Tom Gump is passionate about growing Rotary Membership through forming new and innovative Rotary, Rotaract and satellite clubs. He founded, co-founded, helped form and/or inspired dozens of new and creative clubs around the world including:
· The first ever Rotary Club in the world to serve veterans;
· The first ever Rotary Club in the world focused on ending human trafficking;
· The Rotary Club of Network for Empowering Women, which was featured in the North American Rotary Magazine;
· The Rotaract eClub for the Environment – the first ever cause-based, international, Rotaract eClub focusing on the environment, which was mention by Rotary CEO John Hugo in his closing remarks at the 2021 Rotary International Convention;
· The Rotary Club of Global Travelers, which was featured in the North American Rotary Magazine;
· The Kaleidoscope Rotaract Club, to serve those with Autism and their families, which he is a member of; and
· The Minnesota Pride Rotary Club.
Tom was one of only 20 North American Rotary leaders selected by Rotary International Past President Mark Maloney and Rotary International Membership Staff to participate in a New Club Development Summit and was subsequently named as a Zone 29 Innovative Club Advocate. Tom is also one of only 500 Rotarians in the world to be named to The Membership Society for New Member Sponsorsfor bringing in more than 50 active members into his club, which puts him at the Gold Level of the Society. He was the winner of 2021 “Zones 28 and 32 Individual Membership Innovation Award,” for promoting new cause-based clubs throughout the world.
Tom now inspires others around the world and helps them form their own new and innovative Rotary clubs. He speaks regularly on the topic of membership at Rotary club, district, multi-district, zone and international events. He spoke at this year’s Rotary International Assembly and for the past few years has led and been a speaker on breakout session panels and workshops at Rotary International Conventions. He is on the PETS Alliance’s list of “Popular Speakers” and recently served as a President’s Representative to a district in the Philippines.
The North American Rotary magazine and other Rotary regional magazines have written about Tom. Tom’s tips for attracting and retaining members and some of the clubs he has started have also been featured as part of cover stories. Rotary regional magazines have published articles by Tom. His articles have also appeared in Rotary’s blog Rotary Voices.
Tom was an International Assembly Training Leaders in 2022 and will also serve in this capacity in 2023. He also served as General Chair of the 2021 Zones 25B and 29 Rotary Institute.
As an individual who takes initiative to make our society a better place, what characteristic(s) of a Rotarian should a Rotaractor emulate?
Rotarians and Rotaractors all live by the motto of Service above Self, so that is the first characteristic we share. By living the Four-Way test – Is it the Truth; Is it Fair to all Concerned; Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships; and Will it be Beneficial to all Concerned – in our personal and professional lives Rotarians and Rotaractors make society a better place in our actions and in what we model for others.
For me, the third prong of the test – building Goodwill and Better Friendships – is my favorite as it highlights the importance of good character. Now if you picked up your cell phone and asked Siri or Google what is the definition of “Character?” is, your phone would tell you something similar to: “Character is the distinctive nature of something.” Now please put your phone away until you finish reading this.
Character is usually defined in terms of virtues and vices. Virtues are the positive character traits of a person who lives a purposeful life (like honesty, generosity, kindness, courage and wisdom) that lead to happiness. Vices are negative character traits that tend to lead to unhappiness (like anger, spite, envy, pride and greed). There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of character traits, but we tend to focus on the major ones. Today, most people refer to character traits as “values,” but that is really an incorrect use of the term. A “value” is something you think is important, but you do not necessarily practice it. A virtue is something you embody – people actually see it in your behavior. The key difference is this: you can exhibit a virtue that you don’t even recognize but others recognize it in you; a value is something you simply feel is important, but may not express through your actions.
The way in which virtues lead to fulfillment is this: by acting in certain ways (for example, with courage, honesty, generosity, etc.) you live with purpose according to good principles, and people are drawn to you and come to trust you because you are reliable and worth spending time with. Some of those relationships over time become friendships; long-lasting, mutually beneficial social relationships. The main value in Rotary is the lifelong friendships you develop. Numerous studies reveal that the chief determinant of happiness is the quality of one’s social relationships.
