Why Rotary Club of ModestoFLEX?
The purpose of Rotary Club of ModestoFLEX is to establish a cutting edge FLEXible club that emphasizes FAMILY involvement, FELLOWSHIP, and a HANDS-ON approach to the five Avenues of Service,while having FUN.
- Flexible meeting requirements: half the meetings and twice the fun!
- Flexible attendance requirements: both meetings are not mandatory however, members are strongly encouraged to participate in the service projects.
- No fines: we have a “Boast, Roast and Toast” format.
- No mandated meals: We meet on the 1st Thursday of the month from 6:00pm-7:30pm, 2nd meeting could be any day/any time, and determined by members based on service or fellowship needs or family and work schedules.
- Any kind of club event e.g. social event or hands-on service project is counted toward the 2nd meeting.
- Flexible and affordable membership categories: Individual, Single Family, Couples Family, Introductory, Small Business, Corporate Business, and Friends of Rotary.
- Flexible venues: we can meet anywhere. Members are given the opportunity to host rotating “Show and Tell” (at no cost) at their place of business or home.
- Family friendly: all family members of all ages are highly encouraged to attend all meetings and events and participate in service projects.
- Open structure: all board meetings (except the first and last of the rotary year) are open to all.
- Emphasize a hands-on approach to the five Avenues of Service: Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, International Service, and Youth Service.
- Hands-on community service (little or no budget) where we transform lives by getting our hands dirty while making friendships.
- Flexible selection of projects: our culture leads us to serve wherever any member’s passion takes us.
- Flexible leadership development: if you can dream a project, you can lead it.
- Mentorship of young professionals and business owners by seasoned and retired executives.
- Leadership development for our youth: We offer “Kid’s Club” every first Thursday of the month and sponsor Interact Club for young people ages 14 – 18 at Modesto High School and Beyer High School.
- Dedicated to celebrating the “hidden gems” of Modesto.
Thank you for our founding members....
Lars Enevoldsen, MD
Debra Hendricks
Colby Rocha
Edith Awuah
Eugene Awuah
Ryler Rocha
Reagan Rocha
Maame Serwaa Awuah
Maame Dufie Awuah
Mansa Awuah
Papa Kofi Awuah
The Story of a New Club:
What started as an omelet breakfast chef “chit-chat” by two Our Lady of Fatima School dads has become the Valley’s fastest growing service club. Eugene Awuah and Lars Enevoldsen, both seasoned Rotarians, shared their fears of drifting away from Rotary due to family and work pressures, as they flipped omelets to raise funds for their daughters’ trip to D.C. Empowered by the 2016 Rotary Council onLegislation vote on Club and membership flexibility, and encouraged by Liz Hosmer and Terri Amerio-Bell’s Rotary seminar of “Turning your Woes into Wows,” the first meeting was called at the office of Debra Hendricks, Sylvan Union School District Superintendent. Five adults and six children were in attendance. The Rotary Club of Ceres sponsored the new club.
A Series of Firsts
● The first service project was installing flower beds in collaboration with Boys and Girls Club of C.F. Brown Elementary School, followed by Operation 9-2-99 Tuolumne River Clean-up founded by Chris Guptill.
● The First “show and tell” meeting was at the office of Dr. Lars Enevoldsen, MD, and the most recent at “More than just a box” Pacific Southwest Container.
● The first fellowship event was a kayaking and picnic event held at Headwaters Kayaks at Lodi Lakes, and more recently the event was a Painting Party at Chartreuse Muse
● Fast forward to today: 51 Charter Members and 15 children as Family Members.
Our Benefits
● Giving back together as a family unit while preserving quality, family-time.
● Setting an example of positive civic engagement alongside our children, while raising a generation of good citizens.
● Positive work-life balance.
OUR APPROACH
Fewer meetings, more family involvement emphasized
— Our Mission —
Establish a flexible, cutting-edge Rotary club in the greater Modesto area that emphasizes FAMILY involvement, FELLOWSHIP, and a HANDS-ON approach to the five Avenues of Service: Club Service | Vocational Service | Community Service | International Service | Youth Service
The civic scene in Modesto may have changed forever. While service club memberships have suffered from a downward trend across the globe for the past two decades, 51 members are active and already beating the odds. Sponsored by Rotary Club of Ceres, the new Rotary Club of ModestoFLEX chartered on January 9, 2019 with 30 charter members. “We’re thrilled to have officially chartered earlier this year,” said Eugene Awuah who is serving as the club’s first President and leads Rotary membership growth efforts in the Central Valley and Mother Lode. “What was once a dream is now reality. We are living the dream and want to share this flexible and fun experience with you and your family.”
Most traditional Rotary clubs world-wide hold weekly adults-only meetings during business hours with firm attendance requirements and mandated meals. ModestoFLEX marries the same Rotary principles and benefits with a more flexible and far less costly format. “We keep the cost and time commitment down to appeal to families who may have hesitated becoming Rotarians in the past,” says Public Image Chair Michael Gaffney. “Achieving work life-balance is a real problem. Setting aside time to give back to the community is challenging for many families. The FLEX concept is proving to be the solution. My wife Victoria and I each hold a leadership role on the board and take our four-year-old son Connor to the meetings. Instilling Rotary’s solid values and morals in him is very important to us.”
The club’s enthusiastic, diverse, and growing membership has quickly fostered a very positive club culture that promotes a warm, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all who value family, life-long friendships, and a hands-on approach to Rotary service. “I’ve been searching for a place to develop my leadership skills while pursuing my passion for financial literacy. ModestoFLEX provides me with both,” says young business professional Cecilia Rosales who is proud to be the club’s President-Elect.
An array of flexible and affordable membership categories is available including: Individual, Single Family, Couples Family, Small Business, Corporate Business, Introductory, and Friends of Rotary. “The FLEX concept provides me with a vehicle to do something about homelessness in our community, an issue that needs our immediate attention,” says big-hearted but time-challenged local business owner Dory Tucker, who recently launched The Hopeful Garden Project that focuses on homeless mitigation.
ModestoFLEX meets on the first Thursday of the month from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at rotating locations including member’s place of work and home. The second meeting is also flexible with dates and times agreed to by members ahead of time based on their work and family schedules.
To learn more about the Rotary Club of ModestoFLEX or attend an upcoming event, please contact us.
