Since this is my last monthly message for 2017-2018, I want to express my deepest appreciation for all that you have done to make my journey memorable in “Making a Difference” through Rotary. When you reached out to shake my hand, or gave me a hug or just smiled and welcomed me at my visit to your club, I remember it fondly. When you called, emailed or chatted with me over the course of the year, I remember it fondly. When you shared with me your special projects, invited me to your special events, or shared your weekly bulletin with me, I remember it fondly. When you translated my message or presentation or materials into French, rode along together to club meetings or events, managed special district meetings and events, assisted me with research and tasks for Rotary International, or offered solicited advice, I remember it fondly. We are all volunteers and I appreciate your dedication of time, and commitment. I have to also thank you for the fun, the laughter we shared and most important your kindness you showed me in District 7040. Let the 4-Way Test continue to be our backbone and our best guide in working together for our clubs and for our district; truth, fairness, goodwill and friendship prove and enhance what is beneficial to all of us concerned about Service through Rotary.
The District Scholarships committee is pleased to announce that Garrett Milne, endorsed by the Rotary Club of Kemptville, has been selected as the D 7040 Global Grant Scholar for 2018-19. Garrett's area of focus is Disease Prevention and Treatment and he will be pursuing his studies at the University of Sydney in Australia, in the Master of Health Security program.
D 7040 Global Grant Scholar nomination for 2018-19
Are you one of the 30,000 who have registered for the Rotary International Convention in Toronto? Go to rotary2018.org to register. This is the chance of a lifetime to attend a Rotary International Convention! It is exhilarating to network with Rotarians from all over the world!
Clubs are reminded to provide the DG with credential certificates and voting cards, if those clubs are not able to send a delegate to the convention. Having as many clubs as possible represented helps Rotary achieve the quorum we need to hold valid officer elections. You can learn more about the role of convention delegates in Article 9 of the Constitution and or Article 10 of the RI Bylaws.
District Rotarians earned district and regional meritorious citations at the annual Rotary Foundation Dinner on April 21st. Those individuals honored, received plaques from RI along with special pins bestowed by PDG/DRFC Bonnie Black and myself. PDG Edmond Lanthier was lauded for Service Above Self; PDG Katherine Burke for Meritorious Service; and Manon Lennon for Service for a Polio-Free World. Congratulations to all for well-deserved recognition. Read more about these awards and club recognition banners in the May District RF Newsletter. Thank you to all donors and for the fine work of the District 7040’s RF Committee!
District Scholarship Chair PDG Katie Burke notes that the deadline for scholarship applications is April 15th and the interviews will take place on April 28th. Please be reminded that candidates need be District 7040 permanent home residents. Did you all see PDG Katie’s article about our district global scholar in RI Vice President Dean Rohr’s newsletter? Bravo, Katie!
Are you one of the 30,000 who have registered for the Rotary International Convention in Toronto? Go to rotary2018.org to register; the next deadline is April 1st at $410 US. This is the chance of a lifetime to attend a Rotary International Convention! It is exhilarating to network with Rotarians from all over the world!
Have you registered for the District 7040’s special Rotary weekend? Friday April 20th is the last Grants Management Qualifying session; Saturday April 21st is PETS (President-Elect Training); Saturday night April 21st is our annual Rotary Foundation Dinner; Sunday April 22nd is DTA (District Training Assembly).....all are at the NAV Centre in Cornwall. Thank you to DGN Gerry Lambert and his Learning Development Team for many hours of planning for this very special weekend in our district.
Posted by Hugo Genest, Rotary Peace Fellowship Candidate
Global Grant Scholarship Committee Chair, Katie Burke, tells us that Hugo Genest was selected by the RC West Ottawa as their candidate for a Rotary Peace Fellowship 2017-18 (certificate program). He is currently in Thailand at Chulalonkorn University and will be finishing his Peace Fellowship by April 10th 2018.
Wali gazes meditatively at the Mekong stretching before our eyes. “In the last week of January alone, fours attacks were perpetrated in Afghanistan. Three in Kabul, and one in my hometown of Jalalabad, which targeted Save the Children, an NGO dedicated to improving the livelihoods of the most vulnerable. A friend of mine was killed in all of this madness. Terrible.” Wali stays calm. I don’t know how he does it. I want to peer through the veil of his resilience to find answers: Do you ever get used to the bloodshed? Do you become accustomed to incessantly shattered dreams?
Would you like to grow more as a Rotarian? Would you like to strengthen your club? Would you like to discover more about Rotary? Please consider attending Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) on March 24th at the Ramada Inn, Cornwall; Parts 1 & 2 in English and Part 1 in French. I am a graduate of all 3 levels offered in District 7040. It was interactive education on our most relevant topics; including membership, service, foundation, leadership and more. I had a lot of fun too; valuable for any Rotarian aspiring to do more for club and district. Check the district website and register today. (Refer also to www.rotaryleadershipinstitute.org and read the January news; especially the quote of the month.)
Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), June 8-10, 2018, is a unique opportunity for high school students to gain insight and knowledge in life and leadership skills. The academy features professionally developed curriculum, exciting guest leaders, small group problem solving and self reflection which lead to enhanced leadership skills. Based on their academy experience, many graduates change their career objectives or educational plans. District 7040 Rotary Clubs may sponsor one to three students (ages 15-17) to attend this Youth Leadership Academy that gives them a memorable and potentially life-changing experience.
District Council met on January 27th and several district officers, directors, and chairpersons provided valuable updates. With 5 months remaining, be sure to input more goals and service hours, and update your service projects at Rotary Club Central; all necessary to earn The Rotary Citation. At this date, 36 clubs have set some goals and 22 of those clubs have set at least 16 goals; ask your club officers how you can help. If you want to check the status of your club; ask your area governor or contact me. We are ready to assist. The next District Council meeting will be held June 2nd .
District Scholarship Chair PDG Katie Burke continues to seek and organize Rotarians in the district for help on the translation team, along with the need for a translation team coordinator. Can you provide some Rotary stewardship to help with this very important endeavor? In the pursuit to provide translations to French for all that we want to share, we do need some bilinguals to help us. We are a District of more than one language and want to respect this diversity with our French- speaking fellow Rotarians and friends. Please contact Katie at brkcornwall@gmail.com. Thank you to all those who have been translating; and to AG Michele Herblin who has taken on the task of translating my monthly message and district council notes. Merci beaucoup!
Posted by District Governor Sue Bellor on Jan 01, 2018
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
Happy New Year 2018! With the New Year, many of us make resolutions and I hope you will think about making a Rotary resolution, whether for yourself, for your club, and/or for our district, or for Rotary International. Here are some you may consider:
Reach out to a former member to re-join
Invite a non-Rotarian to your club meeting or event
Input or assist to input your club’s officers for 2018-19
Input or assist to input and update goals at Rotary Club Central to earn the Rotary Citation; be sure to update service hours too
Assist or participate on the translation committee
$1,105,165.45 was raised for The Rotary Foundation by our district’s Legacy Million Dollar Dinner. This two- year campaign concluded with a celebration on November 4th at the Ottawa Convention Centre, featuring Keynote Speaker and Rotary International Director Jennifer Jones. Honored attendees enjoyed an evening of good food, Rotarian fellowship, and were entertained by the most enjoyable local musical talent of Live Steel Drum Band and CAPS Lock Barbershop Quartet. The evening culminated with the exciting announcement that District 7040 is the first district with a Million Dollar Dinner to have contributed 45% of the goal in cash. Thank you to all!
I am pleased to announce that Area Governor Hadi Mortada, of the Rotary Club of West Ottawa, was selected to lead the district in 2020-2021 as our District Governor. Congratulations, Hadi! I also want to thank the other candidates and encourage them to re-apply again in the future. Many thanks also are extended to the Past District Governors for participating in this day-long process which benefits the continuation of leadership for District 7040.
This is a reminder that November is Foundation Month. How are you celebrating the Rotary Foundation in your club?
Polio can strike at any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio is incurable, but completely vaccine-preventable.
In 1985, Rotary launched its PolioPlus program, the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication through the mass vaccination of children. Rotary has contributed more than $1.6 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunize more than 3 billion children in 122 countries. In addition, Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by donor governments to contribute more than $7.2 billion to the effort. Since 2013, the Gates Foundation has matched every $1 Rotary commits to polio eradication 2-to-1.
This past weekend of September 29-30, Rotarians came together from across the district in “Celebrating our Service” at our annual District Conference 2017. It was such a positive event well-organized by District Conference Chair PDG Bonnie Black. Many Rotarians were involved and collaborated to bring you a program that focused on our service locally and globally.
