It has been a tough two years for everyone at every level of Rotary. Many clubs had to abandon in-person meetings in favor of Zoom. Schools transitioned to online learning, and clubs and extra-curricular activities were curtailed. Many Interact Clubs struggled just to remain viable. They lost their momentum and the all-important recruitment of new members.
I hope Interact Clubs will submit their brags and victories to the newsletter every month. It will be a way to share with one another and the District the vitality and accomplishments of this important arm of Rotary.
Here is an account of how the Mark R Isfeld Interact Club has survived and found pride in accomplishment during these difficult times. It has been said that a person’s or an organization’s character is reflected in how they meet adversity. I suggest to you that this club has demonstrated that “character” is in their DNA. (continued below pictures)
A significant portion of why we’ve been able to keep our club thriving has been morale. Despite the obstacles, our club is always trying to keep spirits high. We encourage and motivate each other, which keeps this club running.
Through the ups and downs of the pandemic this year, our club has completed many of our annual projects and even accomplished some new ones. And when specific projects are out of reach, such as our annual gala, we can always come up with creative alternatives. Such alternatives still significantly impact our community while also bringing the club together. No matter what gets in our way, the Interact Club has always been dedicated to giving back to the community that keeps us alive.
Sometimes, when we do things differently, they are a hit! For example, our annual Food Drive. To make things much more covid friendly, our club has taken a new approach. We took the word drive quite literally, turning this into a drive-by & drop-off situation. This year we collected over 1500lbs food, making it a huge success!
But it has not been all sunshine and rainbows. There have been times when the club hits a dead end. People were in and out of the club, and school work was piling up for our members. We spent weeks without our weekly general meetings during the winter season, and morale got low.
But we continued to push through. Our exec team stayed organized and clear-minded. Throughout the months of our “drought,” we were able to continue with our Promise Project, making it a top priority. The Promise Project goes hand in hand with our Annual ShoeBoxes. With our ShoeBox project, we can directly give back to those in need within our community, and this year, it’s needed more than ever. Our club has always had the pleasure of working closely and building everlasting bonds within our community; this year, it has only strengthened. The support of our community keeps us motivated and alive.
Although this year has been hard, and more challenging times are expected to come, hope and determination stay strong in the Mark R. Isfeld Interact Club.
Thank you for the continuous support and love!
– The little club that can
Mai Adachi
