President Clint Boxman has been in a full-press drive to increase our Rotary Club’s membership roster since assuming his position in July.

And his emphasis is showing real results. We welcomed new Rotarian Isaac Anderson in September, followed by two more new Rotarians and members of Kingston/North Kitsap Rotary: Karen Gibson and Nick Jewitt. Three members in a two-month period is remarkable growth for our small club, and hopefully foreshadows more success over the next months.

Past President Fredrick Branchflower is leading our effort to secure new Rotary members.

“The chief limit on our quantity of good ideas for service projects is the number of brains that we can reach within. The chief limit on our quantity of acts of service that we can perform is the number of arms that we have to embrace humanity. The only way we can increase our impact on the world is to increase the number of our members,” Fredrick said.

Therefore, we should strive to do so. How can we do that? Here’s a hint from Past Rotary International President Cliff Dochterman: “The reason many good people are not Rotarians is simple — nobody ever asked them,” he said.

The same idea was expressed in the book “Bowling Alone,” which is a study of the decline in volunteer activity in America over the last 50 years. The book mentions Rotary several times. Here’s the relevant quote: “When volunteers are asked why they happened to get involved in their particular activity, the most common answer is, ‘Somebody asked me’. Conversely, when potential blood donors are asked why they haven’t given blood, the most common response is ‘Nobody asked.’ ”

The lesson is obvious: Kingston Rotary members will be seeking new members by getting their asks into gear!

If you’d like to help make a difference in the North End communities, consider joining the Kingston Rotary Club. Although we meet in Kingston, we serve the entire North Kitsap Peninsula. Our mailing addresses stretch from Suquamish to Indianola to Port Gamble to Hansville. You’ll find Rotarians volunteering at many local events in these communities.

In the past months, Rotarians directed traffic for the annual Kingston High School Homecoming Parade, helped with the cider press at Village Green Park, and took down the tent at Mike Wallace Park in the Port of Kingston. Rotarians stage regular blood drives under the direction of Rotarian Jon Sole and in cooperation with the Puget Sound Blood Bank.

Rotarians are committed to helping the homeless, as well as supporting the local food banks. On Nov. 19, a group of Kingston Rotarians joined elected officials in kicking off Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, by serving a meal at the Bremerton Salvation Army. Watch for Rotarians and Kiwanis outside the local grocery stores as they collect food for the annual Holiday Food Drive.

So now, I’d like to give you my “ask.” Please join us for a luncheon meeting at the Kingston Cove Yacht Club on any Wednesday at noon. Call me at 297-6640 if you would like more information or directions to our meeting. Little City Catering serves a delicious lunch and there is always an entertaining or enlightening speaker on a topic of interest.

If you are thinking of joining a group of like-minded individuals who want to serve their community, Kingston Rotary is the vehicle for you.