On January 24th, we were honored to have Betty Galligan, the assistant governor for our District 7950, as our guest speaker. Betty has been a longstanding supporter of our club. She brought with her as a guest Sharon Johnson, the District Governor Elect for 2024-25. Betty led the session by highlighting numerous strengths of the Middletown Rotary Club, such as its 71 years of longevity, a robust membership size, our vibrant spirit, a strong club foundation, and the successful events and service activities we consistently provide to the community.
Subsequently, Betty guided us to explore additional aspects, including strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Discussions ensued on various ideas raised during the session, with a particular focus on the concern about the continuity of leadership. Many clubs have successfully employed a strategy involving a team of members committed to assuming leadership positions over successive years. This succession plan typically includes the Past President, President, President-elect, and President-nominee. The leadership team collaborates, offering mutual support, sharing expertise, and providing a robust mentoring period for incoming presidents.
Betty played a crucial role in helping the Middletown Rotary Club position itself using this strategy. Angel Gonzalez, a 21-year member of the club, and Chris Semonelli, a former club president, stepped up to become Co-Presidents for the term 2024-2025. The plan includes Cori Kilzi being in line for the presidency after them. This succession plan is expected to strengthen the club in the long term.