In addition to a venue that provided a welcoming ambience, and great accommodations it was our pleasure to hear inspiring messages from R.I representative Elizabeth Smith Yeats with her advocacy of the PolioPlus Program, our Keynote Speaker, Rotarian and author Alan Mallory about his trek to conquer Mount Everest with his family, along with panels of district speakers: Joan Hunter of Ottawa South, Terry Forth of Iqaluit, Julie Cugalj and Brittany Hesmer for Rotaract, Youth Exchange Chair Joe Fontes, and PDG Nabil Oudeh and area governors along with myself.
On my continued journey, and having made several official club visits, I have been treated with warm welcomes, hospitality, good humor, and have witnessed your eagerness to work in partnership. While I continue to fill my calendar with my official club visits, I want to remind Rotary Club Presidents to work with their officers and directors to plan for earning TheRotary Citation (containing 3 prioritized areas with goals); it actually is more flexible and attainable.
After one month on my journey as your District Governor, and having made several official club visits, I extend a “Thank you” for the warm welcomes, hospitality and your eagerness to work in partnership. I also had fun and laughter along the way too! I am inspired by all the projects and special events unique to each club. Let’s all share these with other clubs and be sure to send to Community Service Chair Mary Zovistoski at: mzovistoski@gmail.com. When you input them under your service tab at Rotary Central, many more clubs will have a chance to learn about your projects and may ask for your mentorship.
District 7040 is pleased to announce that the District Governor selection committee has selected Mr. Gerry Lambert (Canton, NY) as incoming governor for 2019-20.
The District 7040 Selection Committee was delighted with the high caliber of applicants and grateful for the leadership and commitments of all applicants.
District Governor Nabil Oudeh will be making a formal introduction of DGND Gerry at District Training Assembly in Cornwall on April 8, 2017.
Gerry Lambert selected as incoming governor 2019-20
January 25, the Rotary Club of Orleans celebrated the creation of our newest Interact Club consisting of Grade 7 and 8 students, Club Interact de Lécole Secondaire Publique Giséle-Lalonde. These students are our future leaders. A special thank you to our members Danielle Michaud and Area Governor Fay Campbell for guiding them through the process. We are very excited!
In 2016, the District 7040 DG appointed me chair of the Fellowships Committee. Rotary Fellowships give their members the opportunity to have fun, make new friends around the world, and enhance their experience in Rotary.
Posted by Ariane Carriere, Interact chair District 7040
The 2016 Interact Vision Team got a message from Guatemala.
"Greetings from Guatemala! I hope you are all well, enjoying yourselves and your families, as 2016 comes to a close.
I wanted to let you all know that Felix recently visited that family that you built a house for in Santa Catarina. We made a short video and put it up on YouTube so that you can see how the family has been doing since the construction of their new home! Please feel free to forward the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV3hy-szCuU&feature=youtu.be on to your family and friends as a way to share your experience and stories of your time in Guatemala."
It's very touching to see how the family is doing. We are now raising funds for another house in Guatemala with the 2017 Interact Vision Team. If you want to donate to our house build, go to https://give.commonhope.org/fundraise/team?ftid=81758.
The Rotary Club of Ottawa, celebrating its 100th anniversary, has now been engaged in the International Youth Exchange programme for decades. Many host families and counsellors are still in contact with students they invited into their homes, celebrating their milestones and achievements with them.
Posted by Michelle Peters, Rotary Club of Brockville
Three generations of the Rotary Brockville family joined together to place a wreath at the Brockville cenotaph in honour of Remembrance Day. Pictured are Josh Bennett, president the Rotary Club of Brockville; Tyler Read, co-president H.E.L.P Interact club; Corbin Evans, president Earlyact club; Maija Robillard, co-president Interact; and Ray Marshall, president of the Rotary Club of the 1000 Islands.
Saturday November 5 our Rotaractors took a break from studying to spend the afternoon volunteering at Fletcher Wildlife Garden, where we were helping them remove Dog Strangling Vine, an invasive species that was taking over! Thank you to Sandy for being such a great host!
Posted by Bill Egnatoff, Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston
Doing Time in Kingston: Youth Justice Then and Now
Doing Time in Kingston: Youth Justice Then and Now is a collaborative venture of the Rotary Clubs of Cataraqui-Kingston and Kingston, but the success of the program is due in large measure to the support of sponsoring clubs, the high caliber of students they send, and the excellent team of resource people. This year, the program inspired 17 high school students, ranging in age from 14 to 19, to do more of what some of them are already doing—to support their peers in ways that keep them happily engaged and out of trouble. The program gave them specific ideas for youth advocacy, for helping youth, and for possible career paths related to youth justice.
The program demystified the whole youth justice system, enabling participants to see what steps can be taken to redirect youth. They read about actual cases of children and youth who had been imprisoned and how they were treated. They saw how relevant legislation had evolved over the past two centuries and how laws are made. They learned of current innovative youth justice programs run by the Kingston Police, Youth Diversion, Queen’s Family Law Clinic, and the Canadian Families and Corrections Network. Through their visit to the Kingston Penitentiary and the Penitentiary Museum they have a sense of prison life and how it has evolved.
On November 12th, our District 7040 Rotary Leadership Institute graduated our first Part III class completing their Undergraduate Level. Left to right are: Gene Gengel (Lake Placid), PDG Bette Miller (Faculty/Cornwall Sunrise Club), AG Fay Campbell (Orleans), DGN Martha Weaver (e-club D7040 premier), DGE Susan Bellor (Massena), AG Hadi Mortada (West Ottawa), PDG Bonnie Black (Faculty/Plattsburgh).
Despite the rain the weekend before the Canadian Thanksgiving, the Ottawa Rotaract team helped to make the world a more beautiful place during our Jules Morin park clean up. Thank you to all who came out!
Posted by Ariane Carriere, Youth in 7040 Bulletin Editor
Any time that you have something happening in your club, with Rotaract, Interact, Youth Exchange, RYLA, Adventures, Scholarships, send an article, preferably with pictures to PDG Ariane Carriere. Some pictures will also be posted on the Interact/Earlyact District 7040 Facebook page.
This year's Rotaract District Retreat will be on March 10-12th in Montreal!!
Common Hope Interact Vision Team 2017 to Guatemala March 11-20.
The students have several things planned for the year:
The students will be organizing and participating in a "Walk in Their Shoes" to support Doctors Without Borders. The date on this is still forthcoming but hopefully this will happen in just a few weeks and when organized I will be circulating a pledge form at our Rotary Club.
The big fund raiser-the 24 hour Awake-will be happening on November 25th. As you recall, the club helps to organize over 100 students to get pledges and to stay overnight and awake at the school all night long. Last year, we had Rotarians volunteer to chaperone and everyone had a hoot playing ping pong! Again, there will be a pledge of $1000 made to our Rotary Club to help support an ongoing project, with the students deciding how to direct that money. The remainder of the money goes to the school in Africa that the students are committed to and a few other international charities as well. Jaden is going to forward me some pictures of the school-last year the money sent paid for a full science lab!
We have selected 4 dates throughout the year that we will have Rotarians from our Club come and speak to Interact and we will provide pizza as well-this format for our speaker series is quite well received lol. I will be working with our Youth committee to help choose who those speakers will be.
Jaden, Courtney and some of the Interact students will be going on a trip to Peru during March Break-which maybe our club might be able to help support
There is an idea of starting a "Conversation Club" where Interact students meet with students within the school that are just recently moved or staying in Canada-to help break down some of the social barriers.
The Massena Rotary Club RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) delegate Celine Stowell described her experiences at the RYLA conference at Paul Smith’s College near Saranac Lake, NY for Massena Rotarians during a recent luncheon at the Massena Elks Lodge. Celine participated in leadership activities, learned about African dance and had the opportunity to visit the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY with approximately 40 fellow RYLA attendees from around District 7040. Celine is a junior at Massena High School, a member of the Interact Club and an active member of the Massena Boys and Girls Club where she helps to supervise and lead activities for younger club members.
Celine Stowell is pictured with Massena Rotarian Walter Mulyca.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards is a leadership program coordinated by Rotary Clubs around the globe. Each year, thousands of young people participate in this program. Young people ages 13–30 are sponsored by Rotary Clubs to attend the event run by the club's district committee. Participants are chosen for their leadership potential. Rotary Clubs and the Rotary District cover all expenses for the participants. The format of the event varies from district to district, but commonly take the form of a seminar, camp, or workshop to discuss leadership skills and to learn those skills through practice. Rotary clubs and districts select participants and facilitate the event's curriculum.
Posted by Joe Fontes, District Youth Exchange Chair
Hello everyone, this month I would like to mention the short term program. We always talk about the Long Term Exchange, but leave out our Short term program which is also very important.
