June 1 2022
BACKGROUND:
Madison West chartered about 75 years ag0, and it has gradually faced the fact that they can’t get members to take on leadership positions. Their attendance at weekly meetings has also been significantly affected. All this, of course, has been worsened by the COVID situation. They approached our Club (and several others) about the possibility of merging or becoming a satellite Club. They want to remain Rotarians, but they don’t think they can make it as a standalone Club.
Madison West currently has 28 members. Typically, a weekly meeting doesn’t include more than a dozen attendees. They have also been conducting hybrid meetings.
Incoming President Kathy Roberg has been talking to leadership at Madison West for several months. Kathy, Dean Ryerson, and Jack Ferreri met with their Club on April 28th at their regular Thursday meeting at Vintage Brewing on Whitney Way. We talked through things our two Clubs were interested and active in. We discussed what a merger would look like, how it might work in the context of Rotary International.
THE MERGED CLUB:
The proposed name of the merged Club NEEDS TO BE DETERMINED (typically a merger results in a name change for the “new” club.). See proposed names below.
We would continue to meet at Serendipity Labs for the time being. The merger would take place at the very end of June, so we would start as a new Club on the first of July, the start of the Rotary year. Yes, there is significant paperwork to file with RI.
Effective July 1, both Clubs will disappear and a new Club with the new name will appear, combining our members and their members. They will begin to attend our meetings (we’ve had a few of their members as visitors already). Because Madison West is merging into our club, the charter date of the ‘new’ Club will be MWTM’s charter date: November 1, 1971.
For Rotary year 2022-2023, it is proposed that Madison West would have a seat on the Board of the merged Club. Peter Overton from Madison West (and their current PE) is the proposed “Board Member at Large.” After that one year, nominations for Club Board seats would be handled in the regular manner.
Rotary West has a Foundation over which they want to maintain some control for one year. Their Board seat is meant to support this. They have $11,000 in a Club checking account, $37,000 in a Foundation account, and $17,000 in a Madison Community Foundation (MCF) account. The first two would come into our accounts immediately upon the merger. The MCF account is more complicated, and we’re checking on the best way to handle that. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Clubs will lay out all the details so there are no surprises. Both Clubs are reviewing their bylaws to make sure everything is solid. We are also working closely with Rotary International so that everything’s done right. Madison West is currently working out “Request for Fund” forms and the MWT-M Board will consider the full budget approval at the June meeting.
MOVING FORWARD:
The MWTM Board has informally approved the merger. We’re sending this email out to MWTM membership to share all the details and to get members in both email and newsletter.
There are considerable details to work out, but the major issues are positive for both Clubs. We’ll gain new members; they’ll have a comfortable, welcoming Rotary home.
The three questions are the following:
- Should MWT-M Rotary approve the proposed merger of Madison West Rotary?
- What should be the name of this combined club?
- Madison West – Middleton Rotary
- West Madison Middleton Rotary
- Others?
- Should we increase our BOD membership by one person for 2022-2023 who is currently serving as PE for the MW club?
These votes will take place at our June 3 meeting. If you can’t make that meeting, send your votes via email to the Club Secretary jack46ferreri@gmail.com. We need your response by 5pm on Friday June 3. |
Kathy Roberg