A New Rotary Year Begins – Let’s Make It One to Remember

Dear Brentwood Rotarians,

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Fourth of July weekend with family and friends.

It is both an honour and a privilege to write to you for the first time as President of the Rotary Club of Brentwood.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to attend the Rotary International Convention in Taipei, Taiwan. It was an unforgettable experience. I met Rotarians from around the world, attended inspiring presentations, and came home with plenty of new ideas.

I also came home with a few stories!

Like navigating Taipei’s incredible subway system while trying to decipher station names in Mandarin… discovering that an umbrella is apparently essential travel equipment… and learning that when 15,000 Rotarians all decide to go to lunch at the same time, patience quickly becomes a Rotary virtue!

One thing became very clear during the convention: no matter where we come from, Rotarians share the same passion—to make our communities and our world a little better than we found them.

That message fits perfectly with what many of you shared during our Brentwood Rotary Vision Retreat.

Together, we identified some common themes:

Building stronger friendships and member engagement.
Creating meaningful service opportunities for all ages.
Growing our membership by sharing the Rotary experience we love.
Supporting our youth and local community.
Having fun while making a difference.
Those weren’t my ideas—they were yours. My goal this year is to help turn those ideas into action.

One thing you’ll hear me say often is that Brentwood Rotary already has everything it needs to be an outstanding club. We have talented members, generous hearts, tremendous experience, and a remarkable history of service. My role is simply to help bring out the very best in all of us.

I also hope we’ll continue to laugh together. Rotary should be rewarding, but it should also be enjoyable. Friendships are what keep us coming back week after week.

As we begin this new Rotary year, I invite every member—whether you’ve been with the club for thirty years or thirty days—to become involved. Attend a project. Invite a guest. Join a committee. Share an idea. Ask a question. Volunteer for something new.

Every member matters.

Thank you for the confidence you’ve placed in me. I look forward to serving alongside each of you, and I genuinely believe our best days are still ahead.

Let’s make this a year filled with friendship, service, laughter, and impact.

See you on Monday, July 13th, which will be our first meeting of this Rotary year!

Yours in Rotary,

Nigel Jesson
President 2026–2027
Rotary Club of Brentwood