International service and networking club, the Rotaract, has hopes of reappearing on campus.
The Rotary Club is an international, global organization with members from all around the world, as well as locally. As a humanitarian organization, the Rotary Club volunteers within the city to complete community service projects.
The San Marcos Rotary Club provides students with the opportunity to volunteer, network and grow leadership skills.
In the past, the Rotary Club has been associated with Texas State but is not in affiliation with the university. This lapse is due to fluctuating interest and graduation of dedicated members. There is a tentative interest in starting up a collegiate-level Rotary Club: the Rotaract.
The desire to bring Rotaract to campus was conceived by members of the current Rotary Club of San Marcos, who want to connect Texas State students with the values and projects the organization promotes and provides.
Rotaract clubs are not uncommon on college campuses like The University of Texas at Austin.
The potential of the Rotary Club reconnecting itself to Texas State would provide students with leadership opportunities and duty through routine community service. The international service is one of Texas’ oldest clubs at 100 years old. The Rotary has a seat on the United Nations and is a well-respected nonprofit organization.
A typical Rotary Club meeting begins with a luncheon followed by announcements. Afterward, there is normally a presentation covering topics concerning the local community. The most recent subject included the demography of Hays County and what Texas’ demographic looks like after the recent population increase.
As far as events go, the Rotary Club is involved with various community-based and international events. Rotary member Bucky Couch said the organization is consistently service-based.
Local service events the Rotary Club has been involved with include School Fuel—which provides weekend meals for school children—and the First Night service organization.
“It’s patriotism, morals, ethics and is all taught to elementary kids,” Couch said. “(These students) are all future leaders in society. It’s a good solid-base program.”
President of the San Marcos Rotary Club Lance Winter has been with the club for over 20 years. To Winter, the core values the Rotary Club stands for is the consistent use of the Four-Way Test: a way of life consisting of a set of self-checks that outline a way of making decisions.
“The Four-Way Test is paramount to what Rotary believes in,” Winter said. “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? What better principles are there to live by?”
Fay Cliett Gillham, Rotary Club member, emphasized the many opportunities to network and make connections within the organization.
“We have a presence worldwide,” Gillham said. “If your cold-blooded goal is to make connections, you have opportunities to make some wonderful ones. A lot of people join because they get to eat a pleasant meal with people in the community, but stepping up from that, our motto is service above self.”
While there is no current movement or timeline on implementing a Rotaract on campus, members of the San Marcos Rotary Club have an interest in reassociating Texas State with the values and ideals the Rotary Club endorses.
To learn more about the local Rotary Club, visit https://smtxrotary.com/ for more information.