St Pete Sunrise Rotary To Cruse Into Year Of Major Changes At Local And International Merger With Lions

Shortly after graduation, Jim joined the US Navy and enjoyed a thirty-year career of
adventure. He enjoys traveling, cycling, and community service.

Jim will lead the St. Petersburg Sunrise Club as Rotary International, the organization of service clubs
with the largest membership in the world, is set to merge its Clubs in America
with Lions International. The move ispart of a broader effort to engage more people in service and change more lives than either organization could do on its own. Rotary
International will continue to support projects to provide clean water to
communities in underdeveloped nations and eradicate polio through Polio Plus.

The new generation of prospective members has been increasingly
inclined to see the local service Club as a vehicle for performing community
service. The effort to appeal to the young will be in full bloom, effective as
of July 1, 2025. Rotary International President Ron Burton stated that the move
will help engage more people in service and change more lives than either
organization could do on its own.

The impact of the effort took on new meaning when it
was announced that two largest service clubs have agreed to join forces
and merge their Lions Clubs International President Barry Palmer agreed,
noting that the new joint organization will have over 2.5 million members and
expects that the union will encourage an increase of membership to over 3
million over the next 5 years.

Both organizations were founded in Illinois, with Rotary founder
Paul Harris in Chicago on February 23, 1905, and Lions founder
Melvin Jones on June 7, 1917. "The birth of both international
service clubs being so close in location, time, and history", said Burton,
"gives us even more in common and will ease the transition as we merge.
"The merger is expected to take place over one year. Lions and Rotary have
agreed during the transition to use a modified logo and theme - WE SERVE ABOVE
SELF.