Our Presidents Speak - August 8, 2016
Our Presidents Speak: Gary Hough, Wachusett Area
1. Please tell us what factors helped to you decide to join Rotary:
Community involvement has always been a factor in my life from Jaycees in Columbus Ohio, a brief stint with the Lion's Club in Cleveland, Ohio to youth sports coaching and boards. One Rotarian, Steve Groccia, invited me on numerous occasions and Rotary seemed like a fine organization to continue my community service. I didn't realize what a truly great organization Rotary was until after I joined.
2. Of your club’s activities, what do you consider the one thing that best identifies what your club is all about?
I think diversity of activities is really the hallmark of our club, so selecting one best thing is impossible. I love that our club is devoted to youth and getting young people focused on community as well as international service. I like that we built a school in Haiti following the earthquake. I love the video cameras for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at UMass-Memorial Health Care. I could continue to ramble, but the point is, diversity of activities is fun and challenging for us.
3. What is your club doing this year to attract new members?
I think we're trying to make our local community efforts more public. Internationally, we can talk about ending polio now. This, complemented by strong follow-up efforts from our Membership Committee, will continue to have a good impact.
4. Do you have any advice to offer others in the district about how best to achieve a successful fundraiser?
This one is simple: Get hard-working, motivated people to spearhead your project. They can energize the entire club.
5. Do you have any innovative plans for Rotary related publicity during your presidency?
I think we can simply call upon the resources available to us from our District and Rotary International. The resources are there all we have to do is use them.
5. As president, what's your biggest concern for the coming year?
I'm happy with the efforts of our club in recruiting new members. My concern would be assimilating and engaging those new members as well as ensuring that our club is relevant to them.
7. What's the best book you've read in the past three years?
My passion is American history with some current events sprinkled in. The most compelling book I’ve read recently is 13 Hours, the inside account of what really happened in Benghazi.
