Our History

Southwest Rotary Presidents Elect Training Seminar (PETS) has been a cornerstone for cultivating leadership among Rotary members throughout the Western United States for more than forty years. While many Rotarians might believe that PETS originated as individual district meetings that subsequently evolved into collaborative multi-district events, the reality is quite the opposite.

The inaugural PETS took place in the picturesque setting of Newport Beach, California, in April 1978. This groundbreaking event was a collaborative initiative among the six Rotary districts located in Southern California. The inspiration for this seminal meeting came from Jim Vanderburg, who was poised to assume the role of district governor for District 5320. Recognizing the need for more robust training for incoming club presidents, he was soon joined in this vision by his fellow Rotarians Joe Jordan from District 5260 and Carl Schwab from District 5320. Together, they championed the idea that incoming club presidents warranted comprehensive orientation and preparation for their leadership responsibilities. Thus, the innovative concept of a multi-district PETS was born, and they eagerly pitched their idea to other incoming district governors throughout Southern California.

The first PETS was met with resounding success, featuring an array of distinguished speakers, such as Clem Renouf, the incoming president of Rotary International (RI) from Australia, Bill Walk, a former RI president, and John Dalton, a past RI director. The event was so impactful that it earned prominent coverage in the September 1978 edition of The Rotarian magazine, highlighting not just its significance but also its potential to shape future training initiatives for Rotary leaders.

In the years that followed, the districts in Southern California remained steadfast in their commitment to support the PETS, conducting annual training sessions for incoming club presidents. This training became a prerequisite, ensuring that new leaders were adequately equipped to embrace their roles. Since its inception in 1978, the Southwest Rotary PETS has steadfastly held a training meeting each year.

During this period, the international assemblies for incoming district governors took place in late May or early June. At the 1978 International Assembly in Boca Raton, Florida, Jim Vanderburg shared the success of PETS with several colleagues, who quickly recognized the merit in providing enhanced training for incoming club presidents. This led to the establishment of two new multi-district PETS in 1979: one in Missouri dubbed Show Me Rotary PETS, and another in Northern California, now known as Far West PETS.

The inaugural Show Me Rotary PETS was hosted in Jefferson City, Missouri, in early March of 1979. This new PETS organization came to fruition with the combined efforts of all four Rotary districts in Missouri. District Governor Alan Hoener, alongside the support of other district governors, played a pivotal role in organizing this significant event. A member of the Webster Groves club, Alan would later chair the multi-district PETS for a second consecutive term to ensure its continued success. His exceptional leadership laid the foundation for the Show Me Rotary PETS to conduct an annual PETS meeting ever since its launch in 1979, and it has actively contributed to the formation of multiple additional multi-district PETS organizations over the years.

As the early 1980s unfolded, further multi-district PETS organizations emerged due to the popularity and effectiveness of these training sessions for club presidents. By 1988, the RI board recognized the importance of these programs and mandated that a PETS be held in every district annually. This decision came when Jim Vanderburg, the founder of PETS, was serving as an RI director, but he stepped down before the execution of this new mandate. Consequently, most districts opted to fulfill this requirement through organizing single district PETS meetings instead.

In the subsequent decade, the RI board continued to advocate for PETS to remain single district events. However, Rotary’s grassroots nature facilitated the steady growth of multi-district PETS organizations across the United States. Currently, the majority of districts in the U.S. are affiliated with more than 20 multi-district PETS organizations, with estimates suggesting that upwards of 90% of club presidents-elect in the country are now trained through these collaborative seminars.

In 1999, Ken Morgan and Ray Klinginsmith invited the leaders of multi-district PETS organizations to an idea-sharing meeting in Evanston. The meeting’s success prompted the formation of the PETS Alliance, which now convenes annually every July. This alliance has not only fostered collaboration among U.S.-based organizations but has also supported the establishment of multi-district meetings in various countries outside North America, with successful PETS events now occurring in nations such as Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, and Sweden.

Reflecting on its journey, PETS has significantly evolved since that initial gathering in Southern California, paving the way for similar initiatives nationwide. This evolution epitomizes the Rotary ethos, wherein a local good idea was embraced and expanded by other Rotary districts, demonstrating the core values of collaboration and commitment to service. The concept of PETS has undoubtedly stood the test of time, aligning with Rotary’s Four Way Test, and it continues to thrive within Southwest Rotary PETS today, forging a future of skilled leadership for generations to come.