Many students may not be able to partake in the long term but the short term also offers many benefits and opens the doors to many other opportunities. The Short term Exchange presents opportunities for students to advance their knowledge and world understanding by allowing them to live abroad for a short period of time over the summer months. Participants also live with one host family for approximately one month under the sponsorship of their local Rotary club.This is a great program where the host brother or sister from abroad will also spend a month with the participating student in his or her home during the same summer.
This program still has the same objective as in the Long Term Exchange, in which it is intended to foster world peace and International understanding, the participants can still experience a new culture and meet new people from all walks of life.
This year in our District we had 6 short Term Exchanges, I would like very much to grow this program in our district and give this opportunity to more students and who knows it might open up the travel bug in the participant to do the Long Term as well.
The Picture below is of one of our own D7040 participants Jordan VanWyngaarden pictured on the right, and Martha Lamberti from the Rotary Club of Lecco, Italy, District 2042 who both visited the Rotary Club of Kingston.
For the past eleven years, the Rotary Club of Cornwall Sunrise and the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences have made it possible for participants in Adventures in the Environment to experience hands-on environmental science with professional researchers. With the wonderful support of the Rotary Club Cornwall-Sunrise, 7 participants were able to tag alongside Biologists, technicians and Naturalist to discover life on the St. Lawrence River.
Have you always dreamed of studying abroad? Applications are now available for Rotary Youth Exchange 2017-18! Please go to our website under forms & documents. http://www.yex.rotary7040.com
Posted by By Erin Biba, The Rotarian, July 2016 on Jun 28, 2016
When was the last time there was polio in Europe? If you guessed 2002, the year the region was certified polio-free, you were wrong. The last time polio affected a child in Europe was last summer. In 2015, two Ukrainian children were diagnosed with paralytic polio, and, given the way the disease manifests itself, that means many more were likely infected and didn’t show symptoms. At least one Western news outlet deemed the outbreak “crazy” – but the reality is that no place on earth is safe from polio until the disease is eradicated everywhere.
The Scholarships Committee is pleased to announce that Natalie Kauf, nominated by the Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston and selected as District 7040 Global Grant Scholarship candidate has been approved by The Rotary Foundation for the Global Grant Scholarship of $30,000 USD.
Natalie will be pursuing her studies at Cambridge University in the UK.
Posted by Roger Black, District 7040 Website Administrator on Jun 22, 2016
Rotary International will make your club’s July 2016 invoice available online around the middle of July. RI uses the membership data that’s in Rotary’s database as of 1 July to generate the invoice, so you need to make sure that your club’s information is current by then. Having an accurate membership figure is vitally important — RI can no longer adjust invoices after they’re made available.
All aspects of the 2016 annual Rotary Foundation were very successful… great organization and hospitality provided by the Rotary Clubs of Brockville, Prescott and 1000 Islands (Brockville).
Representatives from 12 clubs enjoyed the beautiful weather and great fellowship while the Annual fund benefitted by just over $10,000 USD. The “Walking Stick” is presented annually to the club making the largest donation.
Congratulations to PR Chair Martha Weaver for being nominated as 2018-2019 District 7040 Governor. For those who ask, about the validity of the eClubs, Martha is the second governor for District 7040 to come from eClub Premier Francophone.
2016 began with a sad note with the passing of DG1992-1993 Ken Lefrançois at age 70. His continuous, active service to Rotary since his term in 92-93 was exemplary.
His most recent achievement, the formation of the most recent Rotary Action Group by RI, should be a focus in addition to the encouragement and chartering of so many clubs in our District.
DG Claude
Below is a communication from Patrick Lefrançois, Ken's son, regarding funeral and memorial arrangements:
I want to thank everyone for their kind words. The outpouring of love and support has made it possible for us to enjoy, remember and celebrate my father's life.
Below, you will find the details of my father's funeral.
District 7040's Area Governors have taken on an increasingly important role over the past several years. Training AGs to excel in that role is vital to the future of the district's clubs.
On Saturday, January 30th, an LDT training session for Area Governors will provide an important step for developing strong, beneficial relationships among the clubs they serve.
The January 30 session, which will be held at the Cornwall Township Lions Club Hall, will build on a session offered in September which focused on the AG's role, responsibilities and active listening skills.
Clubs around the world approach membership in very different ways. Recognizing and acting on the unique needs, customs, and changes in your community will enhance your ability to bring in new members and inspire existing ones.
Worldwide, 68% of Rotary club members are between the ages of 50 and 70. Are there opportunities for younger members in your club?
Strong membership enables your club to do good in your local community and around the world. A strong membership also raises the public’s awareness of Rotary and increases support for The Rotary Foundation and its programs. Building membership is a top priority throughout Rotary, from the RI Board and Rotary coordinators to district leaders. Focusing on membership is most important, however, for club leaders, because they have the greatest power to improve it.
53% of terminating members report that their club leaders never asked for member input.
From July 21 to July 26, about 200 Rotaractors from 49 countries gathered in Washington, D.C. to attend the RYLA North America Conference. Five members from our District got the opportunity to meet inspiring people, exchange ideas, and build new friendships throughout the week.
Photo shows Rotaractors meeting President Ravi at Carribean Carnival.
This is my last bulletin as District Governor. It has been an amazing year and I feel very privileged that you chose me to be your leader in 2014-2015. I want to thank all those who were a part of the District Council in 2014-2015,and those who have stepped up for next year. A special thanks goes to outgoing AG's Dwight Boyce, Stephanie Battisti, and Fred Carriere, as well as Pat Brown, Rotaract; Jack Prim, membership; Trevor Dagilis, International Service; Sherri Agnew, Youth Exchange; and our co-District Rotaract Representatives Natasha Farrugia and Kaitlynn Almeida
This bulletin is in English only because there has not been enough time to get items translated. The articles address the three main areas that RI asks us to report on, and a few areas that became important during the year. As I was going through the club ratings, I completed any goals or results in Rotary Club Central that I was aware of. Some clubs sent achievements to me but did not record them online.
Use of GoToMeeting
The use of virtual meetings increased sharing of ideas this year within the district. Last year I introduced webinars for Presidents Elect, and this year I tried to keep in touch with them through AG groupings. All in all it has served to have Rotarians look at meetings differently. It is not always necessary to get in a car and drive. Sometimes things can be done from one’s home. GoToMeeting proved especially useful during January and February where I could still be in touch with district members while not having to drive in inclement weather.
Youth Protection Policy
Although this was not originally part of my goal for the year, it became more and more important as the year went on. Many clubs were under the impression that this is a new requirement but a policy has been in effect since 2006. As I mentioned at the DTA, I feel like I am part of the movie “Groundhog Day” since I started with this in the 90’s as a teacher association president, and am still hearing the same arguments against the requirements now from Rotarians. RI has changed what it needed since 2006 and we need to change also. Many thanks to Kevin Laplante who has take on an important role in this process.
With the input of several clubs, we have made changes to the original policy and have now started with a club certification process for any club involved in activities with youth and vulnerable persons. This is in addition to the Youth Exchange certification process and does not replace it. A list of certified clubs is published on the Youth Services page and will be added to as more clubs become certified. Club presidents and organizers of Adventure programs and RYLA have been reminded that their clubs needs to be certified before they can run their program.
The concern about sending Canadian documents to the US has also been addressed with clubs. At this time I am listed as co-Youth Protection Officer along with Kevin Laplante and I will continue in that capacity next year. We need continuity in this process and cannot have the position change every year.
The possibility of having a third party background check has been possible in the US and there is now at least one company that I have been made aware of that can do this in Canada. This may help to alleviate some of the difficulties that members in rural areas have had in obtaining police checks.
The Weekly Bulletin
Clubs do weekly bulletins and it was because of that I decided to do that as well. A weekly bulletin that has a bit of colour, that can be archived, and that can be shared in Facebook seemed to be well accepted. We keep email messages to a minimum so that new club presidents do not get bombarded. Our Communication Policy, approved by the District Council in September is on the district website for anyone to check. We cannot stop RI, but we can keep the ClubRunner communication system for the use of the district.
Clubs and AG’s contributed many articles for the bulletin. I had set up a rough schedule according to the monthly themes and there were times that I was overwhelmed and had to carry articles forward several weeks in order to fit it all in. Thanks to all who contributed.
Conclusion
For many years I have been actively involved in the district. While my role will change now, I am still a part of the district and will continue to be active for all of our members. Thank you for the opportunity that you gave me.
This is one of the least utilized areas in Rotary Club Central, with clubs not completing achievements, yet it is the area in Rotary Club Central that has the greatest impact.
