Rotary District 6860

Governor's Message

My Fellow Rotarians,

Being chosen to serve as District Governor of Rotary International District 6860 is one of the greatest honors and privileges of my life. I am humbled to serve alongside you as we work together to make north Alabama a better place for all who live here.

My hopes for this year are straightforward. I am asking Rotary clubs to create and support new ways to join and serve through Rotary.

Membership

Enhance what you’re already doing while expanding Rotary’s reach. If you are a traditional club and your members enjoy that experience, keep it up. It works for many of us.

We also know there are people in our communities who want to serve, and for whom Rotary could be an attractive vehicle. They just can’t make our meetings, or formal meetings aren’t what they want.

I am challenging all of us to diversify our clubs’ portfolios. Keep your regular meeting but start a satellite option that meets at a different time or location. Create an interest-based club that focuses on a particular interest or hobby. Support a service-based club where members plan and implement service projects. Consider a corporate club where members can meet as Rotarians without leaving their place of employment.

These clubs will operate their meetings in different ways with different priorities. They will not do things the way the home club does things.

That is the point. As established clubs, it is our responsibility to find and create opportunities for people to experience Rotary in new and innovative ways. That includes our current members who might like to explore other options within Rotary.

Make your club the hub of Rotary expansion in your area. Think of it as a community garden. Plant Rotary where it doesn’t currently exist, give people ownership over it, and then help nurture what grows.

We can also plant these gardens within our own clubs. Make newcomers feel at home – immediately. Make sure your members feel valued and appreciated. This must be among our clubs’ greatest priorities.

Identify and promote interests within our clubs. Occasional table talks allow members to break into interest groups and lead conversations. Let’s structure our meetings so that club members have time to socialize with each other. Set aside and protect enough time within our one-hour meetings for club members to visit. It is a critical component of the Rotary experience.

We must prioritize membership because we want to multiply the profound and deeply impactful good Rotary members do in our world. More members means more volunteers for community service projects. More members means more philanthropy through The Rotary Foundation. More members means more changemakers within our communities. More members means more friends in our clubs, throughout north Alabama, and across the globe.

Expand Rotary’s reach in your communities, and enhance your members’ experiences.

Service

I am asking all of us to serve our communities in Rotary’s name. You do not have to limit yourself to your club’s official projects. In fact, you don’t have to ask for your club’s permission, sponsorship, or feedback to serve others in Rotary’s name.

If you want to walk dogs to help your local animal shelter, that is Rotary in action. If you want to collect quarters to provide a free wash and dry cycle for customers at your neighborhood laundromat, that is Rotary in action. If you want to teach adults to read at your local library, that is Rotary in action.

I’m also asking you to promote what you are doing as clubs and as individual Rotary members. Sharing the good works we’re doing isn’t showing off. On the contrary, it’s showing others who we are.

Rotary needs a constant and visible presence across north Alabama. This isn’t just a District or club responsibility. It rests with all of us.

Make regular posts about Rotary in your social media feeds. Write a column or editorial for your local newspaper or digital news group about the good work Rotary is doing in your community. Volunteer as a guest on your local radio or television station to talk about Rotary. Local media outlets are always looking for good local content. We are capable of providing it.

District 6860 is a proud Rotary District. We are a respected Rotary District. We have some of the finest Rotary members you will find anywhere in the world.

I appreciate your service. I value your friendship. And I am humbled to serve with you as your District Governor.

Butler Cain
District Governor 2025-26
Rotary District 6860