Assistant District Governor Steve Weitzen, District Governor Scott Carr, President Klaus Gubernator, Past District Governor and Rotary Foundation Trustee Steve Brown (apologies to Assistant District Governor Alex Robertson- not pictured here but very much in attendance)
The Golden Circle reminds us to start with the "Why" when thinking about Rotary
The question of “Why?” was the theme of District Governor Scott Carr’s talk at our August 31, 2017 meeting. Each year, the District Governor visits each club in the District, which for District 5340 means 65 clubs that are scattered across San Diego and Imperial counties- as far north as the Fallbrook Village Rotary, Chula Vista Sunrise club to the south, and Rotary Club of Blythe to the east, near the California-Arizona border. DG Carr thought about what to talk about to all these clubs, but, above all, each club he visits reinforces that Rotarians embody the new Rotary tagline: “People of Action”. Rotarians are making things happen. He referenced Hurricane Harvey, and that so many Rotarians had already contacted the District Office asking how they could help. In response, the District launched a web portal where District 5340 Clubs and individual members can donate to relief efforts.
For his Rotary Year, DG Governor Carr seeks to diversify District 5340 membership to better reflect the demographics of southern California. In terms of the simplest demographic- the men:women ratio, Rotary still has a way to go, as only 33% of Rotarians are women. Moreover, he noted the need to attract more members from groups that are currently underrepresented in Rotary, such as Hispanics. As a whole, Rotary embraces change- after all, the entire leadership changes every year, but to continue to diversify membership, Rotarians must consider new strategies for attracting quality members. In this regard, he told of Simon Cynek, a motivational speaker and marketing consultant, who is well-known for his philosophy of: “Start with the Why”. Cynek illustrates the concept in a “Golden Circle” divided into three concentric regions: What, How, and Why. DG Carr asked us to think of prospective members as individuals who are making a “purchase decision” about where to devote their time, talent and treasure. If you tell them the “What”, i.e., Rotary has 35,000 clubs and 1.2 million members, they might think: “Gee- sounds you like you’ve got a lot of people and are doing fine.” If you tell them the “How”- we raise funds for local and international projects and volunteer for hands-on community projects, they might not see how they could fit in or wonder if they have the time. But if you start with the “Why”- why are you a Rotarian, then people are better able to understand how they themselves could begin making a difference right away.
DG Carr stated his “Why” simply: Rotary brings light to places that are dark. He recalled an experience he had as a member of the San Diego Downtown Rotaract Club. The Club members hosted an event for foster children housed at Rancho Jireh foster homes that included a barbecue, games, clowns, and face painting. During the event one little boy came up to him and just smiled. He never knew the child’s name or what happened to him, but that child made a difference in his life that day, and he’s hopeful that his service made a difference in that child’s life. DG Carr encouraged us all to think of a similar moment in our Rotary experience, and to think of our Rotary “Why”.
District Governor Scott Carr has had a long history with Rotary. His involvement began with the San Diego Downtown Rotaract club while he was an undergraduate at the University of San Diego. He met his wife through Rotaract. DG Carr served as President of Rotary of San Diego Downtown Breakfast between 2011-2012 and held several roles in District 5340, including Chief of Staff to DG Louise Andres, and Assistant Governor. District 5340 has benefitted from his extensive expertise with both traditional and online communication methods through his service as website chair, public relations chair, and District Training Assembly Chair. Outside of his Rotary duties DG Carr is involved in a number of community organization such as the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program (SDVLP), Senior Community Centers of San Diego, KPBS Radio Reading Service, Sepsis Alliance, and Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. His three children, a 6-year old daughter and 3 year-old twin sons, also keep him very busy.