The district’s training committee begins the 2026–27 Rotary year with a clear mission: to strengthen club performance and membership development by enhancing skills and competence. The committee’s work is guided by the RI President’s message Create Lasting Impact and the district strategy 2026–2030.
The committee is chaired by District Trainer Markus Merenmies (Karis–Karjaa RK). Trainers include Anne Hütt (Tallinna Hansa), Heidi Kauppi-Hopia and Antti Parkama (Rotary E-Club of Verkkorotary.fi), Juha Merinen (Tikkurila RK), Juha Artukka (Finlandia Hall RK) and Henn Vallimäe (Pärnu RK). The composition covers both countries in the district, and the training content is unified in Finland and Estonia – training is delivered locally and in the district’s languages.
The committee’s core premise is that a club grows and remains vibrant when its members and officers have the skills and support needed for their roles. In practice, this means:
- Orientation for new members and mentoring. Clubs will be provided with a ready-made orientation package and mentoring training in November 2026. The goal is to ensure a meaningful membership experience from the very beginning.
- Membership recruitment modules as part of the renewed PELS day and in cooperation with the membership committee.
- Connection with club trainers to ensure learning continues within club activities.
- Support for new presidents and secretaries in the autumn through short webinars.
The committee has set five main goals for the year: integrating Assistant Governors (AGs) as active supporters and trainers for clubs, providing a continuous learning path for both new and experienced Rotarians, renewing the PELS concept in terms of training and networking, strengthening clubs’ project management skills, and balancing training activities throughout the Rotary year. We also aim to offer new and diverse learning methods and support competence development by guiding members to various learning environments, such as MyRotary.
The year began in Tammisaari on 28 August 2026 with the district leadership day and on 29 August 2026 with the Round Table day for club presidents in Finland. Feedback from these events will be used to further develop them.
Markus Merenmies, Karis–Karjaa RK