One club has stated that they do not feel it is necessary to enter anything in Rotary Club Central. There are others that are just not doing anything. There is reporting that Rotary International expects of clubs. A comparison was made at one time that Rotary is like the franchiser and clubs are the franchisees. Clubs are able to avail themselves of all the benefits of Rotary International and should be prepared to do their part in return.
The latest figures show that the use of Rotary Club Central is increasing though.
61% Clubs with Goals, 264 PROJECTS SET AS GOAL, 232 PROJECTS ACHIEVED
Paul Smiths College, the location for RYLA 2015. A job well done with thanks to Bob Hanna, Bill Rusak, Al Dunham, Ernie Stretton, Ray Agnew and all the volunteer chaperones.
Students are getting started early on Friday morning.
DG Ariane addresses students, parents and Rotarians at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake.
No longer strangers, but now friends at the graduation lunch.
The District Changeover collected funds for World’s Greatest Meal on June 20, 2015. Thanks to two very generous donors, we collected $2,150.00 to end polio now.
Below is a brief summary of World’s Greatest Meal to end polio as of June 19, 2015:
There have been 1,208 events registered in 59 countries.
More than 67,300 participants worldwide
USD $1,210,537.96 has been raised (a total of USD $3,631,613.88 with matching funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)
This translates to enough funds to buy more than 6,052,000 polio vaccinations!! www.wgmeal.com
OUR ROTARY YEAR IS ALMOST OVER, BUT THE CONTINUING MISSION OF THE ROTARY FOUNDATION NEVER ENDS. FOR YOU SEE, THE PROGRAMS OF THE ROTARY FOUNDATION ARE FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE NEEDS - EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND VARIOUS SELF-HELP PROGRAMS - ALL TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE ROTARY FOUNDATION PROGRAMS AND ALLOWING “THE GOOD WORK” OF ROTARY TO GO FORWARD!
The dues that your club pays to Rotary allow the Secretariat to provide quality and efficient support to Rotarians worldwide.
Maintaining data
Maintaining club data online can help you keep your membership information current and accurate. Your club president, secretary, and other officers can use My Rotary or your local system (ClubRunner www.rotary7040.com ) to:
Update membership information within 30 days of any changes, or by 1 January or 1 July, whichever is sooner.
Make sure the names of all current officers are correct and that all future officers are named no later than 1 February. TIP: Set up a club email that can be transferred to future officers to ensure uninterrupted communications with Rotary.
Confirm that email addresses for all members are current.
Club invoice mailing
All club invoices are due and payable upon receipt, and the amount due is not adjustable. Rotary International emails a copy of the invoice to every club officer in January and July. To ensure that emails from Rotary are not rejected or filtered as spam, add ri.clubfinance@rotary.org to your approved email contacts.
If your club has not opted out of the paper invoice or updated your officers email addresses, you will receive a paper copy by post in late January and late July. If your club has not received an invoice by the beginning of February or August, email data@rotary.org to request a replacement. Include your club name and number and delivery address or fax number. Club dues still must be paid even if you have not received the invoice.
Want to go paperless? Opt your club out of the paper invoice in My Rotary under Edit invoice preferences.
Rotary per capita dues per half year are as follows:
2015-16: $27.50 USD
2016-17: $28.00 USD
All clubs are billed $1.50 USD per member on their July invoice to help defray the costs of the Council on Legislation. Invoices include variable charges for The Rotarian magazines (other Rotary regional magazine subscriptions are billed separately) and variable fees for insurance (U.S. clubs only). See the Manual of Procedure for more information.
Exchange rates
Rotary credits payments at the official Rotary exchange rate at the time payment is received. Rotary re-evaluates exchange rates monthly. See current exchange rates.
Payment methods
Club presidents, treasurers, and secretaries can pay dues by:
WEEK 50 WHAT KIND OF ROTARY SERVICE AWARDS ARE THERE?
District Service Award recognizes Rotarians at the District level who serve humanity through Rotary Foundation programs and are awarded by the District Governor.
Citation for Meritorious Service recognizes one Rotarian from each District during each Rotary year for demonstrated active service to the Rotary Foundation.
Distinguished Service Award is The Rotary Foundation’s highest service award and recognizes the recipients’ exemplary service to The Rotary Foundation which must extend beyond the District level and over an extended period of time.
YOU CAN HELP NOMINATE ANY WORTHY ROTARIAN FOR ANY OF THESE AWARDS.
1. Share all the good work your club does with other Rotarians and with the world by adding pictures and information about your club projects to Rotary Showcase.
Your district leadership is currently at the Rotary International Convention in Sao Paulo. It is impossible to write about everything that is happening, so I have recorded a brief video of the first few days. https://youtu.be/Zzk4XRVT36M . See you at the Changeover, and don't forget to register.
WEEK 49 MATCHING MONEY WITH PEOPLE FOR POSITIVE RESULTS.
The Rotary Foundation has been so effective because it matches money with people. In the words of Arch C. Klumph: “Money alone does little good. Individual service is helpless without money. The two together can be a Godsend to civilization.”
YOUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND YOUR TIME, ENERGY AND TALENT ARE USEFUL IN THE ROTARY MISSION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND YOUR EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF THE ROTARY FOUNDATION AND ROTARY INTERNATIONAL.
Tim Ross and Dave LeSueur, Brockville Rotarians who just returned from Nepal, after enduring the earthquake that hit while they were there did a presentation for the Rotary Club of the Thousand Islands. They showed moving photos of their trip there, including before and after photos of the devastation the earthquake created upon Nepal. They were able to attend a Rotary meeting amongst Rotarians from Russia, India, and other places, set-up in their relief camp. Photos of the hotel courtyard where they stayed, the cremation ceremonies, rubble throughout Nepal, and tents all around the country, were also a part of their presentation. They also spoke of the need for low-cost housing, and there is a drive to raise enough funds for 30 houses at a cost of $1000 each. Shelter Boxes were immediately deployed to Nepal, but the need is still there. If you donate to the relief fund “SOS Children’s Villages” the Canadian Government will match your donation. Dave and Tim were given a standing ovation for their courage and strength, and in appreciation for sharing this with us.
After the meeting a donation page was set up for Shelter Box. www.DonateBrockville.com will take you there. We got some pledges this week which will put us at least enough for one Shelter Box, the goal was for 4 of them. If you would like to send the information around that is much appreciated. It would be great to reach this goal. Here is a link to an article about our presentation to Rotary http://www.recorder.ca/2015/05/06/weve-seen-a-lot-of-death Thank you Tim Ross.
WEEK 48 WHAT TYPES OF ROTARY FOUNDATION RECOGNITION EXIST FOR CLUBS?
100 Percent Paul Harris Fellow Club: Rotary Clubs in which 100 percent of all dues paying members are Paul Harris Fellows receive special recognition from the Rotary Foundation. Qualifying Rotary Clubs receive a special club recognition banner and join an elite group of clubs.
The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation also present club recognition banners each year to the three Rotary Clubs in each District with the highest per capita in Annual Fund Giving.
100 Percent Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member Club Banner: Rotary Clubs in which 100 percent of all dues paying members as of June 30th have donated at least $100 to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund.
100 Percent Every Rotarian Every Year Club Banner: Rotary Clubs in which 100 percent of all dues paying members as of June 30th have donated some amount to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund and the average per capita club giving is at least US$100.
WILL YOUR CLUB BE RECOGNIZED BY THE ROTARY FOUNDATION THIS YEAR?
WEEK 47 WHAT CAN YOUR $1,000 DONATION TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION DO?
Your $1,000.00 donation to The Rotary Foundation can help provide all materials necessary for the construction of a deep bore well in India which supplies clean drinking water to more than 300 people, materials to treat and prevent parasites and anemia in need children in Uruguaiana, R.S., Brazil, or purchase a tree nursery in Jamaica that will annually produce 5,000 tree seedlings and increase family income for 700 farmers, or provide artificial limbs to 25 disabled persons in Calcutta, India, or buy kitchen equipment for an orphanage in Peru, or provide a cow and animal husbandry training to a widow in Uganda where civil war shattered the economy and children die because of a lack of protein and calcium in their diets, or buy polio vaccine for 2,000 babies in Nigeria, or fund enough textbooks to educate 2,000 children in a school in Papua New Guinea, or provide 20 $50.00 micro-loans enabling women in Nicaragua to start a craft business to support their families.
CAN YOU COMMIT TODAY TO DONATING $1,000 PER YEAR TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION and START MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES? WILL YOU?
More than 100 Rotarians and guests, representing over 20 clubs, took part in the charter night for the Rotary Club of Kingston Waterfront. Guests came from as far away as Australia. Many clubs presented gifts to welcome the new club into the district.
