Kick-Off Meeting: More Service, Bold Goals!

After a summer break filled with delightful fellowship events, the Rotary Club of Shanghai held its Kick-off Meeting on September 3, 2024, at the Hualuxe Hotel.

Our new president, Christian Göttker, shared his ambitious vision with the club. While his and the new board’s primary mission is to boost member engagement in meetings, committees, and service projects, he also announced an exciting target: 100 bell rings. If you’re curious about the significance of ringing the bell, join us at one of our upcoming events, and we’ll be happy to explain!

Christian expressed his gratitude to the board members for their dedicated efforts thus far and emphasized that Rotary is not just a networking organization but, more importantly, a service organization. In this spirit, Vice President Basile, who chairs the Service Project Committee, introduced the concept of “Service Fellowships,” where we will invite representatives from our partner organizations. They will share insights into their projects and provide updates on our collaboration in a relaxed and informal setting.

Secretary Rohit Ballal then introduced the new service project, “Words Matter,” and updated members on its progress.
Additionally, Jeff Hasenfratz, chair of the Speaker Committee, encouraged all members to get involved with the newly established Peace Building Committee and to submit project proposals.

The evening concluded with a record 14 bell rings – a fantastic start to the new Rotary Year!