Club & District Officers Handbook

Zone Governors: The Most Important Connection

No communication in Ruritan is more crucial, and yet taken more for granted, than the communication duties and responsibilities of our zone governors. These volunteer leaders are the most crucial link in the organization. Zone gov ‑ ernors carry essential messages between Ruritan clubs – where the actual business of Ruritan is being carried out day in and day out – and the district and national leadership of the organization. Without zone governors, the messages traveling both ways are blocked. District and national leaders may never know what concerns, problems and successes are taking place at the club level, and club presidents may never hear the plans for motivation, growth, and progress being formulated at the district and national leadership level.

Zone Governor In most respects zone duties parallel district duties of the district governor. The zone governor shall be installed at the district convention and take office January 1. Duties of the Zone Governor 1. Serving as a member of the district cabinet. 2. Representing Ruritan National and the district within the zone. 3. Making first official visit to each club in the zone during January, February, and March. 4. Attending a board of directors’ meeting of each club. 5. Giving extra assistance to weak clubs and clubs having special problems. 6. Promoting membership increase within each club. 7. Organizing new clubs. 8. Planning and conducting at least two (2) zone meetings. 9. Encouraging all club members to attend zone meetings. 10. Attending district cabinet meetings. 11. Because zone governors are the district officers who are in direct contact with the clubs - please alert your gover ‑ nor and lt. governor of any situations you find on your club visits. 12. Assisting club officers in making their required reports, especially the club secretary. 13. Attending the school of district officers’ leadership devel ‑ opment training in the fall. 14. Cooperating with other district officers and committees. 15. Performing such duties as assigned by the district gover ‑ nor. Duties of the Incoming Zone Governor 1. Attending any leadership development training for district officers in the fall. 2. Cooperating with outgoing zone governor in coordinating district, zone, and club activities before January 1. 3. Cooperating fully with the outgoing zone governor in plan ‑ ning and conducting the winter zone meeting between January 1 and February 15. Duties of the Outgoing Zone Governor 1. Continuing full responsibility as zone governor until January 1 and work with the incoming district and zone officers. 2. Conducting the winter zone meeting assisted by the zone governor to be held between January 1 and February 15.

Responsibilities of Zone Governor 1. Select a site for club officers’ leadership development training and make physical arrangements for the meeting (2 rooms if possible). 2. Send an announcement regarding the two - hour meeting to the current club president asking that this information be given to the newly elected club officers at the October club meeting. Instruct the president to distribute materi ‑ als found in club officers’ kit received in October to each newly elected officer for use at the training school. 3. Create a list of officers’ addresses and telephone numbers of people to contact about the leadership development training. Follow - up ten days prior to the meeting with a telephone call or letter to each new club officer as soon as elections are held. 4. Send list of club officers trained showing name, complete address, office held, and club name to the district gover ‑ nor. Send a copy to the Ruritan National Office immedi ‑ ately. Winter Meeting ♦ Who is in charge: Immediate past zone governor assisted by the current zone governor. ♦ Who should attend: District governor, lieutenant governor, club officers, assigned National Director, and other club members. ♦ When: Between January 1 and February 15. Summer Meeting ♦ Purpose: To inform club members and their officers of responsibilities regarding end of year activities and reports. ♦ Who is in charge: Zone governor. ♦ Who should attend: District governor, lieutenant governor, club officers, assigned National Director, and other club members. ♦ When : Between June 1 and September 1.

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Revised 8/2023