Placerville Rotary Interact Club at El Dorado High School has elected this year's officers. 

From left to right Shiree Rezendes-Secretary, Heidi Lorenz-President, Coach JoeVolek-Director, Jeremy Moore-VP, Nicholas Winteir-Treasurer.

Meetings are the 1st & 3rd Thursdays at 1:15p.m. in the Forum of EDH. 
All Rotarians are welcome. Be sure to check-in at the office.

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Interact is Rotary International's service club for young people ages 14-18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but Interact clubs are self-governing and self-supporting.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through projects, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs. And, in the process, Interactors develop leadership skills and learn the value of hard work.

Interactors also often spearhead the formation of Rotaract clubs and participate in Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). Interactors also often go on to become Youth Exchange students or Ambassadorial Scholars.

Interact, Rotary International's service club program for young adults at the secondary school level, was officially inaugurated on 28 October 1962. The foundation of Interact marked a new approach to youth service for Rotary. For the first time, Rotarians were not just serving youth, but were empowering them to serve in their communities and internationally with their Rotary club sponsors.

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Program Guidelines

The following are the basic policies and procedures that govern the Interact program. More detailed information about program guidelines can be found in the Statement of Policy Relating to Interact and the Standard Interact Club Constitution and Club By-laws, which are available for download.

• Each Interact club must perform at least two service projects a year — one that benefits the school or community and one that furthers international understanding.

• Each Interact club must have a Rotarian advisor who is a member of the sponsoring Rotary club. This resource person must attend Interact club and board meetings and provide advice on organizing service projects, fundraising, and club administration. The Rotarian advisor also acts as a liaison between the Interact club and the sponsoring Rotary club.

• An Interact club can be school-based or community-based. A community-based Interact club may draw members from several different schools within the territorial limits of the sponsoring Rotary club. The Rotarian advisor must attend every meeting of a community-based club. A school-based club is subject to the policies and regulations governing all other organizations of that particular school. In most instances, a faculty counselor — who may or may not be a Rotarian — is appointed to work with the Interactors. In the case of a school-based club, the Rotarian advisor is only required to attend the Interact club's board meetings.

• The Interact constitution requires clubs to meet at least twice a month. To remain eligible for membership, Interactors must attend 60 percent or more of regularly scheduled meetings.

• Interact clubs are self-supporting organizations that require little or no financial support from the sponsoring Rotary club.

• Dues, if any, should be minimal; money for projects and activities should be raised through club activities.

• Each Interact club must submit an Incoming Officer Data Form and an Interact Project Data Form to RI annually. Download forms.

• An Interact club is not allowed to merge with any other organization.

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Club Newsletter

The club newsletter should be designed to provide information about the Interact club to all interested parties, including club members, the school newspaper, the sponsoring Rotary club, the district Interact committee, local media, and RI. When creating a newsletter remember to include the following:

• Information about proposed, ongoing, and recently completed service projects and fundraising efforts
• News from RI that pertains to Interact
• Reports from the club’s officers, committee members, and directors
• A brief summary of each meeting
• Information about the sponsoring Rotary club’s activities that may be of interest to the Interact club Be sure to include the name and address of the Interact club, its meeting time and place, the name of the sponsoring Rotary club (Placerville Rotary Club), and the Rotary district number (5190). Consider distributing the club newsletter electronically.  Your sponsoring Rotary Club is providing this site for this purpose.

Project Forms Submitted to RI

The Incoming Interact Officer Data Form and the Interact Project Data Form should be completed and returned to the Data Services Department at RI World Headquarters. These reports are essential for RI Interact records and also provide an opportunity for Interact club projects to be promoted in various RI publications.

Internet

Use this Web site for your Interact club. A Web site can serve as an effective tool for sharing information about your club with your sponsoring club, other Interact clubs, and your community. It can also include links to your sponsoring Rotary club’s Web site (www.placervillerotary.org) and the RI site (www.rotary.org).

Public Relations

Interact clubs and their projects are likely to receive more support if the community knows about them. A good image in the community helps clubs recruit new members and contributes to an accurate, positive image of Interact and Rotary. Publicize club activities in school and local newspapers and other media. The public relations committee of the sponsoring Rotary club should be able to provide lists of local media contacts.

Make sure that someone is taking pictures at all of club events and that these pictures show participants in action (not just people shaking hands and facing the camera). Send photos and project information to the district Interact chair for use in the district Interact newsletter and to the district governor for inclusion in the governor’s monthly letter to Rotary clubs in the district.

Also send the photos and information to the Community Programs Section at RI World Headquarters for potential use in various RI publications.

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• What services does our school/community need?
• What other community organizations could use our Interact club’s assistance?
• Can we collaborate with our sponsoring Rotary club or a local Rotaract club on their service efforts?
• What types of community service projects fit within our club’s budget?

