12/3 Committee Meeting – Time for committees to meet and plan
Meeting Location: Cedar Hall, Main Salem Alliance Building
President’s Message
Wrapping Up 2025: Celebrating Progress and Planning Ahead
Welcome to December 2025! It seems like the year 2025 has come and gone very quickly. December is Disease Prevention and Treatment Month as declared by Rotary International. Thinking of the December theme reminded me to check on our Club progress toward two financial contribution goals that were the focus of October and November. During the month of October, we recognized World Polio Day on October 24, and we had a Club Polio Plus contribution goal of $1,450. I can report that as of November 28 we have surpassed out Club goal with Polio Plus contributions of $1,516. Thank you to all Club members who made Polio Plus contributions. During the month of November, we recognized The Rotary Foundation (TRF) of Rotary International (RI) and focused on contributions to TRF, with a club goal of $14,000. Through November 28 Club members have completed TRF contributions totaling $11,472. Some of this amount is occurring through monthly recurring donations and will continue to grow through the end of our Rotary year in June 2026. Continue to keep TRF in your charitable giving plans, we are very close to achieving our Club goal.
December promises to be a quick month as it relates to the Rotary Club of Salem. We will meet three times (December 3, 10, and 17). We will not meet on the final two Wednesdays of 2025 as they fall on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The three times we will meet this month are important meetings pertaining to Club leadership, and the meeting on December 17 will be our Club Annual meeting when we elect four Club board members and three Foundation board members. Our Club’s 11-member board includes various positions of responsibility and generally with 3-year terms of office. The four positions we will fill this year include President-Elect (2026-27 and to become President in 2027-28), Director of Public Image, Director of World Community Service, and Director of Community Needs. Our Foundation (Salem Rotary Foundation – SRF) is governed by a 7-member board, with rotating 3-year terms of office. The Foundation board chooses their officers (President and Secretary/Treasurer) from the elected board members. Three of the seven current SRF board members are completing a 3-year term of office, but all three of these individuals have decided to continue as SRF board members for another 3-year term. The club’s nominating committee, led by Past-President Cathy Grimes will be bringing nominations forward to fill our Club board positions. Please plan to attend the three December meetings to learn about the nominated individuals. The first reading of nominations will be a part of our meeting on December 3. The second reading of nominations will be a part of our meeting on December 10. Our Club annual meeting on December 17 will conclude the nomination and election process.
The focus of our meeting on December 3rd will be committee meetings and will include an opportunity to participate in a Hands-On project. Our December 10 meeting will feature a 14-member a Capela group from McKay High School. The December 17 meeting will include the Salvation Army band and their Red Kettle to receive our donations and we will receive this year’s Gold Star report as presented by our Club Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer Mills. Plus we will have our Club elections.
See you on Wednesday!
Remember to bring your Tree of Joy gifts (unwrapped)!
President Doug Parham
Rotary Club of Salem
2025-2026
