ROTARY CLUB OF KIHEI-WAILEA
END OF YEAR REPORT
2021-2022
END OF YEAR REPORT
2021-2022
The Rotary Club of Kihei-Wailea has had a busy, and quite successful, year in 2021-22.
Last July, 2021, the Club had been meeting by Zoom for about a year and a half, and had lost approximately 25% of our membership. While the Club’s financial situation was stable, there had been no fundraising activities for the previous 2 years.
Al Weiland took over as a new President, accompanied by an experienced Board of Directors of Karen McGinnis as Secretary, Elizabeth Kemmish as Treasurer, Mark Harbison as Grants Chair, and Jay Satenstein as Community and Youth Service Director.
As the meeting restrictions due to COVID began to ease in the Fall of 2021, Al began searching for an in-person meeting venue. Mulligans, our old venue, was not going to be available. We wanted a place to hold hybrid meetings, with good electronics support, at a reasonable price. After vetting about 15 places, we settled on the Kihei Lutheran Church in North Kihei, and began hybrid meetings there on December 1, 2021. There was a steep learning curve on running hybrid meetings, and with the help of Stuart Karlan, Joanne Doell, and especially Cate Evert from the Kihei Lutheran Church, we have made this work. The technology has allowed our members a choice of how to attend meetings, and to have speakers from Oahu, the Mainland and as far away as Kenya.
The Club set ambitious goals for this year for membership growth, participation, projects, and fundraising. While we didn’t meet all of our goals, the Club made progress in every area. We did lose several members, including Gloria Lukens, who passed away December 7, 2021 after attending her first meeting in 2 years. However, we brought on 4 new members who have made substantial contributions this year.
Our attendance at meetings has averaged about 65-70% of our membership, which is much better than the Zoom only meetings.
The Club completed about 14 community service projects this past year, including: Rescue tube replacement and maintenance Filming an interview with Charlotte Smith for World Polio Day School supply drive Dictionaries for 3 rd graders Assisting at Hospice Maui Snacks for Health Heroes Holiday Toys for St. Theresa’s and Imua Family Services Tree planting at several locations Painting Four Square Courts at Kihei Elementary Running a Keiki Health Fair Vaccinations for Keiki and Micronesians Beach cleanup at Kamaole 3 Beach Park Our Interact Club at Lokelani Intermediate School had disbanded during the pandemic. With an enormous amount of work, a new Interact Club was formed at Kihei Charter School. Thanks to Smita Martinez and Jay Satenstein for getting this group going, and leading them in several successful events.
In addition, we supported RYLA and Jr. RYLA youth leadership programs, and awarded several scholarships through HRYF. Thanks to Jay Satenstain and Stuart Karlan for doing the interviews. Our Fundraising Committee of Karen Weiland, Smita Martinez and Paige Fontaine, carried out a successful on-line auction this year, and began planning additional events for the next year.
Even though Imua Readers was unable to do in-person reading tutoring this year due to COVID restrictions at the schools, Kit Hawkins assembled a wonderful planning team to implement this program next year. It appears they will be able to jump start this work at the Kihei Public Library this summer.
Mark Harbison continued to keep our club active in International Grants. We provided funding for a solar stove at an orphanage in Uganda; for cataract surgeries in Delhi; for a water sanitation project in Palau, and clean water and hygiene projects in Nepal.
Financially the Club remains stable, with funds in an operating account and a grants account, and in the D5000 Foundation account. We achieved EREY with contributions to the Rotary Foundation, and currently have 5 Paul Harris Fellows.
I am proud of the accomplishments of this past year. As we start a new Rotary Year we continue to have challenges in attracting new members, and in Fundraising to support our many activities. I have every confidence we will rise to the challenges.
Al Weiland
President, Rotary Club of Kihei-Wailea
2021-2022
President, Rotary Club of Kihei-Wailea
2021-2022