Dick Youmans reported to the Bainbridge Rotary Club on Tuesday about his recent attendance at Rotary Leadership Institute in Americus.

He described it as a learning program, similar to any training programs one may have experienced in business or management.

“It is all about motivation and education,” he began. When choosing a project, use the SMART acronym, with S meaning make the project specific. M should make the project success measurable. A is for achievement, R stands for making it relevant and T sets time boundaries.

Youmans said he learned that the Rotary Foundation is a 4-Star rated charitable foundation, which has donated $250,000,000 to charities.

Citing figures that Rotary membership is flat world-wide, and the local club has lost five members over the last year, he encouraged all members to do some recruiting of new members.

He gave some of the benefits of Rotary membership as networking, fellowship, and opportunity for becoming involved in community service. The local club over the last 7 years has given away $224,000 to charitable projects, raised $139,000 in fund raising events, and contributed $82,000 to the Rotary Foundation.

The final step of the institute was to devise a plan to fund and implement a necessary service project—one that is small and achievable.