One significant responsibility of the District Governor is to help deliver the message of the Rotary International President. That is a task I am happy to undertake.
As many of you know, Rotary International President Mark Maloney’s primary goal is to both develop membership and new clubs. Thinking about that now is appropriate as August is Membership and New Club Development Month.
I would like to focus on the idea of developing membership in existing clubs. Even this process has at least two parts: attracting new members and retaining existing members. Let us further divide the topic and look at attracting new members this month.
A key point to attracting new members is to recognize that, in many respects, this is a club-specific task. It is incumbent upon all members of every club and the club membership chair and committee in particular to carefully consider this topic.
In that process it is important the club build a consensus on its approach to new membership. It is also important that the club focus its effort so as not to dissipate the limited resources available.
One question that each club can ask is do we have a cohesive and active structure in place to grow the club? Is there a membership chair and/or a committee working on this? Is there adequate communication about what is to be done and how it is to be done?
Rotary International and the District can and do provide significant support. For instance, the District actively participates in the Rotary Leads program where information submitted to the District electronically by Rotary International regarding prospective members is promptly forwarded to the most appropriate club. Special thanks to Lance Chima of the Akron Club for his diligence in performing this task. In the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2018-2019 Rotary years, Lance placed every lead received by the District from Rotary International with a club or clubs to pursue. Nearly a dozen leads have been received since July 1, 2019.
In the 2018-2019 Rotary year, considerable work was undertaken by PDG Beverly and her team to develop membership. We are attempting to expand upon those actions this year. Please note that the second annual Tri-District Membership Summit will take place on October 26, 2019 at the Stanton Middle School in Kent. Special thanks to DGN Larry Lohman for arranging the site and for all the work that PDG Jim McKee, PDG Steve Zabor, and involved members of our neighboring districts are undertaking to design a challenging and useful curriculum. Details will follow but please save the date. Club Presidents, Membership Committee Chairs, and those on the Membership Committee, in particular, should attend.
Perhaps less well-known is this year’s Presidential Theme and Rotary Citation. The 2019-2020 Rotary Citation actually functions as a “mini strategic plan” to help build a club’s membership. The Rotary Citation contains a list of potential goals and action items that virtually any and every club can use. Further, there are goals and actions specifically designed for Rotaract and Interact clubs.
To borrow the words of Rotary International President Mark Maloney:
“While the club remains the core of the Rotary experience, we are now far more creative and flexible in deciding what a club can be, how it can meet, and even what can be considered a Rotary meeting. We need to be organized, strategic, and innovative in how we approach membership, forging wider and deeper connections to our communities and forming new club models to attack and engage more—and more diverse—members.”
I challenge each and every member together with each and every club to look at the question of how to grow your club and thereby increase its reach, impact, and vibrancy.
Sincerely,
John Reyes Rotary District 6630 Governor 2019-2020 Tel: 330.258.6469 Email: jreyes@bdblaw.com
If your Club subscribes to ClubRunner create an event within ClubRunner and mark the event to be shown on the District. It will then appear in this area for the Bulletin and on the District home page.
Notes from the District Leadership, Education, and Development (LEAD) Committee
It’s hard to believe, but we are almost one and a half months through the Rotary Year. Time flies when you are having fun - and we hope you ARE having fun!
As your current Club leader continues to apply some of the best practices they learned in their leadership development sessions, the District LEAD committee is already working on planning sessions for the 2020-2021 Presidents-Elect. At this time, 38 of our clubs in our district have identified a President Elect.
The LEAD Committee is planning PETS-1 for Saturday, November 23rd t the Akron Rotary Camp. We look forward to seeing all the Presidents-Elect there, and we want clubs to send a representative if the President Elect cannot make it or has not yet been identified. In addition to District 6630 sponsored development, we ask that clubs begin the process of developing their members for future leadership roles.
