2015 ANNUAL NEWSLETTER

History of Rotary Means Business (summary)

1997:                San Francisco launches Rotary Business Partners 2004: Name changes to Rotary Means Business 2005-2006:      RMB expansion in District 5150 includes Peninsula (Southern suburbs) and Marin County (Northern suburbs) 2006-2008:      RMB groups, not connected to District 5150 groups, are established in the USA. Groups are located in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Southern California and Arizona.  None of those groups apparently exist currently. 2008:                After attending RMB San Francisco, Tony Benner brings the concept to Sydney, Australia: 2009:                After attending RMB Marin, Jock McNeill brings the concept to District 5130. 2009-2010: After the initial glow of enthusiasm, RMB in District 5130 begins to falter 2011:  Meeting format is changed, and a website is established.  RMB NorCal growth accelerates. 2011-2013:      Leaders of RMB NorCal promote the RMB concept throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, resulting in new RMB groups in Napa and Los Gatos. 2013:                Leaders of RMB NorCal apply to Rotary International for recognition as an official Fellowship. The Rotary Means Business Fellowship is approved in November. With Rotary International’s support, the RMB concept begins to expand worldwide. 2014-2015:      The RMB Fellowship continues to grow and support Rotarians in their success.

Leadership

The Rotary Means Business Board of Directors is now composed of these Rotarians: *Odd director numbers terms expire in odd years.  Even director numbers terms expire in even years.

 Membership

Membership in the Fellowship, on June 30, 2015, is 215 Rotarians from more than 30 countries.

Areas of Growth

The RMB Fellowship’s growth depends on the creation and success of local chapters. Some areas tend to be more active than others, usually when a small group of leaders set goals and follow through with action to help the local RMB chapters succeed. The areas of strongest growth and success in creating and sustaining local chapters are:

• South America
• Central Pennsylvania
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Hawai’i

If you are an individual member with no local chapter, and you would like assistance in forming your local chapter, please contact the RMB Fellowship Chair at Chair@RotaryMeansBusiness.org.

Local Chapters

Current affiliated local chapters of the Rotary Means Business Fellowship include:

• NorCal (District 5130, California, the founding chapter)
• District 7230 (New York)
• Sydney (Australia)
• Big Island (Hawai’i)
• Tlalnepanta (Mexico)
• District 5150 (San Francisco Bay Area, California)
• Los Gatos (California)
• Harrisburg (Central Pennsylvania)
• Uruguay
• Auckland (New Zealand)
• Brazil
• Napa (California)
• Abuja (Nigeria)
• Santa Cruz (Bolivia)
• Boca Raton (Florida)

Rotary Means Business Fellowship Contact Information

• Websites: RotaryMeansBusiness.org and www.RotaryMeansBusiness.com
• General info: info@rotarymeansbusiness.org
• Chair: chair@rotarymeansbusiness.org
• Webmaster: webmaster@rotarymeansbusiness.org
• Treasurer: treasurer@rotarymeansbusiness.org
• Mail: PO Box 95, Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0095

RMB Name Usage

Rotary International owns the marks “Rotary” and “Rotary Means Business.” Rotary International has granted the Rotary Means Business Fellowship revocable permission to use the name “Rotary Means Business.” Local chapters who want to use the name Rotary Means Business and/or the official RMB logo, must affiliate with the Rotary Means Business Fellowship in order to receive permission to use the Rotary Means Business name. Affiliation includes the following:

• Prepare a set of governing documents that follow the Fellowship guidelines
• Note affiliation with the Fellowship on local chapter documents and websites
• $30 annual chapter dues

Any local group not affiliated with the Fellowship may not use the name or logos of Rotary Means Business