Revised documents are now available on the district website. You are reminded that if you will be having any activities with youth, your club needs to be certified. Go to the Youth Protection page to see all the documents, and an FAQ section that has now been started.
About 50 Rotarians attended the Rotary Foundation Walk in Watertown, raising just over $10,000 US. The 100th anniversary lunch was well attended. DG Ariane Carriere presented a 100th anniversary plaque signed by Rotary International president Gary C.K. Huang.
WEEK 46 WHAT CAN YOUR $500.00 DONATION TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION DO?
Your $500 donation to The Rotary Foundation can help provide a watch repair business for six disabled workers in the Philippines, purchase safety equipment for a boat providing public health services to isolated river villages in Peru, provide prosthetic limbs for 12 disable people in Thailand/Cambodia, or buy five small sewing businesses to give poor mothers in Mexico a better ability to lead self-sufficient lives.
CAN YOU COMMIT TODAY TO DONATING $500 PER YEAR TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION AND START MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES? WILL YOU?
WEEK 45 WHAT CAN YOUR $100.00 DONATION TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION DO?
Your $100 donation to The Rotary Foundation can help provide textbooks for one elementary school in Zambia, provide a hearing aid for a deaf child in Pakistan, buy de-worming tablets for 112 children in the Philippines, pay for cataract operations for three blind people in India, or provide 230 blankets for the elderly in the winter months of Korea.
YOU CAN COMMIT TODAY TO DONATING $100 OR MORE PER YEAR TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION AND START MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES. WILL YOU?
Camp Amy Molson is a residential camp located in close proximity to the Town of Hawkesbury. It is for disadvantaged Montreal inner-city children, aged 5 to 13 years old. The Camp offers an exciting program of activities, especially created to capture the imagination of young children. The campers learn to play on the peaceful 180-acre lakeside site…a far cry from noisy, steamy pavement. Camp Amy Molson endeavors to provide personalized care to all campers. Through individualized programs, the camp tries to meet the physical, emotional, and social needs of each child. This is best achieved through a philosophy of participation and cooperative camping and learning. The acquisition of camping skills is secondary to the appreciation for and respect of others and self.
The Hawkesbury Rotary Club has been working with the Camp for over two decades to help them continue to provide this essential service to children who may only get these 15 days of reprieve once a year…or once during their childhood. The kids that attend this Camp are from our District. They live in our greater community. They need our help. Every year Rotarians from Hawkesbury attend the camp and provide a BBQ for every child in each of the three intakes. We have also supported the Camp with renovations and funding.
Dave Hallett did not attend the charter of his club, Kingston Waterfront, on Monday, May 11. Why? He is currently in Nepal as a ShelterBox Response Team member. Dave has a challenge for us Dave Hallett ShelterBox fundraiser .
Consider giving if your club does not have enough funds to pay for a ShelterBox yourself.
The Scholarship Selection Committee is pleased to announce that the recipient of the Global Grant Scholarship for 2015-16 is Pascale Laliberté-Martineau of Ottawa, sponsored by RC Ottawa. Ms Laliberté Martineau has chosen Economic and Community Development as her area of focus. She will be Studying for an MSC in International Planning at University College London in the U.K. with an emphasis on 'Communities and Planning'. Her particular interest is in alternative participatory mechanisms which will result in alternative economic processes which build the capacity of people to support the economic development of their own community.
Adventures in the Environment
Adventures in the Environment will take place again this year from September 13-17 2015. Students are to arrive in Cornwall on Sunday afternoon, Sept 13, to allow for an early start to the adventure on Monday morning. They will continue their adventure until Thursday at lunchtime when they are picked up to return home. Information and forms are on the Rotary Club of Cornwall Sunrise website. We can take a maximum of 8 students - first come, first served. If you have any questions please contact Katie Burke at brkcornwall@gmail.com
Club certification for vulnerable persons
Revised documents are now available on the district website. You are reminded that if you will be having any activities with youth in the next Rotary year, your club needs to be certified. Go to the Youth Protection page to see all the documents, and an FAQ section that has now been started.
Posted by Gary C.K. Huang, President, Rotary International 2014-15
We express our profound sadness and extend our sympathies to all those affected by the devastation resulting from the 25 April deadly earthquake in Nepal. Rescue missions and emergency aid continue to arrive in Nepal for the 8 million people impacted by the massive 7.8 magnitude quake.
As we mourn the thousands of lost lives, Rotary joins many international agencies in providing immediate relief to survivors and mobilizing our expertise to support long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.
How to help:
District 3292, Nepal, has established a disaster relief fund to provide needed equipment and supplies to affected communities. Contact District Governor Kumar Piya for information about contributing to the fund.
Rotary’s service partner ShelterBox is working closely with Nepali Rotarians to coordinate immediate relief efforts. On Monday, 27 April, and Wednesday, 29 April, Rotarians greeted ShelterBox response teams in Nepal who will mobilize temporary housing and relief efforts. An initial 1,000 housing tents and 1,000 shelter kits will be distributed throughout affected communities. Two more ShelterBox relief teams and additional kits are ready to be deployed once further assessments are complete. Learn more about supporting ShelterBox’s relief efforts.
As with all disasters, the Rotary family may apply for global grants to support long-term recovery efforts in Nepal. Once immediate health, safety, and relief efforts have been addressed, work with local Nepali Rotary members and their international partners to develop projects within Rotary’s six areas of focus.
Monitor the announcements section of My Rotary for more information as it becomes available and do not hesitate to contact relief@rotary.org with any questions.
Our thoughts are with our Nepali neighbors during this difficult time. Thank you for continuing to Light Up Rotary through your compassion and generosity.
Dear Rotarian
Gary C.K. Huang, President, Rotary International 2014-15
St. Lawrence NYSARC’s Dodge Pond Camp, located in Oswegatchie, New York, is for individuals with developmental disabilities and one of the few in New York State certified for children. As a result, the Dodge Pond Camp programs serve approximately 250 consumers each year.
The partnership between Rotary and the Dodge Pond Camp of St. Lawrence NYSARC is long-standing. The Watertown Rotary Clubs began supporting Dodge Pond some 20 years ago with the establishment of a one week camp for children with disabilities from Jefferson County. St. Lawrence County Rotary clubs joined the effort in 1998 when Rotarian Dave Mance, from Watertown traveled and met with clubs in St. Lawrence County with the idea of establishing a second week of camp for children with disabilities from St Lawrence County. Currently the Rotary Clubs of Watertown, Theresa, Canton, Massena, Ogdensburg, and Potsdam provide annual support to Dodge Pond Camp – both financial and non-financial.
These clubs commit thousands of dollars each year to sponsor up to 100 campers who then attend one of the two weeklong overnight camps at Dodge Pond each August. The members of the clubs also help with building and repair of the camp facilities each Spring, such as lean-tos, docks, privies, basketball court and a playground. The District has also provided generous support in the past through District Simplified Grants. The District’s support, combined with the local clubs’ support has benefited hundreds of NYSARC consumers both children and adults who attend Dodge Pond for various programs in the summer.
Thanks to Rotary hundreds of children and adults have and will continue to have opportunities they would never have had without its sponsorship.
Is your Club Foundation Chair still asking you to write a check to The Rotary Foundation and give it to him to snail-mail to Evanston? Your Chair may not be comfortable with electronic giving, but The Rotary Foundation is! Giving online is less costly than pro-cessing checks, which means much quicker acknowledgement and, ultimately, more funds available to make a difference on the ground. Here are other ways to maximize your Foundation giving:
Rotary Direct (recurring giving)
You choose how much and how often you want to give— it's a simple and secure way to make a big impact — and the funds are transferred automatically. Online contributions can be made monthly, quarterly, or annually. Either complete and return the Rotary Direct enrollment form or enroll by phone at +1-866-976-8279. To update your existing recurring giving, contact www.rotarydirect@rotary.org or call +1-866-976-8279. For security reasons, changes to your credit card information should be made by phone—not online.
Employee matching gift
Double the impact of your gift by asking your employer to match your contribution to The Rotary Foundation. More than 15,000 companies match gifts to the Foundation, including many international corporations — and beginning this month, the program has expanded to include Canadian firms as well (see article at left). Find out if your employer offers this program at www.rotary.org/matchinggifts. Learn more about Rotary's employee matching gift program, including recognition opportunities.