Some of the topics we will address at PETS-1 include: Setting Club Goals, Building an Effective Leadership Team, Working with Volunteers, and more! As Presidents-Elect and clubs begin to think about their future, we encourage you to utilize Rotary International’s new Strategic Plan. This new Vision can help guide your club’s initiatives, promote Rotary, and increase membership as we look to the future.
Rotarians input helped build the plan. You may notice that the plan is different than in the past - please take time to look at it and read the message from Stephanie Urchick, chair of Rotary's Strategic Planning Committee.
If there are any additional ways the LEAD Committee can be of help to any of you personally or your clubs, please reach out to me at jayhawkrk@gmail.com.
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Membership Minute
August 2019
Ideas for strengthening membership
Membership and New Club Development Month
August is Membership and New Club Development Month. This is the perfect time to celebrate your club’s members and consider the many options available for strengthening your membership. The following ideas can get you started:
Show your Rotary pride by adding a Proud Member frameto your profile picture on Facebook.
Welcome new members to your club with Rotary Basics. The online course covers all things Rotary in an interactive, multimedia format. The course was designed for new members, but it’s also a good refresher for long-time members who want to test their Rotary knowledge.
Encourage local businesses, nonprofits, and government groups to get involved in Rotary by offering corporate memberships. Learn more about this innovative membership model in the Guide to Corporate Membership.
Did you know you can start a satellite club with as few as eight members? The Guide to Satellite Clubs explains what a satellite club is, how it can benefit your community, and steps for starting one.
Passport clubs encourage their members to visit other clubs and participate in their activities as a way to get fresh ideas. Learn more about this club model in the new Guide to Passport Clubs.
The newly updated Club Flexibility page has great ideas and tips for how your club can stay relevant to current and future members.
Finally, Rotary has a series of membership courses available in the Learning Center — from managing Online Membership Leads to Building a Diverse Club. Each course includes self-guided learning modules that let you explore real-life scenarios you might experience in your club. All membership courses are highlighted in purple.
Women account for less than 25 percent of Rotary’s global membership, and are underrepresented in leadership positions at every level. Rotarians are ready to embrace change, as indicated by the record number of breakout sessions at the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg dedicated to the topic of women’s advancement in Rotary’s leadership. During one of these sessions, Rotarians Beth Keck and Todd Jenkins collected ideas from more than 500 members, both female and male, about how to take action and break down the barriers to women’s advancement in leadership positions. Hear the proposals and add your voice to this critical conversation.
Everyone who registers will be asked to share some thoughts before the webinar, and will also be provided access to the recording and slides after the webinar ends.
A look at Rotary’s current members
Rotary conducts the Membership Experience Feedback Survey every year to better understand the needs, interests, and engagement of our prospective, current, and former members. Our last newsletter featured survey results of prospective members.
This issue spotlights feedback from current members. Here’s how they responded to the question: Why have you remained a member of your Rotary club?
To participate in local service projects
For friendship and fellowship
To connect with others outside of work and my circle of friends
Read more about the survey results in the Current Members Executive Summary. Watch for survey results about Rotary’s former members in the October issue.
3 ways to make your club more inclusive
As a global network that strives to build a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, Rotary values diversity and celebrates the contributions of people of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, ethnicity, race, color, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
One way to make your club inclusive is to make it more accessible. Consider meeting at different venues, eliminating meals, or changing your billing structure. Find more ways to make your club welcoming to all.
Grow Rotary
RI President Mark Daniel Maloney has several ideas for how Rotary leaders can “grow our membership so that we can achieve more.” Starting new Rotary clubs and offering innovative membership models are just two options that can increase membership. Read about more ideas in Rotary Leader.
We’ve made changes to Rotary’s areas of focus. We’ve kept the existing six areas but adjusted three names (marked with asterisks) to better reflect the types of projects that Rotary members are carrying out. The areas of focus are now:
Peacebuilding and conflict prevention*
Disease prevention and treatment
Water, sanitation, and hygiene*
Maternal and child health
Basic education and literacy
Community economic development*
Some of the goals of the areas have changed, and we’ve included activities that relate to the environment for most areas. The Areas of Focus Policy Statements reflect these updates.
I would like to introduce you to your 2019-20 District Foundation Committee:
Jim Lechko
Foundation Chair/Paul Harris Society/Major Donor Chair
Wayne Brodnan
Fundraising Chair
Randy Rininger
Annual Giving Chair
Matt Liebson
Grant Committee Chair
Rick Pollak
Peace Fellowship Chair / Scholarship Chair
Bob Johnson
Vocational Training Team (VTT) Chair
Stew Buchanan
Polio Plus Chair / Indians Baseball Chair
As you can see, I am wearing multiple hats. If you have a passion for the Paul Harris Society or Major Donor and would like to help, please let me know.
The Foundation committee is responsible for raising funds, approving matching funds used for your club projects both locally and internationally, Vocational Training Teams and reviewing potential Peace Fellow Scholars. Most importantly, we are here to educate you about The Rotary Foundation (TRF).
TRF raised over $395 million last year. Three years from now, 50% of those funds are available to our District to fund both local and global projects. These funds are knows as District Designated Funds (DDF). The other 50% will be used to fund global projects from our district and others.
This year, District 6630 received $117,103.16 in DDF based on our contributions from the 2016-17 Rotary year. We can designate up to 50% of these funds for matching grants of local projects. We had 25 clubs qualify for the spending plan totaling $65,678 in matching dollars! TRF gave an exemption this year which allowed us to exceed 50% of our 2016-17 contributions for our local projects.
The good news is that this is probably the most grant activity we have ever seen. The bad news is that we did not have enough money to fund all of the requests. We were forced to scale back all grant requests to about 80% of the amount requested. How do we fix this going forward? We need more contributions to TRF Annual Fund. If you are already giving, are you able to do more? If you are not giving, can you do something?
November is Foundation month. Please schedule a date for one of your November meetings for a TRF presentation by your club’s TRF expert! Our Foundation committee will be meeting in August to plan for TRF presentation ideas and recommendations that we can pass along to you.
The Wadsworth Rotary Club would like to recognize and honor Mr. Bill Rasor as the 2018-2019 Rotarian of the Year. Bill is retired from the B.F. Goodrich Company and has been a member of the Wadsworth Rotary since 1988. He has an impeccable record of 31 straight years of perfect attendance. Bill is the Chairman of the Birthday Committee and always has a positive and energetic attitude when attending Rotary. He is being presented the award by Rotary President, Tim Manion.
Chesterland celebrates 30 years of service and Unsung Hero
Four charter members were in attendance Pictured President Terry Palermo (charter members: Ben Pitabona, Dick Dorr, Joy Black, Fred Nevar and guest speaker District Governor John Reyes). Our chapter meets Wednesday morning at 7am.
On behalf of a member who could not be present, President Terry Palermo accepted the Unsung Hero from DG Reyes. The recipient will remain a secret until they are able to personally accept the award.
Fill the Cruiser
Chesterland Rotary is now in its second year of organizing community Fill the Police Cruiser with items needed for USO boxes. The boxes are assembled in Chester and mailed to deployed service personal. This year food, gift cards, and money, was in access of $3,500. If you have names/address of a service deployed person please forward.
The lead international partners on this grant are Gift of Life Cairo and Gift of Life North East Ohio. Dr. Shawky from Cairo has been connected with our program since 5 year old “Sherouk” and her mother came to Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital for open heart surgery in 2007. He has done an extraordinary job in building the program in Northern Egypt. Dr. Shawky’s all Egyptian team is reaching out to underserved regions of his home country and has begun working with us to lay the foundation for becoming an outbound surgical team to begin teaching, training and equipping future partners in Kenya.
Our district can be proud of the roll we have played in supporting this incredible program. I personally thank you all for the many years of sustain support and commend you all for having touched the lives of so many children and their extended families though our service.
*In addition to the cases of wild polio virus listed above, there have been 52 cases of circulating vaccine derived polio cases in 2019. Please go to http://www.polioeradication.org/ for the latest details regarding case counts and progress.
PROGRAM NEWS
The polio eradication program has experienced both progress and challenges in 2019. On 21 August 2019, Nigeria will mark three years without any new cases of wild poliovirus. As the last polio-endemic country in Africa, Nigeria’s success against wild polio will open the door for the entire African region to be certified free of wild poliovirus. Following the Nigeria three-year mark, the Africa Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) will finalize its evaluation process of the data to confirm this progress. If the data confirms this progress, the entire African region could be certified WPV-free by mid-2020.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have experienced more cases due to issues including security and access challenges. Both governments and polio eradication partners are working to critically analyze their programs and carrying out their national polio emergency plans, which use data to identify and execute area-specific solutions.
New infrastructure, resources and coordination mechanisms, such as a planned regional hub in Amman, Jordan, are helping to enhance operational management and to provide technical support to endemic countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Rotarians remain an active part of these efforts and are working to enhance government accountability and create awareness and support in target communities through coordinated social mobilization activities.
FUNDRAISING
Thanks to the support of polio volunteers throughout the world we were able to surpass our fundraising goal for 2018-19. In the month of June, the PolioPlus Fund received over $15 million in cash, District Designated Fund allocations and World Fund Match.
2018-19 Fundraising Goals
Results
US$50 million total
Total Contributions (as of 30 Jun) US$50.8 million
US$1,500 per club/ $35 million Cash
US$35.9 million
20% or more DDF from all districts/US$10 million total
DDF raised: US$9.7 million
US$5.0 million in Major Gifts
Major Gifts: US$9.9million
*For specific club or district fundraising information, please contact Clare Monroe in PolioPlus at polioplus@rotary.org.
Our fundraising goal for 2019-20 is to raise $50 million for polio through cash, DDF and World Fund match. Districts are encouraged to give 20% or more of their DDF to PolioPlus. In addition, the Trustees agreed to match every $1 of DDF contributed with $1 from the World Fund beginning this Rotary year. Rotary Clubs are encouraged to give $1,500 or more to PolioPlus.
Upcoming Mailings:
An email to 2019-20 District Governors and District Rotary Foundation Chairs will be sent to encourage DDF contributions.
A separate communication will be sent to Rotary Clubs encouraging them to set polio fundraising goals and informing them the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee and the End Polio Now Coordinators are available to help with their polio fundraising.
Inclusion of polio eradication within the G20 summit leader’s statement. At their summit in Japan, G20 leaders affirmed commitment to polio eradication, stating ““We reaffirm our commitment to eradicate polio as well as to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and look forward to the success of the sixth replenishment of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.” Rotary and partners advocated with G20 leaders to affirm their commitment in the lead-up to the summit, and will continue to work to ensure a robust statement of commitment is included in the statement that will be issued by G20 health ministers when they meet in October of this year. Full GPEI story
New Zealand commits funding for outbreak response in Papua New Guinea. New Zealand pledged to provide up to NZD 10 million in funding for immunization efforts in Papua New Guinea during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit held in Papua New Guinea in November 2018. NZD 2 million of these funds has been approved to support the response to the outbreak of vaccine-derived poliovirus in Papua New Guinea. Full story
Parliamentary Reception and Early Day Motion continues momentum to End Polio in the United Kingdom. On 1 and 2 July, representatives of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative participated in meetings with British officials to encourage the United Kingdom’s continued commitment to the global polio eradication initiative. This included a panel discussion at a parliamentary reception held on 2 July, and the introduction of an Early Day Motion (EDM) encouraging the United Kingdom’s continued support for polio eradication. Rotary clubs throughout the United Kingdom are writing to their Members of Parliament to raise awareness and encourage them to sign on to the Early Day Motion.
COMMUNICATIONS
We are continuing to create and publish content that highlights our progress and reflecting optimism, including:
10 and 15 minute versions of the Drop to Zero documentary have been produced and will soon be distributed to clubs for use at meetings.
A new video, “5 ways to end polio” premiered at IC19 and will be available to Rotary members in all languages
PolioPlus Communications worked closely with the Gates Foundation on RI Immediate Past President Barry Rassin’s appearance with Bill Gates at a Rotary District Conference in Spokane, WA. Our collaboration resulted in multiple news stories and extensive social media coverage including posts about Rotary from Bill Gates and a Gates Notes blog that was highly complimentary of Rotary.
Planning for World Polio Day 2019 is under way. Rotarians and clubs are encouraged to host events, and a promotional toolkit for Rotarians has been finalized. This year’s Online Global Update (formally the “livestream”) will be entirely pre-taped and aired on Facebook in multiple time zones and languages, ensuring Rotarians everywhere are able to view the Global Update at a time that’s convenient for them.
Recent news coverage:
A press release announcing the last two rounds of IPPC grants received coverage in nearly 15 news outlets in Pakistan, Nigeria and the U.S., including:
Barry Rassin and Bill Gates participated in a joint interview for Forbes: Why Bill Gates Partners with Rotary to Eradicate Polio In a joint interview with Devin Thorpe, Bill Gates and Barry Rassin discussed our historic partnership in the fight to end polio. The article quotes Bill Gates as saying, “We’re going to get to the end of this, and Rotary will be the reason that will happen.”
Social media snapshot: Since the last bimonthly update End Polio Now social media channels collectively received more than 1,000 new followers. Facebook increased to 204,609 followers, and End Polio Now Twitter increased to 54,659 followers.
The most popular content on End Polio Now social media channels highlighted Rotary members’ commitment to polio eradication awareness:
News of Bill Gates and former Rotary President Barry Rassin’s District Conference appearance in Spokane, WA received 748 shares, 946 likes and 14 comments on Facebook, as well as 83 retweets, 158 likes and 55 clicks on a promotional article on Twitter.
Rotary’s 10 June announcement of $100 million in grant funding for polio eradication received 1000 shares, 790 likes and 17 comments on Facebook, as well as 117 retweets, 190 likes and 70 clicks on the press release on Twitter.
Photos from the End Polio Now walk at the 2019 Hamburg Convention received 207 shares, 706 likes and 23 comments on Facebook, and a photo of the End Polio Now ship that sailed from Russia to Hamburg received 31 retweets and 80 likes on Twitter.
Thousands of families in Paraguay's capital city, Asunción, have been made homeless after devastating flooding. ShelterBox is working to provide ShelterKits, mosquito nets, blankets, and solar lights to 3,000 families affected.
ShelterBox has again been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of our humanitarian efforts in areas of extreme conflict around the world. The 2018 and 2019 nominations are a great acknowledgment that your donations provide much more than material aid – they provide the foundation for recovery and the stability needed for peace, one family at a time.
We are truly honored and will keep you updated with any further news. The winner will be announced in October 2019.
HELP SYRIAN FAMILIES FORCED TO FLEE RECENT ATTACKS IN IDLIB
This week, warplanes have bombed more towns and villages in Syria. Families just like yours have suddenly lost everything and are struggling to simply survive.
We’ve supported over 250,000 people in Syria and its neighboring countries so far – but it’s not enough. With your support we can help more people.
SHELTERBOX USA IS A REGISTERED NOT-FOR-PROFIT (EIN 20-0471604) AND A MEMBER OF NATIONAL VOAD.SHELTERBOX IS A ROTARY PROJECT PARTNER, INDEPENDENT OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL OR THE ROTARY FOUNDATION.
FOR U.S. FEDERAL AND STATE COMPLIANCE NOTICES, CLICK HERE
"The Road To Leadership - Finding a Life of Purpose" is the book written by Kenneth E. Behring, founder of the Rotary Wheelchair Foundation, and is available on Amazon.
The Wheelchair Foundation is sad to announce the passing of Kenneth E. Behring on June 25th, 2019. Kenneth's son, David Behring, is continuing the work of his father and to this day the Wheelchair Foundation has delivered (or committed to date) 1,098,223 wheelchairs, all around the world to people in need. Please visit the site at https://www.wheelchairfoundation.org/ to learn more about the commitment of the foundation.
I had the great honor to receive an award from David Behring in November 2016.
In the picture, Diego Velasquez (International Service chair), Claudine Schooley (President-Elect) from Conejo Valley Rotary Club/California, presented a check of $42,000 to the President of The Wheelchair Foundation, David Behring.
"'SANYUKA' is a Ganda word meaning 'REJOICE'!" exclaimed Allan Kizito, Executive Director of Sanyuka Children's Ministries in Uganda. "My journey, from having been orphaned at 8-years old in Uganda, taken in by Christian missionaries through high school, graduating from Makerere University, founding Real Technologies Group, getting married and having our first child, winning a U.S. Department of State Green Card lottery, and being offered a job in Medina, Ohio, was guided not by not by luck or through my own energy but by the loving hand of God."
Kizito, now a software engineer with Ohio-based OEConnection, founded Sanyuyka Children's Ministries in Uganda in 2008, and continues his overseas mission, which offers Christ-centered child development programs that were initiated as a response to the ever increasing number of street, orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda. Sanyuka is a Family! It currently brings education, health care, food, clothing, a nurturing home-setting, mentoring, purpose and spiritual discipleship to 55 children who were once orphans, with many more on the waiting list.
"We are grateful to Medina Sunrise Rotary for the generous donation and to our blessed partnership with Pride One Construction of Medina," said Allan. "Please join us in building a sustainable future for these children. Our 2019 Sanyuka Vision is to promote our children's ministries tour, purchase land for a school and a development center for teaching job trade skills, with homes, a training farm, and a small business incubator. Also, we are excited about bringing the Sanyuka Children's Ministries Choir to Ohio in 2019 to share our stories, mission, and our love of God."
Kizito and the vivacious Sanyuka choir concluded their beautiful music and dance presentation with a heartfelt thanks to all Medina Sunrise Rotarians, whose mission is "making a difference in the lives of children in our community and beyond through our time, talents and treasures," and for joining with Sanyuka Family Children's Ministries in Uganda. "Together, we can become the instrument in changing a life, a generation, a country, and Africa."
For more information about getting involved with Sanyuka Children's Ministries, supporting the 2019 Children's Choir Ohio Tour, or sponsoring a young life, please contact:
Fellowship of Rotary around the World Connections Rotary District 6630, Rotary RC Akron OH USA and RC Freshwater Bay Australia
It is such a wonderful time when we see friends from close by Rotary Clubs and get reconnected with old friends we do not see often from other clubs in the District 6630 or 6650. The same is true when you get a call from someone “just to check” on how you are doing. I also get a warm feeling when I can call a Rotarian from another state or district for advice and council or to ask for help on a project. In late August I needed some contacts for a veteran’s project in Gainesville, Fla. How better to start than calling a Rotarian friend who served with you in the Army, now a retired Maj Gen living in Ft. Myers. After a chat Jim said he will work on some contacts, but why not just call some Rotary Clubs in Gainesville. “Brilliant!”
The next morning I received a link to an online Facebook Live meeting of the RC Freshwater Bay, Perth, Australia. Well, you who know me know I could not resist. Lady Vivian and I watched the RC Freshwater Bay meeting live, it was a great program “Sun Spots and how they affect our climate and climate change over the millennia”.Times like this remind Vivian and I of the wonderful stories told by Rotarians like PRIP Cliff Dochterman’s on “If I could be President again”, “Women in Rotary”, and so many other adventures in Rotary that have been shared by our many friends from so many close and faraway places. When I have my morning coffee in my 1 cup French Press I recall the good times with PDG Ricardo Bicaro, RC San de Bariloche, Argentina. Ricardo and I met when he was team leader of Group Study Exchange to District 6630 many years ago. Our bond is both Rotary and military, he was a retired Argentine Ordinance officer. After the team visit Ricardo and his wife hosted us for the 2000 RI convention. PRIP Frank J. Devlyn was RI Pres. The theme was “Create Awareness – Why do I think of PDG Carlos, he carried a press with him and introduce how to make a fine cup of coffee his way, so, each morning I not only think of him, I thinks of all our friends there and “Frank Talk” by PRIP Frank, that makes me think of his short elevator talk each of you should have to share about your life in Rotary.
Visitors are asked to sign in, they had a meeting of their small club and a total at the meeting including online of 70. Wow! How many of us have 70 at our meetings? Later in the morning I was contacted by Rotary Club PP Di Collins, Rotarian and wife of PRID Ken Collins, also a member of RC Freshwater Bay. It turns out that the Collins are also leaders in Rotary’s effort to eradicate Polio, the RI Foundation, and are fellow Arch Klumph Society members. I wrote back with links to the Akron club and Rotary camp, Di shared with the following:
“ As I mentioned in my RCFB Facebook response to you, we have a majority of younger members, which is wonderful in theory. However, unfortunately they are largely tied up with their work/studies (a number of younger doctors), two of our female members have young babies, and so it is. As the vast majority are prevented from attending meetings, we decided to stream meetings live some 2 ½ years ago so members could look in either at the time of the meeting or at a later date. Look forward to hearing further from you and learning more about your District and Club.”
Some of Freshwater Bay’s club projects from the annual report to the RC Freshwater Bay...
"All projects and activities are well covered in our Annual Report however a few significant milestones should be mentioned:
The Microscopes in Schools project has surpassed 22,000 microscopes in almost 800
schools.
Support for Val Smith-Orr’s project in the Philippines where she predominantly treats burns has reached over A$100,000.
The Goodeve Foundation has provided almost US$100,000 to International projects.
PRID Ken Collins was presented with a RF PolioPlus Pioneer Award for his untiring work in the early days of the eradication of Polio, which he continues to this day.
I was totally overwhelmed and surprised to be awarded the third Annual Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award at the RI Convention in Hamburg, Germany."
My take on all of the short dialogue is that Rotarians do what Rotarians do no matter where they are in the world, THEY DO GOOD. I share part of PP Di’s E-Mail so that you may see for yourself what other clubs are doing outside our district and country with refreshing new concepts. Chartered on 19th December 2008 with the aim of doing things a little differently, the RC Freshwater Bay in District 9455 was the first “cocktail club” in Western Australia. Link: https://rotaryfreshwaterbay.org.au/
Proof that the Rotary world gets even smaller is when you learn that this year a young woman named Chloe Ferguson from North Nowra, NSW Australia is a counselor at the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. We met Chloe at the Camp Thursday night cookout. She is a lovely young lady preparing herself for a career in Australia and hopefully being a future Rotarian.
We are often known as the “Family of Rotary” and that is what we are, a family who works together, plays together, cries together, and plays together. This is why we stay together. Chloe is another example of how the family grows. In just a short time, we feel she is part of our Rotary Family. Make it your plan to call a friend today and ask how they are doing. Make your Rotary Family grow, extend your plan by offering the gift of Rotary to a like-minded person who may already be a Rotarian in action but not a member of a club.
Attending Berea Rotary's annual scholarship dinner are Alexandrya Enczur, Samantha Matese and Maya Wargelin. Thanks to Scholarship Chair Tom O'Donnell for keeping tabs on all our students.
Berea Rotary honors scholarship winners
Berea Rotarians hosted our scholarship winners and their families on Tuesday, July 30.
Alexandrya Enczur, a 2018 graduate of Olmsted Falls High School, attended with her father, Mark. Alex is attending Kent State and is studying medical technology.
