Our General Meeting on September 28 brought together 44% of our members for a lively evening of fellowship, welcoming visiting Rotarians from Hastings, Michigan, and celebrating FR Don de Veer’s birthday. Guest speaker Eliènne Krozendijk Croes delivered an insightful presentation on psychological safety, highlighting the importance of open communication, teamwork, and creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up. The evening was filled with valuable insights, laughter, and good company, reminding us that strong teams thrive when every voice is heard.
A Quiet Team? Not This Rotary Club!
It was another lively evening at our September 28 General Meeting, with 44% attendance and special visiting Rotarians joining us for the evening.
A Very Special Attendance Report
It was finally FR Al’s turn to present the attendance, and he definitely made the most of it! Not only did he deliver the attendance report, but he also presented the 44% attendance figure and our guests entirely from memory — without even looking at his notes!
We were also happy to welcome some new visiting Rotarians from Michigan, Hastings. During the evening, we learned that Michigan’s club is an impressive 106 years old and has even published a 100-year commemorative book. A copy will be sent to our club, which will be a wonderful addition to our Rotary history collection.
Birthday Celebrations & Dessert Decisions
The evening also included a birthday celebration for FR Don de Veer. Happy Birthday, Don!
And of course, no Rotary dinner is complete without an important decision: dessert!
Members had the choice of a delicious pistachio cake, upside-down cake, or — for those who refused to choose — both! As demonstrated here by FR Giannina and PP Rubiela, sometimes the correct answer is simply both.
The Real Cost of a Quiet Team
After dinner, we welcomed our guest speaker, Eliènne Krozendijk Croes, Founder of EVE Consulting and Licensed Insights Discovery Practitioner, who presented “The Real Cost of a Quiet Team: How Silence Kills Innovation.”
Eliènne spoke about the importance of psychological safety within teams and how creating an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up can lead to better communication, collaboration, and stronger results. She introduced the concept of psychological safety as a journey through four stages, emphasizing that teams cannot simply skip ahead.
She also introduced Insights Discovery, using four color energies as a shared language for understanding how people show up in a team: Cool Blue seeks facts, Fiery Red focuses on speed and results, Sunshine Yellow brings connection and energy, and Earth Green values harmony and being heard.
One question in particular gave us something to think about: “Do the people on your team consider speaking up a rational choice, or is it an act of courage?”
The presentation left us with an important reminder for both our professional and Rotary teams: when people stay silent, valuable ideas can stay unheard. As Eliènne put it, “It’s the silence that ultimately kills innovation.”
And, as always, we wrapped up the evening with our closing song.
Looking Ahead
October 5 Jehtro Saint-Fleur, Marathon of Aruba Winner
October 12 & 19 Regular Meeting
October 26 Koos Veel presentation
November 30 General Assembly
December 5 Rotary Golf
December 12 Rotary Christmas Dinner
January 4 New Years Fellowship