Rotary MasterCard
Support Rotary's efforts with the Rotary International credit card. Just by using your card, you'll be helping The Rotary Foundation do good in the world. A portion of each purchase you make with the card will benefit The Rotary Foundation, at no additional cost to you. The Rotary Foundation has received more than $8.6 million from the program since it launched in 2000, including $3.6 million to support polio eradication. Rotary’s credit card program is currently available in both Canada and the United States. Learn more and apply at this link.
Airline miles
Through the United Airlines Mileage Plus Charity Miles program, you can donate miles to provide free airfare toward a club or district project. Learn more. Rotary Miles donation form.
Amazon Smile
Amazon.com allows you to select a charity to receive 0.5 percent of the purchase price of eligible purchases. It is an easy way to give and it’s not hard to sign up. Click on the link for more — and be sure to select The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International to receive your charitable contributions!
The District Governor and the sponsor Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston invite you to the Charter Celebration of the new Rotary Club of Kingston Waterfront on Monday, May 11, 2015. It will also be the 30th anniversary celebration of the Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston.
Registration $25 CAD. You may pay at the door, as long as you are registered to allow us to order food based on registration numbers. Register here.
Cash Bar, Hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Clubs are invited to send cheques/checks, or gifts to the new club through the District Governor. It is traditional for every club to send a gift to the new club and to have representation to welcome the new club at its charter night. Club groupings, especially with an Area Governor as the lead, could get together to purchase items for the new club.
More than your plane ticket or your collection of old T-shirts, what is most needed in Nepal right now is money. The Rotary Club of Gananoque will undertake to receive and transfer cash donations to their contacts in Budol and Phulbari, a town about an hour’s travel from Kathmandu. RC Gananoque will also issue charitable tax receipts to donors.
There are two well organized Rotaract clubs and a Community Corps in this community; the closest Rotary club is RC Dhulikhel. Both of the Rotaract clubs are led by young men who are university graduates (engineering and architecture, respectively) who benefitted from Rotary scholarships made possible by the RC Gananoque and friends.
Because the Rotary Club of Gananoque has a long-time relationship with Rotary in Nepal (District 3292. Bruce Higgs, Doug Bickerton, Ron Casselman (Rotary Club of Gananoque) and Diane Kennedy (RC Kingston) have all visited Phulbari and Budol and personally know a number of Rotarians and Rotaract members with whom they have maintained regular communication.
Based upon current communications, it is hoped that ShelterBox may be able to provide some help with shelter, however, the greater concern is the shortage of food and clothing as the rains begin. Water for drinking and cooking is not expected to be a problem as this community has lined water storage ponds and water filters, thanks to the help of RC Gananoque and friends. The other concern is the procurement of supplies to begin repairing and rebuilding.
We encourage you to donate what you can, to a reputable relief organization, and do research to find out where your money will go. If you can, compare a few organizations with aid appeals and ensure that you agree with their approach. If you wish to send donations to the Rotary Club of Gananoque, here is the information.
Rotary Club of Gananoque
c/o Bruce Higgs
301 North Shore Rd. Howe Island
R.R.#4, Gananoque ON Canada K7G2V6
Mark on the bottom of the cheque - Nepal Earth Quake
The Renfrew Rotary Community Corps began forming during the summer of 2014, and received their official charter from Rotary international in November 2014. The charter was presented at an evening of fellowship in March 2015, by the sponsor Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Renfrew. John Wilson and Janet Springer of the Renfrew Rotary Club got the Corps up and running. Since its inception, the Renfrew Rotary Community Corps has assisted various local groups by providing volunteers to assist at their functions or fundraisers. The club has also worked on its own fundraisers with the proceeds benefitting local organizations. The latest was a very successful event, RenfrewLicious, that involved every restaurant in Renfrew and raised $2500 that was donated to the local Food Bank. The club plans on continuing assisting local organizations including the sponsor Rotary club, while they identify other opportunities to assist the community. The Corps is co-chaired by Greg Belmore and Briana Campbell.
We have a new club in our district. Welcome to the Rotary Club of Kingston Waterfront. News about the charter night is in the Events section. Register now.
We have a new satellite club in our district. Welcome to the Rotary Club of Ottawa Metro, satellite of the Rotary Club of Ottawa.
Posted by Chris Boyce, Annual Giving Officer Zone 24, 32
Did you know your employer might match your gifts to The Rotary Foundation (Canada)?
Corporate matching gifts are a great way for to you earn Foundation recognition points and help your club meet its giving goals. To recognize your vital role in procuring these contributions, you will be awarded Foundation recognition points and your club will receive credit for the amount of the matching gift.
Click here to see if your company is one of the many that has a matching gifts program and to learn about the details of your employer’s policy.
Your human resources department is the best resource if you have any questions regarding your company’s specific program. However, we’ve created a guide to answer many of the most frequently asked questions regarding Rotary's corporate giving program in Canada. American members can go to the RI site to check information.
With your help, we will be able to provide even more life changing opportunities in your community and around the world. As always, thank you for all that you do on behalf of The Rotary Foundation (Canada).
PS – If your company has a matching gifts program, submit your request today to help our Foundation achieve a record breaking year!
This picture is from a recent meeting of the Massena Rotary Club. It was my turn to get the guest speaker. I saw an article in the paper about Nolan Tarrence being the first student to ever win a New York State Championship in wrestling. There was a parade of Massena police, Akwesasne police, border guards and fire trucks to escort Nolan into town when he returned from Albany. I got on the internet and asked Coach Perrine if he could speak to Rotary and bring Nolan. I am old and weak these days and need a young strong friend to do some heavy lifting on occasion.. An 18 year old who is the NYS Champ in the 285 pound weight class should fill the bill. I am only in the 221 pound weight class. Nolan lives on the Mohawk Reservation. He will attend Buffalo University on a Division I Wrestling scholarship this fall and major in a sports health education field. Nolan often wrestles in Canada because he has trouble finding anyone around here who is able to take him on. He can wrestle in Canada on a team there because he is a dual citizen. His coach stopped wrestling with him a few years ago because it was too dangerous-for the coach. Nolan has a 104 win/15 loss record. He lost his first 8 matches but did not give up. As a senior he lost one match.
The Rotary Club of West Ottawa held its Membership Day on Tuesday, February 10, 2015. In his introduction
President Bob noted our Club is an activity-generated Club and we make things happen. In keeping with this he turned the meeting over to the very dynamic Merv Letts and his membership committee. Immediately we noticed our normal venue was transformed by the efforts of the Membership Committee and others to reflect what Rotary and the West Ottawa Rotary Club does in an effort to showcase the many sides of Rotary to the Alumni and twenty (20) Visitors. Exhibits included Shelter Box; the Rotary Youth Programs; Dictionary4Life; Mums for Thanksgiving; Golf Tournament Fundraiser; Music for Humanity Fundraiser; New Members Coffee Fundraiser; and the Cash Calendar Fundraiser; an exhibit featuring the ABC’s of Fraud. There were stations where we showcased where our hard earned fundraising is deployed including the Rotary Home, Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre, Project Chance Africa and Scholarships and Fellowships available through Rotary. Finally, other stations that feature how other Rotary Clubs impact the local community through the Rotarians’ for Wabano station and an International Service Committee station. Twenty invited guests had the opportunity of visiting and talking with the representatives of each exhibit.
The Membership Chair, Merv Letts, eloquently spoke of Rotary at the Local, National and International levels. With fundraising through the Annual Golf Tournament, Mums For Thanksgiving, Music For Humanity, the Cash Calendar and the Coffee Program, West Ottawa Rotary is able to support a number of programs. Locally they have helped with the Rotary Home and Respite Centre, the Dave Smith Treatment Centre and also the number of smaller requests. Nationally we have been able to help in the recent Alberta flooding and the Lac Magantic train disaster. We provide continued support in coaching Seniors and others at risk through the ABC’s of Fraud Program. Internationally through our own members Carol Waters, Bea Osome and Suan Cross, West Ottawa are busy in Africa teaching natives how to sew, drilling our eighth well and constructing a new school on the outskirts of Nairobi. The efforts to end Polio is very close to being a reality as polio is present in only three countries, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. To wind up this very whirlwind overview of why be a Rotarian, Merv reminded us that our annual dues are about $200 and there are three categories of membership, Regular Membership where you must attend 50% of Club meetings, Corporate Memberships, where up to 4 members from the same company can become members, and Associate Membership for those interested in one segment of Rotary. Merv concluded by asking newer member Joseph Redhead why he chose Rotary. Joseph Redhead provided a brilliant account as to why he did.
(Note: From this successful Visitors’ Day, our Club has inducted 4 new members and welcomed 1 Associate Member.)
For a full description of RCWO Visitors’ Day, go to our website www.rcwo.org and open Spinoff, February 10, 2015)
WEEK 41 WHAT IS THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S FUNDING CYCLE?
