Rotary Club of Kirkland Annual Leadership Transition

On June 28, the Rotary Club of Kirkland celebrated its annual transition of leadership. The gavel was passed among all the attending past presidents to President-elect Dave DeBois, who accepted the gavel from the outgoing president, James Nevers. President Nevers offered brief remarks recapping the year, listing several key accomplishments: The student of the month program expanded to feature twice the usual number of students; Scholarship grants increased in both the number and amount of awards, and the entire process was updated and moved to an online system; The Rotary Pavilion at the Cross Kirkland Corridor was completed; The annual Holiday Toy Drive gathered more donations than ever before; Rotarians implemented an online payment system for Happy Bucks and other donations; and the club accomplished its goal of “Every Rotarian Every Year,” raising over $8,000 for International Service and $5,700 for Polio Plus.

After accepting the gavel, DeBois offered a few remarks on the new Rotary year and his priorities as president. He spoke about the importance of building on the tradition and strong foundation laid by past presidents, rebuilding the membership with a focus on community service, rejuvenating projects to which Rotarians have been very committed over the years, such as helping kids with math and reading, putting coats and shoes on kids who need them, and renewing the holiday celebrations aimed at helping families in need. He also committed to restarting fellowship events that bring together Rotarians in service, such as the annual salmon bake and barbeques, that were suspended due to the pandemic. DeBois also thanked the club members who have committed to service on the board during his presidential year. Finally, he committed to work hard to strengthen the club, and called on each Rotarian to commit to an active role in the club.