Rotarians, useful tools, shared ideas, training opportunities, and encouragement from people who want them to succeed.
The district’s goal is simple: help every club become more vibrant, more welcoming, and more effective in service. When clubs and district leaders work together, we create lasting impact in our communities and around the world.
The following are a few of the Committees in the district.
Learning and Development: most clubs have sent a few people to some sort of training, Vibrant Club Workshop (Sept 26, 2026), Spring Training (April 10, 2027), and Presidents-Elect have gone through PELS/ PETS (Feb 18-21). Amy Tracewell, Chair, is already developing training modules clubs can use in their regular meetings to gain new skills and learn more about all things Rotary. She can also direct you and your club to learning tools online in the Rotary Learning Center.
Enhancing Participant Engagement Committee (EPEC): helps clubs create a Rotary experience where members, prospective members, program participants, and community partners feel welcomed, respected, valued, and connected. Chase Morinaka, Chair, and his committee, working with district leaders, other district committees, and clubs, provide resources, training, and practical strategies that strengthen member engagement. In simple terms, the Enhancing Participant Engagement Committee helps clubs answer an important question: “How do we make Rotary more meaningful, welcoming, and valuable for the people who are already here and for those we hope to invite?”
Vocational: is launching a new and interesting District-level personal engagement through the Collective Contribution proposal. Stacey Ghoddusi, Chair, is seeking to engage more Club Vocational Chairs in a Vocational cohort to share ideas regarding Vocational Ethics, 4-Way Test, and professional development in a Rotarian mode. See the poster and reach out to Stacey to get involved.
Public Image (PI): Includes branding, communication, and much more. Tom Freitag, Chair, has assembled a team of Rotarians with professional skills that bring polish to this committee. Press releases, the district website, flyers, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, are some of the media this crew supports for the district. The PI committee collaborates with District leadership and committees to create meaningful communications to increase the awareness of Rotary and our district activities. We can’t clone the members of the committee, but you can reach out for assistance and guidance.
PeaceBuilder: District 5100 has been recognized as a Global Peacebuilder District by Rotary International for its leadership in fostering peace. This includes various programs focused on youth peace education, conflict resolution, and leadership skills development. Ongoing efforts include planting Peace Poles, Rotarians participating online in the Peace Game, and supporting Peace Fellows. The latest initiative is a Peace Trail connecting communities across our state.
These are just a few of the committees in our district. In the next Committees in Action Newsbyte, the second Tuesday of each month, other committees will be highlighted. In the meantime, you will find a complete listing of the committees, committee chairs and their contact information in DACdb, in the left column under “District Comm Chairs”. Reach out to a committee chair if you are interested in more information or to join a committee.
At the end of the day, district committees are Rotarians helping Rotarians. And when we work together, our clubs are stronger, our service reaches farther, and our communities benefit.