When people think of Rotary International, they picture service projects, community leaders, and meaningful impact. And that’s absolutely true. But there’s another side of Rotary that deserves just as much attention:
Rotary is FUN.
Yes, we plan projects, raise funds, and change lives — but we also laugh together, celebrate together, and build friendships that last a lifetime.
As I am traveling our District this year I am promoting a PLUS 1 challenge for each club to gain at least 1 member this Rotary year (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). I have the official RI Count dated July 1, 2025 so we will use that as our base. I know a few of our clubs have lost members to the e-clubs and that will be taken into account in the overall standings. Our goal is to increase our DISTRICT MEMBERSHIP by at least 42! I know WE CAN DO THIS!!! Club Presidents are also being given a little wooden train for their club to decorate and bring to the conference where we will have a train show and prizes!
DISTRICT CONFERENCE UPDATE: Our District 5400 Annual Conference will be held May 29-30 at the Holiday Inn, Idaho Falls!
We are excited to help you go on your INCREDIBLE ROTARY JOURNEY as our trains pull into the station. The dates are set, the site confirmed and we are ready to meet everyone at the station!
District 5400 is accepting applications for Rotary Foundation District Grants for next year! We have $60,245 to distribute to clubs in the 2026-27 cycle. The deadline for application is June 1, 2026. A few things to remember:
Get ready for a night of trivia, wine, laughs, and throwback fun!
Join the Boise Centennial Rotary Club at Cinder Winery on Tuesday, March 31st for a high-energy trivia fundraiser featuring our theme:
🕺✨ Trivia Through the Decades ✨💃
From the roaring ‘20s to the totally rad ‘80s and beyond — our trivia questions will take you on a trip through time! Want to go all in? Dress up in your favorite decade-inspired outfits (as a team or individually!) for a chance to win a special prize for best dressed team.
The Rotary Club of Emmett Foundation, Inc. proudly presents the 53rd Annual 2026 Flip Flops & Flamingos Dinner & Auction, a fundraising event dedicated to supporting youth groups in Gem County. Please note that this year's event will be held at a new venue: the Roadhouse at the Mill, located at 520 W. Main St. in Emmett, ID. The event will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2026, with registration for bid numbers and socializing commencing at 4 PM, followed by dinner at 5:30 PM.
We encourage attendees to arrive early, dressed in their finest Hawaiian attire, to explore the exquisite desserts and auction items on display. Remember to have your phone handy for bidding on silent auction items and to receive notifications if you are outbid. The dessert auction will commence immediately following dinner.
As Rotary members, we often talk about how to strengthen our local economy. One of the biggest factors is easy to overlook: affordable, reliable electricity. Idaho is growing and Idaho Power expects demand to rise nearly 45% in the next 20 years! Even now, Idaho imports about a third of our electricity from other states. That means we’re sending our energy dollars, and economic opportunities, elsewhere. To meet future demand and attract employers, Idaho must add new generation, and utility-scale solar has become one of the most economical ways to do it.
Why is solar the lowest-cost source of new electricity available? Once built, it has no fuel costs, it has stable long-term pricing, and minimal operating expenses. That price stability protects families, farmers, and businesses from the volatility we’ve seen with natural gas and other fuels. Solar also strengthens our tax base. A typical utility-scale solar project can generate between $300,000 and $1 million annually in property tax revenue! Those funds can go toward fire departments, schools, law enforcement, or roads! Over the 30-year life of a project, that can mean tens of millions of dollars supporting local services and reducing pressure on taxpayers
The Rotary Club of Meridian Idaho has supported many D5400 Rotary Clubs in their local and global grants and fundraisers over the years. Now is your chance to support their first ever global grant!
The annual Epic of Day Service is a time of service where individual club-driven service activities may be supported and promoted by multiple clubs, across District 5400, and across the US. The mission of the Epic Day of Service is to unite Rotary clubs and their community members in service and amplify the incredible work of Rotary clubs and bring membership opportunities to the forefront.
For the second year, District 5400 Rotarians will have the incredible opportunity to travel to Peru and make a tangible difference through humanitarian work. Of course, it’s not all work — there will be plenty of fun, sightseeing, and fellowship, offering a chance to build deeper Rotary connections while exploring one of the world’s most fascinating countries.
Last year’s Rotary team of 20 achieved remarkable results, including:
Join us for a week of Fellowship! English as a Second Language, August 2 to 9, 2026 (Sun/Sun)
Cofradía de Suchitlán, Colima Mexico
Kevin Learned, Amy Stahl, and Cornelia Sprung invite you to join them for an incredible week of service with Project Amigo along with fellow Rotary Club of Boise and Boise Metro members! This unique opportunity allows you to experience fellowship in a new light and witness the remarkable impact we can achieve together.
Every year, across the southern countries of Africa, hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs complete a rigorous 12-week training program in partnership with the Shark Pond team and local Rotary clubs. These students gain the foundational knowledge to build a business, but as Rotarian Phillip Kapalu in Zambia, recently noted, the biggest challenge isn't the classroom—it’s the gap between theory and execution. To bridge this divide, we are launching the Virtual Rotary Global Fellowship, a mentoring initiative that pairs the professional wisdom of District 5400 Rotarians with an African entrepreneur who has finished their coursework but needs a one-on-one partner to refine their business plan and prepare for their high-stakes Shark Pond pitch.
The Rotary Club of Nampa recently completed a meaningful service project supporting the Foster Grandparent Program, a statewide initiative operated by Aging Strong, a nonprofit under the umbrella of Jannus. The Nampa Club is sharing this project as an idea for other Rotary clubs across the state who may be looking for hands-on, high-impact service opportunities.
Rotarians came together to build dozens of activity kits for Foster Grandparents who work directly with children in Nampa schools. These kits—funded by the Rotary Club of Nampa—include reading materials, educational games, and classroom supplies designed to support learning and connection.
The Foster Grandparent Program brings multi-generational learning into local classrooms by pairing trained, vetted older adult volunteers with students who benefit from extra encouragement and support.
Have you ever planted a tree? Planting requires care, preparation, and hope for the future.
That’s a lot like building a global environmental movement. This month, we introduce a few of the people helping grow the Rotary Earth Network and share how we’re planning the next chapter of our impact.
Tips from the Rotary E-Club of Southern Scotland as printed in the Rotary Magazine
1-Go virtual. An online program via videoconferencing will allow you to cast a wider net for participants and facilitators while enabling flexibility in scheduling.
2-Start small. A relatively small cohort of six to 10 participants should be manageable yet large enough for good discussions, teamwork, and innovative outcomes.
Rotary clubs thrive on ideas, stories, and people who are willing to share what they know to make a difference. Across Rotary District 5400, clubs are actively seeking engaging speakers who can educate, inspire, and spark meaningful conversations at their weekly meetings and special events.
Every Rotary club has stories worth sharing - moments of service, impact in our communities, connections that matter, and people who inspire us to do more good in the world. Our District 5400 Bulletin is one of the most important ways we bring those stories together. And right now, we’re looking for someone who would enjoy helping tell that story.
We are inviting a Rotarian to serve as our next District Bulletin Editor.
This is more than just a role—it’s an opportunity to:
