Program Schedule

 

3:00 pm           Hotel check-in begins

 

5:00 pm           No-Host Happy Hour for Early Arrivals

Arriving on Friday night and don’t want to dine alone? Throw on your favorite Rotary gear and swing by the hotel bar to meet fellow early arrivals! This informal, no-host meetup is the perfect chance to relax, make new connections, and team up for casual dinner plans. Not an official PELS event—just a friendly, open invitation for anyone who wants to gather and kick off the weekend with great company!

 

8:00 am        Registration & Networking

Check in, pick up your materials, and start the day with conversation and connection among fellow club leaders. Breakfast is on your own, but coffee service will be available.

 

9:00 am        Welcome & Introduction to the Rotary Action Plan

                     Keynote speaker: Tom Gump, “Rotary’s Vision & Leadership in Action”

Kick off MDPELS with an energizing look at Rotary’s Action Plan and how it can shape the future of your club. This session connects big-picture priorities with the real opportunities in your own community, helping you begin envisioning how to lead alignment, innovation, and positive change when you return home. 

 

10:00 am         Break

 

10:15-11:15    Breakout Session #1: Action Plan Implementation (Choose one)

Dive into hands-on, practical strategies for bringing the Rotary Action Plan to life in clubs of every size and style.

A. Increasing Our Impact: Strengthen and evaluate your club’s service impact

B. Expanding Our Reach: Grow participation, visibility, and community partnerships

C. Increasing Our Ability to Adapt: Build resilience and flexibility in club operations

D. Enhancing Participant Engagement: Create intentional strategies for meaningful member engagement

Participants will download and explore the ClubRunner app, navigate ClubRunner Nova, and learn where and how to update key club information such as officers, meeting details, and member data. Common pitfalls, time-saving tips, and support resources will be shared. This session is designed to help Presidents-elect feel confident using the systems that keep their clubs running smoothly from day one.

 

11:30-12:30    Breakout Session #2: Action Plan Implementation (Choose one)

A second opportunity to explore another area of the Rotary Action Plan that matters most to your club.

A. Increasing Our Impact: Strengthen and evaluate your club’s service impact

B. Expanding Our Reach: Grow participation, visibility, and community partnerships

C. Increasing Our Ability to Adapt: Build resilience and flexibility in club operations

D. Enhancing Participant Engagement: Create intentional strategies for meaningful member engagement

Participants will download and explore the ClubRunner app, navigate ClubRunner Nova, and learn where and how to update key club information such as officers, meeting details, and member data. Common pitfalls, time-saving tips, and support resources will be shared. This session is designed to help Presidents-elect feel confident using the systems that keep their clubs running smoothly from day one.

 

12:45-1:45      Lunch break & Plenary Session

Rotary’s impact is greatest when service is intentional, collaborative, and rooted in real community needs. Building on the RI President Yinka Babalola’s theme, Create Lasting Impact, Marty Helman explores how clubs can strengthen service projects through thoughtful community assessment, meaningful partnerships, and ethical storytelling—transforming good work into lasting change that inspires members, partners, and communities alike.

 

1:45-2:00        Break

 

2:00-3:30        Breakout Session #3: Creating Lasting Impact: Leading Your Club’s Projects

 

A. New Club Presidents: Participants will be assigned to one of three rooms to explore how to create lasting impact through projects, collaboration, and storytelling that engages your club and community.

B. Encore Club Presidents: Advanced strategies for sustaining and growing impact

C. Tech Lab: From Visibility to Impact

PE’s will explore how to document and showcase club projects in the Rotary Showcase, align projects and priorities using Rotary Club Central, and leverage the Rotary Learning Center for leadership development.

3:30-3:45        Break

 

3:45-4:45        Breakout Session #4: Personalized Club Strategy Development

A. Presidents-Elect: Participants will be randomly assigned into three learning groups to refine their club-level strategies with guidance and peer support.

B. Assistant Governors/Area Reps: Effective club support & strengthening district collaboration

C. Tech Lab: Public Image & Digital Presence Essentials

Participants will explore Rotary’s Public Image resources, including registering a Facebook page with Rotary International, using the Rotary Brand Center correctly, and understanding where flexibility exists when working with local designers or businesses.

 

5:00-6:30        Resource Fair & Networking Hour

Explore district and Rotary resources, connect with partners, and enjoy relaxed networking before dinner.

 

6:30-9:00        Dinner and Rotating Leaders

The facilitators and speakers from the weekend will join you at your table for short sessions where you can ask questions and pick their brains about what you learned so far or hope to take with you from the PELS experience. Each table will hear from 3-5 leaders.

 

8:00-9:00        Breakfast

 

9:00-9:15        Inspiration, Announcements

 

9:15-9:45        From Plans to Practice: Leading with Adaptability and Intention

Learn what it means to lead effectively when plans meet real-world change. Drawing on lived Rotary leadership experience and themes from this weekend, our speaker will help Presidents-Elect connect their preparation to the adaptability, focus, and intention required to lead a successful year.

 

9:45-10:30      What We Wish We’d Known: Real-World Leadership Lessons

In this candid, facilitated panel, experienced Rotary leaders share honest insights from their own presidencies—what surprised them, what challenged them, and what ultimately made the biggest difference. Guided by Cindie Kisch, the conversation offers practical perspective and reassurance for Presidents-Elect as they prepare to lead in real-world club contexts.

 

10:30-10:45    Stretch & Connect Break

 

10:30- 11:30   PE Reflections: Defining Your Presidency

Through a brief guided reflection, Presidents-Elect will clarify what they want their year as club president to stand for and commit to one meaningful action to move that vision forward.

 

11:30-noon      Swearing-in of 2026-2027 Club Presidents

This ceremony celebrates the commitment Presidents-Elect have made to prepare, lead, and serve. Through recognition and the presentation of the presidential theme pin, we mark the beginning of their leadership journey.