The Rotary Foundation has a unique funding cycle that utilizes contributions for programs three years after they are received. The three year cycle gives districts time for program planning and participant selections, and allows The Rotary Foundation to invest the contributions. The earnings from those investments help pay for administration, program operations and fund development costs. Your contribution in Rotary year 2013-14 will be invested in Rotary year 2014-15, and projects will be selected in Rotary year 2015-16, with the funds actually spent in Rotary year 2016-17.
WITH PLENTY OF TIME TO BE INVOLVED IN HOW YOUR DONATION IS SPENT, PLEASE SUPPORT THE ROTARY FOUNDATION NOW AND GET INVOLVED IN PLANNING FUTURE PROJECTS!
Are you ready to make it clear how Rotary invests in youth and young adults? We are rolling out a new visual identity for our youth programs that does just that. This new look will better align Interact, Rotaract, RYLA and Youth Exchange with Rotary, making it more clear how these youth programs are connected to Rotary and an important part of our story. Check out the new visual identity — a new, aligned visual design.
In our survey last year, we learned that our new design should include Rotary, be consistent with our voice and visual identity, and convey our history even as we reach out to future participants. We wanted our design to communicate what these activities are and how Rotarians support them; for each, we did that through the Rotary Masterbrand and the Rotary wheel:
RYLA is a program that develops young leaders. Since it’s organized by Rotarians, we lead with your club or district logo featuring the Rotary masterbrand signature next to “RYLA” or the words “Rotary Youth Leadership Awards” in lowercase.
Rotary Youth Exchange is a program that builds cultural understanding. Since it’s organized by Rotarians, we lead with your district or multidistrict logo featuring the Rotary masterbrand signature next to “Rotary Youth Exchange” in lowercase.
Interact is a club for emerging leaders. These clubs are sponsored by Rotary clubs, and they’re connected to a school or a community. To show that, we put the Interact wordmark next to the Rotary wheel along with the phrase “A Rotary Sponsored Club.”
Rotaract is a club for young leaders, such as university students or young professionals. These clubs are Rotary partners, and they are based in universities or communities. We put the Rotaract wordmark next to the Rotary wheel with a phrase that affirms the role of Rotaractors as partners in service.
Our Interact and Rotaract graphics live on our Brand Center, under our Logos section. This is also where you can create your club, district or multidistrict signature.
Within our guidelines, there’s lots of freedom. You can put this visual design into action in different ways on T-shirts, banners, and websites. You’re also welcome to develop your own designs that share what RYLA, Rotary Youth Exchange, Interact, and Rotaract mean to you. If you do, be inspired by the fonts, colors, and ideas in our voice and visual identity guidelines to connect your creativity with Rotary’s overall design principles.
We know that you have years of memories connected to our heritage logos — the red and metallic gold of Rotaract, the interlocking circles of the Interact logo, the confident, outstretched arms of RYLA, and the globe-crossing arrows of Rotary Youth Exchange. While we hope you’ll embrace our new direction, keep your pins, T-shirts, banners, bells, and other treasured items. Our Heritage Communications team will be looking after these logos for us, as these historic logos are equally a part of Rotary’s story.
As you put our new design into action, show us what you create. Send your questions, comments, and ideas to graphics@rotary.org. We can’t wait to see what this next chapter of our story looks like.
WEEK 38 WHAT IS THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S “DISTRICT DESIGNATED FUND”?
At the end of every contribution year, each Rotary district’s contributions to the Annual Fund are divided into two funds. 50 percent is credited to the District Designated Fund (DDF). The District Designated Fund is allocated by the District to fund the Rotary Foundation programs in which it chooses to participate, such as District Grants, Global Grants or Polio! DDF even receives a 100% match from our Foundation when used in a Global Grant.
IT IS THIS FUNDING FORMULA WHICH TRULY MAKES THE ROTARY FOUNDATION AN INTEGRAL PARTY OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL IN OUR HOME COMMUNITIES.
WEEK 39 WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ROTARY FOUNDATION STORY TO SHARE?
I’ll go first……
AS WE COME TOGETHER EACH WEEK FOR FRIENDSHIP AND SERVICE LET’S REMEMBER ALL THE GOOD WE HAVE DONE. AND LET’S MAKE SURE TO SHARE THAT GOOD WITH THE WORLD!
WEEK 40 DISTRICT GRANTS - HELPING AT HOME
Have we as a club spoken to the District Governor or our District Rotary Foundation Chair about what we want to do as a club? What do we want to do? Is there a project we would all find worthy? If so, let’s take action and get Foundation funds to come together as a club and change the world….on project at a time
Rotarians in District 7040 believe that no child should ever go to bed hungry so Saturday 24 January 2015 Rotary clubs throughout Eastern Ontario, Nunavut, Western Quebec, and Northern New York joined together with their communities in a Rotary Day of Service to support our local food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens.
The District-wide event was a huge success. 20 clubs, 6 Rotaract clubs and a Rotary Community Corps participated. One club added a new member. Clubs in Watertown NY and Ottawa ON were featured on local TV. Participants said that the events increased club spirit, built teamwork and increased visibility in the community. Clubs want to do a "bigger and better" event in the coming Rotary year.
Rotary Days was a great initiative that will bring even more benefit in years to come.
The attached request for funding has been received for sharing with the clubs in District 7040. The funding request was received by the Honouring Indigenous Peoples Board, a new organization bringing Rotary and First Nations together in support of education for indigenous peoples. Our mandate is to review and approve such requests before sharing them with Canadian Rotary clubs.
The urgent request is from the First Nations Community of Landsdowne House, a fly-in community located 480 km northeast of Thunder Bay for financial assistance to help them purchase and install a desperately new playground for their community education centre.
The documents included in this funding request, and added to downloads below are:
Honouring Indigenous Peoples request for funding support (to be forwarded to clubs);
Supporting Documents (only forwarded to clubs upon request):
Neskantaga Education Centre request letter; and,
Playground quote
If you have any questions, comments, and/or concerns please contact:
The Rotary Club of North Renfrew was Chartered in May 2006 and has had a maximum membership of 22 but currently has 18 very active members. Their Participation score is well over 100% and often topped the district’s list of clubs. This Rotary Club is certainly an example of what all Rotary Clubs a striving to be.
There is only so much space, so maybe a list of ongoing successes maybe be the most word efficient why of highlighting this club.
44% of their current membership are female.
Youth Exchange program since 2006
Interact program, very active with approximately 50 students.
Earlyact Club was started in the fall of 2013 with about 12 members.
Since 2006 the Club has been successful in receiving 7 District Simplified Grants and 1 Matching Grant for a total of about $36,947.
Since 2006 the members have contributed $29,988 USD to the Rotary Foundation
The Club supports many Community Projects and Events
North Renfrew Family Services
Canada Day celebrations
Rhubarb Lunch
Book Tree Project
Deep River Community Woods Project
So what is new for the Club?
In any effort to revitalize and focus the Club around an issue most members could support a new committee was formed, Environmental Working Group, which will look at a wide range of issues. An initial activity is a Community Waste Reduction Challenge and Reuse/Exchange Day (April or May 2015 ), both part of a broad Community Education Plan.
Another new committee is exploring the possibility of initiating a housing project for senior residents of the area. They are currently looking for possible building sites.
So what are the Challenges, for a club that is so successful?
Well it is the same problem of many clubs in our district. The Rotary Club of North Renfrew needs to attract new members and work on ways to prevent member burnout. In the short term they partner with local groups to provide people power and use their success Interact Program to their advantage. But to some extent their success hinders the effort to solve their membership problem.
A quote from the Club’s Publicity, Communication and Membership Committee:
“ Because of our high visibility in the community, there is a common perception that our members must either work too hard or that the club already must have 50 or more members or so to achieve everything we do, so no more members are needed. “
At the moment I am now, until next June 30 AG for Montreal and l’Est de Montréal. I remain on the Extension Committee and with Claude Laliberté we are starting to work on a STRATEGIC PLAN FOR EXTENSION, which is intimately related to club restructuring going on at l’Est de Montréal.
L’EST de MONTRÉAL started the year with two members, President and Sec.-Treasurer, and recruited two more, including a dynamic President-Elect. Five or more should be joining in the coming days. Dues are paid, intensive training is going on and hopes are high to have a vibrant club within the next two months. L’Est de Montréal’s initial community project is to work with the Community to foster its sense of pride (in reaction to past negative publicity).