How does Rotary fit in to all this? It fits in in two ways:
- As Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary International (RI), said, “It has been the way of Rotary to focus thought upon matters in which members are in agreement, rather than upon matters in which they are in disagreement.” In a society which is increasingly polarized, and in which a majority of people now say their political affiliation is their primary social identity, Rotary provides a rare opportunity for people to interact and build goodwill and better friendships, getting to know one another’s character while working together for the benefit of others without the intervening barriers of political difference as a defining factor.
- By coming together for the purpose of service, Rotarians put others needs before their own for a greater, common good. By acting upon such higher purposes, Rotarians are more likely to nurture and exhibit virtues, as opposed to vices.
Through my next few answers, I will share some short real-life stories of how Rotarians’ character helped build goodwill and better friendships and how it taught me to live a more purposeful life.
Membership is one key to sustain a club through the years, what recommendations will you impart to ensure their stay in the organization?
GET ENGAGED in your club, district and zone! You will make new friends, do great work and have a lot of fun! And, make sure you ask your friends and family to join you in Rotaract or Rotary. You joined your club because it is a great place to be and you are making a difference. The more people who join Rotaract and Rotary, the more impact we will have on improving our communities and world.
And, by the way, over time our lives change – we move; our families change; our perspectives change as we see and experience new things. Your life in Rotary will change too. You may change clubs, moving from a local Rotaract to a Rotary club or changing where you live and joining a new district. And, you can be a part of changing Rotary. In our district, we recently formed a new Global Travelers e-club and are chartering a Pride Club. These clubs continue to live by the Rotary/Rotaract motto and the 4-way Test, but their service projects and outreach are different. They are bringing new people into Rotary and providing a sense of renewed energy to all of our Rotarians.
To stay involved I serve on three committees for the annual Rotary Rose Bowl Parade Float and will ride on the float on January 2023 with then RI President Jennifer Jones.
How can you inspire Rotaractors to take action?
You can inspire Rotaractors by sharing your personal stories of how Rotaractors are people of action, influencers and purpose driven people. From Rotary International’s website I learned about what Rotaractors around the world are doing. I am personally inspired by the actions Rotaractors are taking! You are changing lives for the better with your service.
In Uganda, The Rotaract Club of Bugolobi worked alongside local doctors, schools, and the Uganda Health Marketing Group to provide everything from school supplies to comprehensive medical screenings, dental exams, and HIV testing and prevention education to over 1,000 residents of a nearby village.
You as Philippines Rotaractors transformed the lives of kids in a remote area in your country in need of clean water and sanitation. A group of you constructed a tank to store rainwater safely, taught the importance of hygiene and sanitation in preventing disease, and treated students who had skin infections or intestinal parasites.
And I truly believe by taking these actions and then sharing what has worked and opportunities for improvement; by partnering with local Rotarians who understand cultural sensitivities and how we must act ethically, TOGETHER we will create lasting change.
As a Rotarian, what values can you share to the Rotaractors in continuing their service to the community?
Rotary International has the five core values of service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership. I would like to share with you a brief story that shows how the Rotarians of my District, during my year as District Governor (Rotary Year 2020-21) lived out these values. In the 2020-21 Rotary year our values were tested. We faced a global pandemic, political discord and racial inequities. I feel very fortunate to have had Rotary in my life during this time. After the riots and the destruction on Lake Street, in Minneapolis, following the death of George Floyd, which happened only eight miles from my home, our local Rotarians wanted to help the Lake Street businesses as they were challenged to rebuild.
There was over $400 million worth of damage done in the riots. Lake Street area is a “community of entrepreneurs” and we felt we could offer sweat equity and/or expertise as needed. We contacted the Lake Street Council and asked if we could partner with some of the business to help them rebuild. They agreed this would be useful and now we have nine Rotary Clubs that are working with Lake Street businesses based on the business owners’ needs. Our Rotarians helped the business owners with marketing, sales, accounting and other business needs. This will not be a fast process as we are still working on these projects. Rotarians are building goodwill and a bridge between our Rotary communities and the small business community that was hurt in the riots.