International projects usually require correspondence between members of Interact clubs in different countries and may sometimes involve an exchange or visit. Establish ongoing correspondence with a club before planning an exchange or a visit. Correspondence can include photos or yearbooks, a meeting conducted by telephone, or a regular exchange of e-mail or letters. The following resources are available for contacting a club in another country:

• Interact Correspondence Exchange List, available from the RI Secretariat and updated every September. This list includes contact information for Interact clubs that have indicated an interest in corresponding and exchanging with other clubs.
• District Interact chairs in other countries. Ask your district Interact chair for a list of chairs from around the world, or contact the Secretariat for a copy.
• Internet. Search the Internet for the home pages of Interact clubs.

Because Interact clubs are self-financed and keeping dues low is important, the best way to finance club service projects and other activities is through fundraising. The basic rule to remember when raising funds is that you must offer something of value in return. Examples of successful Interact fundraisers include car washes, food festivals, raffles, walkathons, rummage sales, fashion shows, and benefit performances.

Community Facilities

• Respond to a serious community need by volunteering at a clinic or shelter for abuse victims or at a drug treatment center.
• Find a building to use as a community youth center or plan a multiuse community center.
• Plan community-improvement projects such as cleanups, tree plantings, and fairs or celebrations.

Youth Programs

• Start activities such as art classes, sports leagues, and tutoring sessions.
• Mentor young children.
• .Help children gain access to services they need such as medical treatment, meals, and safe places to play.

Help for People with Disabilities

• Ensure that buildings and parks are accessible to people with disabilities.
• Coordinate an outing or a short trip for people with disabilities.
• Distribute donated medical equipment and supplies such as wheelchairs, eyeglasses, and crutches to assist people in low-income communities.

Health Care and Nutrition

• Educate community residents on health concerns by organizing awareness campaigns (e.g., AIDS walk, immunization campaign, blood drive).
• Volunteer at a clinic or hospital that focuses on a group with special needs, such as underserved women or families affected by disease.
• Fund nutrition and agriculture education in developing countries.

Education and Literacy

• Coordinate the collection of books for students and for class libraries at home and abroad.
• Volunteer at a literacy center and read aloud for recorded books.
• Provide child care for parents attending literacy classes.

Hunger and Food Banks

• Start a seed bank and provide training to impoverished families to enable them to raise food in their own gardens.
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
• Coordinate a hunger banquet to raise funds and awareness of the issue.

Preserve Planet Earth

• Support beautification projects such as urban gardens, parks, woodlands, and greenbelts.
• Help needy communities obtain safe water and sanitation systems.
• Organize a community program to collect and sort glass, paper products, and other recyclable materials.

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• Set realistic goals based on the amount of financial support needed and how much money can reasonably be raised. Remember that some projects may be expensive to conduct but will also generate more than enough money to cover the costs.
• Draw upon the resources at hand. If Interact club members can sing or act, consider putting on a talent show.
• Involve all members of the club.
• Promote the project through the local media, including the school newspaper. Invite a reporter to attend. Immediately after the event, send a brief report of your project to the local media and to RI and include
• photographs that show club members actively participating in the event.

The projects that Interact club members undertake are limited only by their imagination and that of the sponsoring Rotary club. Following are some project activities that Interact clubs may choose to pursue. For other project ideas, visit the online Community Projects Database at www.rotary.org.

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Continue to hold annual installation ceremonies to thank the past officers for their year of dedicated work and to greet new officers for the year to come. Consider acknowledging Interactors with a certificate of recognition.

The incoming president and officers of the sponsoring Rotary club should be invited to this event so they can get acquainted with the new Interact club officers. This can increase communication between Interact and Rotary clubs and strengthen joint projects and activities.

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This suggested format can help you hold productive meetings:

1. Open the meeting with a pledge, anthem, or some other local custom.
2. Have the president introduce guests and make announcements and reminders.
3. Have the secretary, treasurer, and committee chairs make any relevant reports.
4. Introduce new members.
5. Present the meeting agenda.
6. Close with thanks to the speakers or others who have participated.
7. Adjourn the meeting.

The success of an Interact club depends on the commitment and hard work of its membership. When recruiting new members, seek out those with special interests and abilities who would be enthusiastic about the social and service opportunities Interact provides. The following suggestions can help you build a strong, committed membership:

• Set membership goals and encourage all club members to work to meet them.
• Challenge members to bring in one new Interactor each year.
• Present an award to the member who recruits the most new members.
• Organize a special event to attract new members. Explain the purpose of Interact, and show the video Serious Fun (650-EN) along with slides or pictures of your club’s activities.
• Display the Interact Poster (639-MU) and hand out the Interact Brochure (600-EN).
• Publicize your club’s activities in the school paper and in the community.
• Ask experienced Interactors to "adopt" new members and make them feel welcome.
• Assign committee responsibilities to veteran members (this will let them know they’re important to the club).
• Monitor attendance and make sure everyone attends at least 60 percent of the meetings.
• Maintain a good balance among age levels and among males and females.
• Get feedback from members on the types of meeting agendas they would like.

