Jane Bowen, RLI D6780 Chair reports on a new and unique experience in her District.

Two Days of Learning, Laughter & Leadership
The D6780 RLI proudly hosted an energizing and highly successful two-day RLI Retreat on October 24–25, bringing together 20 enthusiastic participants—90% of whom were new to Rotary. This immersive retreat delivered powerful leadership development, deep fellowship, and a spark that will strengthen clubs across District 6780.
[see on the right, District Governor-elect, Deb Birdsall and Past RI Director Beth Stubbs, both were facilitators at the retreat]

A High-Energy Learning Experience
With eight expert facilitators leading sessions—including District 6780 Governor-Elect and Past Rotary International Director—attendees engaged in interactive discussions on Rotary leadership, communication, service, and personal growth. The District Governor also attended, celebrating the momentum and potential of these emerging leaders.

Comfort, Community & Connection
Participants enjoyed breakfast and lunch buffets each day, ensuring no one had to learn on an empty stomach. Those traveling in took advantage of discounted hotel rates, making it a seamless, welcoming weekend experience.On Friday evening, about 25 Rotarians gathered for dinner at Inman Social, where conversation and laughter flowed. The night continued in the hotel’s lively hospitality room, hosted by the District’s Disaster Relief and Hospitality Chair Tom Kale, who once again proved that Rotary hospitality is a superpower.
[see on left, Past RI Director Beth Stubbs and spouse Tony Stubbs, both were facilitators at the retreat.]

A Rockstar Facilitator Team
RLI’s facilitator crew delivered the magic that made this retreat truly exceptional:Joe Mikulecky, Tony & Beth Stubbs, Greg Maciolek, Deb Birdsall, Tom Kale, J.D. Rottero, Cory Brooks. Their expertise, humor, and enthusiasm created a powerful learning environment.

Major Gifts, Major Gratitude
The retreat inspired an extraordinary outpouring of generosity:
   - Three participants gave to Rotary’s Annual Fund during the event.
   - One made a Major Gift on the spot.
   - Two others contributed $500 each toward the Annual Fund, inspiring Beth Stubbs to match their gifts—qualifying all three as Paul Harris Fellows.
Graduates received their RLI Certificates of Completion in a joyful closing celebration.

A New Generation of Facilitators Is Rising
One of the most exciting outcomes of the retreat was this:
Eight participants were so inspired by the experience that they signed up for RLI facilitator training, stepping forward to become facilitators for future RLI sessions.
 

A Weekend That Sparked Momentum

The RLI Retreat wasn’t just a two-day event—it was a catalyst. Participants left more confident, more connected, and more energized to serve.

With so many new Rotarians participating, giving generously, and now stepping up to become facilitators, the future of leadership development in District 6780 has never looked brighter.

RLI extends heartfelt thanks to every facilitator, supporter, and participant who made this retreat unforgettable.




 

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If you have ever wondered if RLI sessions make a difference, the answer is "YES." In an examination of all District Membership Data in the HOA Division, which includes Zones 30 and 31, Districts that "did not have active RLI sessions" lost more Rotarians than the Districts with "active" RLI programs.  A sad observation is that all Rotary Districts in the two zones lost membership in the 14 years from July 2011 to July 2025.  The loss was 27%, or approximately one in four Rotarians left Rotary in that 14-year period.  Here is a table extracted from the report titled "Does RLI Make a Difference?"


As a descriptive statistic of 5.5% would be considered significant by most standards.  From a statistical perspective, the data was examined in a T-Test and the Null Hypothesis "no difference" between the two groups with a p = .049, was rejected. So statistically speaking, RLI-activity makes positive difference.  

This result corroborates the positive effect of RLI on Rotarian retention, that a research project reported, after examining, retention data from both the Sunshine and Mid-Atlantic Divisions of RLI.

The RLI-HOA Board met for a "Special Meeting" on August 19th.  After hearing a proposal by the RLI-HOA Operations Chair and Registrar, J.D. Rottero, about the merits of adding committees to our organizational structure, the Board unanimously approved the proposal.  The Board has now charged the RLI-HOA leadership to move forward with developing new committees/teams in these areas: (1) Promotion and Communications Committee, (2) Growth Committee, (3) Course Resources Committee, (4) Facilitation Resources Committee, and OnBoarding Team.  The already existing Committees will be absorbed by the new committees and expanded.  This action will make it possible for more individuals to volunteer and serve the RLI Programs in our Division.  RLI-HOA remains committed to helping and supporting Districts to strengthen their RLI Programs.

Chair Jeff Romine said Rotary here in North America is at important crossroads. Many Rotary leaders are calling for growth in membership.  RLI-HOA has demonstrated the ability to help grow and retain Rotarians and is well positioned to be an important part of the solution!  It is the philosophy of RLI-HOA that developing strong knowledge of Rotary and leadership is the key to improving membership.  Stronger club leadership makes clubs stronger and more attractive to prospective members, and knowledgeable Rotarians help "seal the deal" with prospective Rotarians.  Plus RLI education promotes Rotarian engagement, which isa  contributing factor to retaining Rotarinas.  

 

Why not make today the day when you draw your line in the sand and say "I can help with Rotary's membership problem. For each member that leaves my club, I am personally going to see that we find a replacement!"


 

RLI-HOA Makes Online Division-Wide RLI Part I available.
RLI HOA online Part 1 will take place on Monday, June 2 and Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 5:30-8:00 Central time, 6:30-8:00 Eastern time. 

To register, go to the RLI HOA Website at the link on your screen (https://rlihoa.org/rli-program/), or contact your District RLI Coordinator for more information.

Registration is now available, and the registration fee is $15 per person, and Part 1 online is open to all Rotary members on a first-come, first-serve basis. See video announcement by PRID Elizabeth Usovicz in the (promotional video).

In accordance with the Rotary Leadership Institute - Heart of America Bylaws:

Two topical areas were addressed in the 2025 RLI-HOA Election: (1) Election of Officers and Regional Coordinators, and (2) Approval of the 2025-2026 Budget. 

 

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