Happy New Year, Rotarians!

January—the month when gym memberships surge, resolutions are made (and often broken) and we all secretly wonder why we ate so many cookies in December. It’s also Rotary’s Vocational Service Month, the perfect time to reflect on how we can use our unique skills and talents to make the world a better place.

Vocational Service is one of Rotary’s superpowers, reaching back to our very founding. It’s a reminder that what we do from 9 to 5 can change lives from 5 to 9. Whether you’re a teacher shaping young minds, a financial advisor balancing ledgers (and possibly New Year budgets) or a healthcare professional helping others stay healthy after their cookie season, your vocation is a powerful tool for good.

With the start of a new year, we naturally think about the future. I challenge every club to find ways to turn professional expertise into projects that matter. Host a career day to inspire the next generation, mentor young adults to navigate life’s challenges or start a skills training program for those in need. And for those of you thinking, “I’m retired!”—congratulations, but you’re not off the hook. Your experience is a goldmine for mentoring others, and your Rolodex (or smartphone) is still Rotary’s best-kept secret weapon.

Membership is the foundation of all we do. Without new members, we’re just a group of really nice people with funny pins and great stories about the way things used to be. The truth is, we need fresh faces, new ideas and people who laugh at our jokes even when they’ve heard them before. Use this month focusing on Vocational Service to determine what professions are missing in you club.

So here’s my challenge: find one person this month who would make a great Rotarian. It could be the local barista who always spells your name right, the tech-savvy neighbor who knows how to fix your Wi-Fi or the coworker who’s a human sunshine emoji. Invite them to a meeting or service project.

As we embrace 2025, let Vocational Service Month remind us that we don’t stop being Rotarians or applying the Four-Way Test when we take off our swag. We are Rotarians inside the workplace too. Let’s show the world what happens when talented, driven and slightly over-caffeinated people come together to make a difference. And let’s do it with humor, heart and the determination that makes Rotary truly unstoppable.

Here’s to a year of service, growth and yes—fewer cookies (with the exception of District Conference, where I fully expect a great cookie table!).