The new Rotary International President’s goal: new clubs

Many years ago, Stephanie Urchick was in the Dominican Republic installing water filters as part of an aid project. After installing a filter, she showed the family how to use and clean it. After testing the water and filtering out the dirt, little boys would run up to her, wanting to see the “magic” again.

This inspires Urchick to this day.

On Thursday, the Rotary Club of Evanston, the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club and the Evanston Nouveau Rotary Club welcomed Urchick, the 2024-2025 Rotary International President, at One Rotary Center, 1560 Sherman Ave.

Urchick has served Rotary International in numerous capacities and her contributions span the globe, with projects in the Dominican Republic, Vietnam and Ukraine. She shared her insights and goals for Rotary International at Thursday’s Rotary meeting.

“I realized the water filter wasn’t the magic,” Urchick said. “The magic was what was happening to this family now that they have access to clean water. I realized that all of us in Rotary have seen or experienced that magic.”

Urchick is a long-time Rotary member and said she is determined to continue the club’s development during her term as president. She said she wants to continue to grow membership, especially in new parts of the world, but also stressed the importance of retaining members. She said despite Rotary’s growing social media presence and deliberate attempts to attract younger members, many people still see Rotary as “rich old men” helping out. She said to change that image, Rotary needs to start new clubs.

“Rotary has had the same meeting model for 100 years,” Urchick said. “I’m in a traditional club and we love doing all that, but the world is different. People are looking for different experiences and may not be attracted to that kind of atmosphere. So we want to think about how we can create different cultures or create new clubs.”

A community mirror

Urchick said this idea often faces resistance from Rotary clubs because members fear it will “cannibalize” membership. However, Urchick said research from Rotary International has shown that 85% of new club members are completely new to Rotary and are attracted to the different atmosphere. She said it is in Rotary’s best interest to take these steps because the club should “reflect the look and feel of the community.”