Dear fellow Rotarians:
Spring is coming! I can almost see the early spring flowers popping up and birds are making their nests. With many of us starting to receive our vaccines, there is hope filling the air. My friends are taking hikes in the parks.
Thank you, my fellow Rotarians, for keeping safe through this year of a pandemic and for finding opportunities to reach out to lend a hand to others.
I often say, this is what we do – who we are, we continue to find opportunities to connect, unite and take action.
Rotary International (R.I.) has been taking opportunities this month to address two important priorities, Diversity, one of our 5 core values for 116 years, and the new focus, the Environment, which will be elevated to become the seventh area of focus of R.I. as of July 1, 2021.
- Environment: Rotarians around the globe have become increasingly concerned about the environment and the need to work together to ensure that when addressing clean air, water and sanitation, peace and conflict prevention, curing and preventing disease, the underlying conditions in the environment provide that opportunity. Gary Huang, the chair of the Rotary Foundation Trustees, said “Rotary is a global group of problem solvers with diverse talents.” Therefore, the Foundation has made the Environment the seventh area of focus and has established guidelines in the grant funding models with applications now available for funding beginning July 1, 2021. Click here to access the Areas of Focus Policy Statement.
- Diversity: Rotary has always united with other countries and cultures around the world, whether to eliminate polio, support exchange students and youth programs, peace fellows, global grants, and more. R.I. President Holger Knaack said, “we should be proud that Rotary reflects so many cultures, generations and lived experiences, and offers the potential for countless leaders to tap into those experiences to make a difference.”
R.I. has established a task force to prepare a concrete plan to make sure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are ingrained in everything that we do and reflected in the actions we take.
DISTRICT 6630 CONFERENCE OF CLUBS
The inability to hold an in-person District Conference is not stopping our conference committee from planning a celebration of all our clubs on April 22-24, 2021.
We have an exciting opportunity to join with other districts in Ohio for a portion of our own District Conference. During the joint sessions, we will be able to showcase our District and have some fun together.
In our stand-alone District Conference sessions, we will feature our Four-Way Speech Contest, Celebration of Life honoring all Rotarians who have passed away the last two years, 50-Year Rotarian Celebration honoring those members who belonged to Rotary for 50 years, Interact and Rotaract. We will also conduct our Annual Meeting. Registration will open soon.
WOW!!
I am so impressed with everything going on in the District, that I encourage you to read the entire Newsletter to see everything that is happening in Our District. I am so proud to be a member of Rotary with each of you.
Pat Myers
PEACEBUILDING AND CONFLICT PREVENTION
DISEASE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
WATER. SANITATION, AND HYGIENE
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH
BASIC EDUCATION AND LITERACY
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENT
