Submitted by: Bob McLean, District Governor (2020-2021) and Patty Baltz, District Trainer (2020-2021)
As recently as early March, the plan was to conduct this year’s PETS (Presidents-Elect Training Seminar) in April at Madden’s Resort, giving District 5580 Presidents-Elect the opportunity to take in PETS and District Conference in a single trip. Then along came the coronavirus pandemic, which required cancellation of the conference.
But like the theme of this coming Rotary year, “Rotary Opens Opportunities”, the District Training Team and our District Officers determined that “the show must go on” and began talking about transforming in-person PETS into an online platform… District 5580’s first ever e-PETS was born!
Although none of us was 100% sure how successful an online version of this important training would be, we all knew that doing nothing was simply not an option. Around the district, and in fact around the world, Rotary clubs – refusing to be sidelined – were connecting for weekly meetings using video/audio conferencing platforms. Our district had already approved underwriting club subscriptions to Zoom Pro to encourage and facilitate virtual meetings, and many of our clubs had begun meeting again using this technology, so Zoom it was!
The e-PETS team determined that four one-hour sessions should allow us to cover (albeit at a high level) an introduction of the critical information that would have been covered face-to-face. As we finalized the agendas, we also knew we wanted to leverage one of the most well-received aspects of last year’s training… dedicated time for Assistant Governors (AGs) to team up with their Presidents-Elect. Fortunately, Zoom has a “breakout room” feature that allows you to split your Zoom meeting in to separate sessions (up to 50) so all AGs could host their own sessions!
Word quickly spread throughout the Rotary community that District 5580 was conducting their PETS sessions electronically, and by the time our training commenced, we had attendees from other Rotary districts in our Zone and even Rotary International District 3232 in Chennai, India asking to join!
The first session was held on Tuesday, April 14th with 87 attendees. Subsequent sessions on April 21st, April 28, and May 5th had even higher attendance – with 119 attendees at session 2! While nothing can really replace the added value of in-person training and the ability to spend time with “old” friends and make “new” friends, the feedback we’ve received on e-PETS 2020 has been very positive.
District Committee Chairs provided excellent introductions to key topics – Rotary Overview, Membership Engagement & Recruitment, Public Image & Communication, Youth Exchange, RYLA, Interact, Youth Protection & Human Trafficking, Foundation, PolioPlus, Annual Fund, Endowments, Grants & Club Projects, Goal Setting & Club Central, Rotary’s Presidential Citation, and Strategic Visioning. We were also able to combine the District 5580 Business Meeting with Session 4, so Presidents-Elect could fulfill their “duty” and vote on the 2020-2021 proposed budget.
Many thanks to Craig Loughery, Scott Soderberg, Dan Diamon, Stephen Margarit, Rozanne Casey, Sam Evans, Matti Pelland, Lynn Hunt, Stacy Schaffer, Herb Schmidt, Debra Warner, Tim LeClair, and Ashley Hall for presenting on a key subject and/or hosting topical breakout panel discussions at one or more sessions.
Special thanks to all District 5580 AGs for your enthusiasm, engagement, and support of our Club Presidents and Presidents-Elect! Your expertise and time are SO appreciated!
An extra special thanks to Suzi Howe, RI Director and Zone 25B-29 champion, who paid a surprise visit during Session 4 to congratulate all District 5580 Presidents-Elect and lead us all in a short celebration!
Last, but not least, our utmost gratitude goes to the training team that pulled our 2020 PETS program from the ashes and rapidly transformed it into a vibrant, engaging, educational, and fun experience. Current District Trainer, Linda Marrin, was masterful behind the scenes – stepping in to fill gaps and supporting every aspect of the planning process. Patty Baltz, in her role as future District Trainer, did a superb job in guiding us through organizing, delivery, and follow-up of each meeting. And, of course, District Administrator, Gloria Mink… We are ever so grateful for her seamless facilitation of e-PETS 2020. From setting up the meetings to managing the registration process to getting us all into the correct breakout rooms (and back again) and everything in between, countless hours and amazing attention to detail on her part ensured success for our first ever e-PETS event.
To our 2020-2021 Presidents-Elect, we are so appreciative of YOUR stepping up to take on this critical role in your club. If you were not able to join one or more sessions, recordings of all four sessions are available on District 5580’s website.
For those who were able to join us for one or more e-PETS 2020 session and have feedback for us (what worked well, what you’d like to see in the future), please share that information with your AG. We’d love to hear from you!
The opportunity to add to your Rotary Leadership knowledge continues with our monthly Club President calls. Be sure to join in!
Do Good, Have Fun, Make it Worthwhile for Everyone!