Samantha Matese is a 2019 graduate of Berea-Midpark High School. She is enrolled at Otterbein College this fall, where she will play on the soccer team. Her major will be allied health professions and she hopes to work with disabled and injured children. Her parents Carrie and Joe Matese also attended the dinner.
Maya Wargelin also graduated from BMHS in 2019. Maya will attend Kent State to study child psychology. She plans to pursue a master’s degree after her four years at Kent. Samantha’s mother, Kathleen, also attended the dinner.
Our other scholarship recipients were unable to attend but will be scheduled for a future dinner. Joseph Wozniak, 2019, is out of town; Joseph Mendes, 2018, is working in Washington, D.C. this summer; and Samantha Rocco and Samantha Finnerty, 2016, both are working at Ohio State this summer.
Berea Rotary scholarship winners receive $500 scholarships, which are renewable for a four-year college career as long as a minimum GPA is maintained.
Congratulations to all of our scholarship recipients.
Berea Rotary picnicks in the Metroparks
Berea Rotary President Bob Huge flips burgers and hotdogs for the annual family picnic at the Albion Woods Picnic Area in Strongsville.
Co-chef Bob Hammer warms up the beans. Thanks also to Don Voigt, our super shopper.
Rotarian Trevor Koenig brought his family to the picnic.
Rotarian Trevor Koenig brought his family to the picnic.
PDG Bev Skrzynski presents Marc West
with an Outstanding Leadership and Service Award
for his 29 years heading up the District's RYLA program.
Katey Halliday is leading her district's effort to promote and embrace Rotary International's diversity, equity, and inclusion policy. For Membership Month, Halliday, a member of both Rotary and Rotaract in Adelaide City, South Australia, blogs about what the policy means for membership. She explains why it's importance to invite people from diverse backgrounds and include them in planning and decision making.
In Galen Engel's club, the same 10 people seemed to be involved in everything. As a newer member of the Rotary Club of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, USA, he was excited to get the rest of the club engaged, and bring in new, younger members. He found it was easier to attract members to after-hours groups that meet in different locations and times around town. Ten of the club's 11 new members this year have come from these after-hours groups. Learn more about his club's plan for expanding membership in his post on Rotary Voices.
What happens when you say yes to Rotary? In the August issue, The Rotarian profiles 17 people who joined Rotary to make a difference, and how it transformed their lives.
Join us on Wednesday, 28 August, for our upcoming webinar We Are Rotary: Advancing Women as Leaders. The webinar takes place 15:00-16:00 Chicago time (UTC-5).
Inspired by his theme, Rotary Connects the World, 2019-20 Rotary International President Mark Daniel Maloney is convening five presidential conferences at key United Nations offices around the world. Join Rotary leaders, International officials, friends, and guests as we celebrate our longstanding relationship with the UN and commemorate the organization’s 75th anniversary.
Together with our partners, Rotarians promote peace, prevent and cure disease, provide clean water and sanitation, improve the health of mothers and children, support basic education and literacy, and provide economic and community development.
The World Peace Conference 2020 will give each of us, Rotarians and non-Rotarians from all sectors of society, an opportunity to come together, learn from experts, become inspired and leave with immediate action plans to implement within our communities. Together, we can make the changes needed to create world peace!
OUR MISSION
The mission of the World Peace Conference 2020 is to bring together experts with solutions to major issues that are occurring in our personal lives, homes, schools, businesses, and communities, not just in Southern California, but, also, around the world. We are inviting leaders from health care, academia, government, public safety, religions, business, and communities to meet together to share the solutions presented by experts. The format will allow for action plans to be developed such that real and measurable actions can be undertaken when attendees return home. In addition, the conference will showcase learnings and positive change that have occurred in the four years, since the Rotary World Peace Conference 2016.
NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION DEADLINES
(subject to change if needed)
2019
September 13
October 11
November 8
December 13
2020
January 10
February 14
March 13
April 10
May / June pending
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