We just celebrated our annual Passing of the Gavel ceremony this past week, recognizing the accomplishments of the past year while looking ahead to a new Rotary year of service.

Outgoing District Governor Kathy Buck and her husband joined us on Kathy's final day of her district leadership. Kathy assisted outgoing Club President Cornelia in presenting several well-deserved recognitions, including a Paul Harris Fellow Award to Kris Miller, and a special thank-you to Julie Schott for helping organize another successful Rotary Golf Tournament. Boise Metro Rotary was also recognized as a 100% Paul Harris Fellow Club.

Cornelia and the club also recognized for the first time, Avenue of Service Award recipients:

In honor of the club's 40th Anniversary and as a tribute to Cornelia's exceptional leadership this past year, the club made a donation to NAMI and arranged for 40 trees to be planted in Cornelia's name in the Sawtooth National Wilderness Area.

Following the official passing of the gavel from Cornelia to incoming President Carrie Hughes, incoming District Governor Mike Markley joined the celebration and presented Carrie with Rotary's new "Call to Good" flag, featuring this year's theme, Create Lasting Impact.

Carrie shared several priorities for the year ahead, including growing club membership, expanding community service opportunities, and strengthening our commitment to youth service. She also announced that, in months with a fifth Tuesday (September, December, March, and June), the club will hold an evening social in place of the regular Tuesday lunch meeting, providing additional opportunities for fellowship and connection.

Thank you, Cornelia, for your outstanding leadership, dedication, and service to the Boise Metro Rotary Club over the past year. We look forward to supporting Carrie as she leads us into another impactful year of Service Above Self.