ABOUT DAYBREAK ROTARY CLUB
The Daybreak Rotary Club is Bloomington-Normal's fifth and newest club. It's members are a diverse group of professionals that enjoy coming together for fellowship, professional networking, and using their combined talents to provide service to others.
Whether discussing how to grow membership, enjoying a presentation from a local organization, coordinating volunteer work locally, researching opportunities for international service, or planning big fundraisers, the club has fun. Many guests from other Rotary Clubs make return visits because they enjoy it so much.
Guests are encouraged to visit each Thursday morning at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington, IL. Optional breakfast begins at 6:00 and the meeting begins promptly at 6:45, ending about an hour later.
Visit Rotary.org to learn more about Rotary International.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
We recognize our individual and collective good fortunes and that we often have the capacity to give to others. The Rotary organization and Daybreak Rotary Club members live the philosophy of "service above self" by actively seeking ways to serve each other, our communities, and people around the world. People who join Rotary are people who are ready and willing to take a more active role in improving the lives of others.
DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT
Daybreak Rotary seeks a diverse membership to better serve others. With a wide range of skills and experiences, Daybreak can better address problems in our communities and globally. Our membership embraces the differences in each other and recognizes the value varying perspectives and ideas bring to the club.
VALUE IN HAVING FUN
When we engage in meetings, social events, or service work, club members are encouraged to have fun. We may leave these things fulfilled in some capacity, but certainly we leave knowing we had a good time. It is always easier to stay engaged and accomplish great things when we are happy doing it. Daybreak members are an exciting, energetic group and we try to incorporate fun in everything we do.
OUR HISTORY
THE BEGINNING
In late 2010, members of the Normal Rotary Club came together with others in the community to discuss the development of a new Rotary Club in town. They recruited several people to start this club, including current members Dan Irvin, Bob Fisher, Bill Lawrence and Eric Schlipf. In March 2011, they decided to name their new club Daybreak because of the early Thursday morning meeting they would have.
PROVISIONAL CLUB
These early members began recruiting neighbors, coworkers, clients and friends to join this provisional Bloomington-Normal Daybreak Rotary Club. During this provisional time, Daybreak began doing monthly volunteer work with local organizations and continued to focus on recruitment. Eventually, Daybreak met requirements and adopted the bylaws and practices required to become an officially chartered Rotary Club on April 4, 2013.
CHARTERED CLUB
Just before becoming an offically chartered club, Daybreak adopted a service focus on poverty issues. The club continues to recruit new members and develop its organizational structure while at the same time partnering with local organizations to meet the basic needs of impoverished children and planning international economic development projects. The club instantly became known for its first-ever Cajun Craze fundraiser and follow-up fundraiser at the Bayou Bash, hosted by the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. The club is planning the second annual Cajun Craze and finding ways to use this event to raise money for important projects and also engage the community in a fun activity to help drive membership recruiting.