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The club committee is responsible for attendance, membership, meeting agendas, fellowship, and public relations. It develops ideas for the presentations at club meetings, ways to recruit new members and keep current members, and methods for publicizing the club’s activities. The committee should maintain a historical record of the club, such as a scrapbook, that includes pictures and descriptions of the club’s activities.

The finance committee decides how the club will fund its activities, always with an eye toward keeping dues low and ensuring that the club remains self-supporting. The committee finds ways to solicit funds from businesses and organizations by offering something of value — perhaps services or recognition — in return.

The service committee initiates one project each year that benefits either the school or the community.

The international understanding committee undertakes one project each year that promotes international goodwill.

• Give everyone a job to do and keep track of assignments.
• Establish a set schedule of committee meetings for the year.
• Make sure all committee members are familiar with the club’s constitutional documents and the club’s organization and goals.
• Notify committee members in writing of a meeting, giving the date, time, place, and subject of the meeting. E-mail and instant messaging are convenient ways for Interact committee members to communicate.
• Prepare an agenda for the meeting and make sure it is followed during the meeting.
• Contact members scheduled to make reports at the meeting and ask if they need any help preparing their reports.
• Ask members for their opinions.
• Keep meetings short and to the point.
• Keep accurate records but avoid unnecessary paperwork.

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Treasurer’s Responsibilities

• Collect membership dues
• Deposit dues and all proceeds from fundraising projects
• Handle most of work of preparing and administering the budget
• Prepare monthly report that shows:
• Money on hand at the beginning and end of the month
• Receipts, with their source (dues, sale of items, etc.) clearly indicated
• Payments, detailing for what and to whom
• Prepare a final report summing up the year’s operation

The outgoing treasurer should give the final report to the club and the incoming treasurer. All of the treasurer’s reports form part of the club’s permanent record, which should be maintained by the club secretary.

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• A membership activities record
• A committee appointment worksheet
• Attendance records
• Record of dues payments
• Original application form for each member

The secretary can also be responsible for completing the Incoming Interact Officer Data Form and the Interact Project Data Form and submitting them to Rotary International.  The secretary must also take minutes at all meetings. Properly prepared minutes will reflect what was said at a meeting in a clear, concise manner and report actions taken at a meeting without detailing how decisions were reached.

Minutes should cover the following points:

• Type of meeting (e.g., board meeting, club meeting, committee meeting)
• Date, time, and place
• Presiding officer
• Attendance
• Approval and correction of last meeting’s minutes
• Treasurer’s statement
• Summary of reports from officers and committees
• Summary of actions taken and of the agenda
• Announcements
• Adjournment

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President’s Responsibilities

Before taking office:

• Study the Interact constitutional documents.
• Meet with the outgoing president to review the club’s records and discuss its current activities.
• Meet with the incoming board of directors to review current activities and plan new ones.
• Decide which of the existing committees should be retained for the upcoming year and think about any new committees that might be needed.
• Appoint committee chairs based on qualifications and Interact experience and discuss their choices for committee members.

While in office:

• Conduct effective meetings by preparing a detailed agenda that includes what will be covered and for how long. Allow time for reports from officers and committee members.
• Pay attention to membership growth and development. Maintain a balance among age groups and keep interest among current members high by giving them plenty of opportunities to participate and voice their opinions.
• Be creative when planning the club’s meeting agendas, plan them well in advance, and ensure variety (e.g., speakers, panel discussions, trips, entertainment) to satisfy a wide range of interests.
• Delegate responsibility to help other members develop their leadership skills and to avoid getting caught up in details.
• Communicate and collaborate actively with the Rotarian or faculty adviser and the district Interact chair.

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The board is the club’s governing body and meets at least once a month. Club members in good standing may attend board meetings as observers. As a procedural matter, most of the club’s business should be transacted during board meetings, rather than club meetings. The board must report to the membership on all actions taken and policies approved during its meetings, at the earliest opportunity. The Rotarian adviser must attend all board meetings.

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Service Above Self is Rotary’s foremost guiding principle. An Interact club’s service projects are designed to improve the quality of life at home and abroad. These projects often address today’s most critical issues, such as violence, drug abuse, AIDS, hunger, the environment, and illiteracy.

Each Interact club is required to complete at least two major service projects annually, one to serve the community and another to promote international understanding. Each should involve all or most of the members of the club.

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