New Year. New Energy. Same Premier Spirit.

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The first meeting of a new Rotary year always carries a certain kind of excitement. New goals are set, calendars begin to fill, and ideas that have been months in the making finally start taking shape.

For the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro Premier, that excitement was unmistakable as members gathered at Max's Fried Chicken, SM CDO Downtown Premier, for the club's first General Membership Meeting under President Mae Grace Siao.

President Mae Grace opened the evening with a message of gratitude and optimism, expressing how encouraged she was by the strong turnout. Sixteen members participated in the meeting—15 in person and one online through the club's hybrid setup—while four prospective members joined to experience Premier for the first time, offering an encouraging glimpse of the club's continued growth.

The meeting covered the business of launching a new Rotary year. Members received the Secretary's Report, approved the terminal report for Project Possible and Taripato, reviewed the calendar of activities for July and August, and spent much of the evening preparing for the club's highly anticipated Induction and Turnover ceremonies.

But as productive as the meeting was, it was the fellowship that stole the show.

When the prospective members were invited to introduce themselves and share one unique fact, the conversation quickly turned into one of the evening's most memorable moments. Soon enough, members were volunteering amusing facts of their own. We learned that someone still struggles to tell left from right, another prepares for emergencies like the next pandemic is always around the corner, one approaches shopping with Olympic-level dedication, and another proudly owns two feet that refuse to be the same size.

It's these moments that remind us what makes Premier different. We take service seriously—but we don't take ourselves too seriously. Every meeting is an opportunity to plan meaningful projects, strengthen friendships, and welcome new people into a community where everyone has a story worth sharing.

If the first meeting set the tone for the months ahead, the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro Premier is beginning the year with exactly the right ingredients: gratitude, optimism, laughter, and a shared commitment to Service Above Self.

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