Faced with dwindling membership and a desire to shed its stereotype as “an old men’s club,” the two Rotary clubs in Overland Park are joining forces to become one unit.
The Rotary Club of Overland Park and Overland Park South Rotary Club are set to merge officially on Jan. 1, 2025.
The two clubs are part of Rotary International, which noted a “startling” fall in membership numbers in the United States and several other countries.
After combining, these separate clubs will become the Rotary Club of Overland Park.
The clubs’ presidents, Chad Tenpenny of Rotary Club of Overland Park, and Ryan Wilkerson of Overland Park South Rotary Club, spearheaded the decision to merge.
“A lot of the synergies that we’re going to gain are extremely positive,” Wilkerson said in an interview with the Post, noting the conversation to merge started a year ago. “Just as that ball got rolling, we talked about what each club is doing, which is really when Chad and I stepped into leadership roles this past summer.”
This merger will double the club’s membership
Rotary News reported that recruitment rates have taken a severe hit in the past 20 years. Mario de Camargo, the incoming Rotary International president, said U.S. membership has fallen by 29%, which is around 100,000 members, and other countries like Canada, Austria, Great Britain and Ireland are experiencing harsher declines.
Tenpenny and Wilkerson recognize declining membership as a problem.
“Rotary is not what it used to be,” Tenpenny said in an interview with The Post. “Especially as COVID came on, numbers started to dwindle, so Ryan and I got together and found we could do a lot more community service by shaking hands and merging.”
The new club will have over 100 active members and foundational assets worth $1.5 million, according to a press release.
‘Trying to shed an old stereotype’
Wilkerson expects the club’s diversity to continue growing.
“Historically, Rotary was considered an old men’s club,” Wilkerson said in an interview with the Post. “That is shifting. More women are getting involved, and young people that have an interest in service. I think the times have certainly changed, and Rotary is trying to shed an old stereotype.”
The clubs partner with the Johnson County Christmas Bureau to supply volunteers for its annual Festival of Trees charity auction, as well as “Rotary Reads and Cares,” which provides local schools and organizations with books and personal care items.
Additionally, the merging club will host its annual fundraiser, the Crawfish Festival, on May 17, 2025, with all proceeds to go toward supporting the Growing Futures Early Education Center.
How to get involved
Club meetings take place on Wednesdays at the Doubletree Hotel at 10100 College Blvd., either during breakfast, lunch or happy hour.
The first meeting for the merged club is on Jan. 8, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more details, see oprotary.org.