MONTREAL is moving along with its involvement with homelessness in collaboration with an organization called Méta-d’Âme specialized in social reinsertion through day center and transition apartments. Nine boxes of food were collected for them and members went with them for a day of volunteering at Moisson Montréal food bank as our way to participate in Rotary Day of Community Service. A Gobal Grant Application is almost ready to go to TRF for a Water (US$153,472) and Sanitation (US$25,000) project in the Sironko Region of Uganda thanks to the support of more than a dozen other clubs.
Clubs and members are being regularly encouraged to get involved in district committees, training and events.
WEEK 37 DO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS HAVE TO BE DONE THROUGH THE FOUNDATION?
The answer is no, however it is a wonderful way to get involved in your community. Community service projects are born when Rotary clubs from two or more countries join together to accomplish a community service project. These projects link and connect ideas from Rotary Clubs needing extra help with clubs in other countries that are willing to provide funds, materials and technical and professional assistance. Please share your service projects with the Rotary world and friends of Rotary by going to www.rotary.org, www.ideas.rotary.org and then sharing your project on Rotary showcase.
ARE YOU READY TO GET INVOLVED IN A COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT?
WEEK 36 WHAT IS THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S “WORLD FUND”?
At the end of every contribution year, each Rotary district’s contributions to the Annual Programs Fund are divided into two funds: 50 percent is credited to the World Fund (WF) and 50 percent is credited to the District Designated Fund (DDF). The World Fund is used by The Rotary Foundation to pay for the worldwide programs available to all Rotary districts, regardless of specific contributions.
IT IS THIS FUNDING FORMULA WHICH TRULY MAKES THE ROTARY FOUNDATION AN INTEGRAL PART OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL.
Prior to receiving an invitation to the “conversation” on maternal and child health between the PM and Bill Gates, our club had sent a thank you to the PM and the government for their continued support of the Polio eradication campaign. This was particularly significant to our club since four of its members have travelled overseas to help with the immunization programmes.
We were pleased to learn of the vote among members of the Rotary Metro group to become a satellite club. We are happy to be the sponsoring club and look forward to many joint ventures.
We have had two exceptional speakers during February. James Jordan is the Safety Events Coordinator for the War Amps program. James was born an amputee and is a shining example of the good work the War Amps program does. Charles Melchers, one of our own members, works for Canada Border Services. He gives a clear, informative overview of the many facets of what this organization does…a timely topic, given the government’s emphasis on the dangers related to terrorism.
In anticipation of Rotaract Week, we held our annual Chilly Chili Sunday at the Ottawa Rotary Home.Members of the Metro Satellite club also joined us in providing the meal for our younger Rotarians.All of us toured the Adult Wing of the facility with their coordinator and Chair of the Rotary Home foundation, John Lark.John is a member of our club and we were pleased to learn that the foundation had been able to raise $50K more in 2014 than in the previous year.
A number of our club members attended the celebration of Rotary’s 110th birthday, hosted by MP Brad Butt.
We were pleased to have the recipient of our club’s Citizenship Award, given annually to a graduate of Lisgar Collegiate, visit our club this past Monday.Albert Savescu now attends McGill and was eager to finally connect with the club during his study week.
The Promise Quilt of 2013-2014 with squares from last year’s governors’ quilters was auctioned off in October at the zone 2014 meeting. It was beautiful and very meaningful and was auctioned off on Saturday night to benefit Polio Plus.
Once again we are asking you for a square from our district to assemble another “Promise Quilt” to benefit Polio Plus in 2015. The 2014-2015 quilt will be auctioned off at the 2015 zone meeting.
I am asking you for a decorated 10” square (using cotton cloth material) to be used in the next Promise Quilt. Ask your district quilter to leave a margin of one inch around the square to allow for stitching the pieces together. It will be assembled as part of the Promise Quilt 2015 in the coming year to be ready to display and auction off at the 2015 zone meeting to benefit the Polio Plus program. The goal is to have a square from each district from both zones 24 and 32. Our Zone director will be doing one as well.
Can we find a person in our district to work on the square for the Promise Quilt? The squares can be applique, embroidered, patched, or even drawn on with cloth markers. PLEASE DO NOT USE GLUE to assemble pieces. We may want a representation of our geographical area, a special project our district is known for, an example of one of the six areas of focus, or anything you like. Make sure the district # and zone # is on our square when completed. One square is less than an evening's project for a quilter in our district but everyone is busy and the sooner we choose a quilter, the sooner we will be able to give the district’s square to bring to zone. After completion, please let me know and send me a message so that I can collect it.
Several clubs in Rotary District 7040 have joined the Cornwall Sunrise Rotary Club supporting a one year project which focuses on education, early detection and treatment of Buruli Ulcer, a disease which affects skin, and if left untreated can also affect the bone, with a devastating impact on its victims. It is endemic in the Ashanti Region of Ghana where this disease affects children in poor rural communities primarily and can result in long costly hospital stays, and significant morbidity and disability rates. The clubs are working with the ABURA Foundation.
As we celebrate Rotary International’s Literacy theme during March, each club in our District is challenged to ask themselves the following question,
What project(s) does our club have to support literacy?
Last fall’s article focused on some literacy statistics internationally, nationally and within our District. The plan for District literacy was also summarized.
The District literacy plan includes encouraging clubs to consider taking on the Dictionary4Life project which the Rotary Club of West Ottawa is offering to expand and administer. I am very pleased to report that the Rotary Clubs of Prescott and Kingston-Waterfront have ordered dictionaries for this coming fall in addition to the continuing 8 Ottawa area clubs (West Ottawa, Nepean- Kanata, Ottawa Bytown, Ottawa, Stittsville, Orleans, South Nepean, Ottawa South) that are already involved in the project. The District order was our largest order to date for 1,096 books. As you assess your club’s literacy projects please consider the Dictionary4Life project. If you’d like evidence of how you can make a difference in a Grade 3 student’s life please view the winning one-minute video at http://youtu.be/uCwcZQKQ6nE
“For most of us reading and writing are as natural as breathing. But nearly 800 million adults worldwide lack the literacy skills needed to complete a job application, understand a child’s report card, or read a prescription.” (Source: Rotary International and the International Reading Association Literacy Project Guide) This latter document is an excellent guide for any club looking to either start a project or augment an already vibrant literacy program within your club.
Your club might consider one or more of these successful Rotary club literacy projects:
Improve access to books and learning materials
Book donations
Dictionary donations
Library support
Support schools and teachers
Adopt a school
Teacher training
Enhance classroom learning
Early childhood literacy
Adult literacy
Student mentoring
Concentrated language encounter (CLE)
Promote community development
Improve community health
Address special needs
(Source: Rotary International and the International Reading Association Literacy Project Guide)
As always, I would be pleased to speak to any District 7040 club about literacy. Please contact me at lindaflynn@bell.net.
Posted by Patricia (Pat) Brown, District Rotaract Chair
Every year, World Rotaract Week honors the chartering of the first club in North Carolina, USA, on March 13, 1968. Rotaract, for ages 18-30, was officially inaugurated during January 1968 under R.I. President Luther Hodges. World Rotaract Week, observed annually the week of March 13th is designed to foster Rotaract-Rotary activities in celebration of the founding of the Rotaract program. It is a time for celebrating the success and importance of the Rotaract program.
This event is also an excellent opportunity to inform members of your community about the amazing work that Rotaract clubs do, and give them an opportunity to get involved. Rotaract clubs and their sponsor Rotary club have the freedom to explore a variety of methods of participating in World Rotaract Week. Rotaractors can decide the best way for their club to celebrate the Rotaract program – completing one, two or an entire week’s worth of activities. After the club has completed its World Rotaract Week commemorative events, the sponsor Rotary club can download a certificate of recognition for presentation to the Rotaract club.
Suggestions to commemorate Rotaract’s anniversary:
Invite Rotaractors to Rotary club meetings and vice versa.
Conduct a joint project with a Rotary club.
Encourage a nearby Rotary club to sponsor a new Rotaract club in its area.
Plan a literacy day to be held annually.
Give a presentation about Rotaract to a Rotary club that does not sponsor a Rotaract club.
Publicize Rotaract in local media.
Encourage cross-promotion between Interact, Rotary Youth Exchange, RYLA, and other community youth organizations.
Partner with international Rotaract clubs.
Establish monitoring programs between Rotaractors and Interactors, as well as, with Rotarians.
Introduce potential members from Interact by inviting them to a meeting or a project.
Participating clubs can receive special recognition from Rotary International.
Through SHARE, Rotary districts share in the decision-making process by choosing which Rotary Foundation programs they wish to support and participate in. The Annual Fund SHARE system is the mechanism by which Rotary Foundation program awards are distributed worldwide. Through the SHARE system, contributions to The Rotary Foundation are transformed into District Designated Funds (DDF)—the funds your district can allocate and to the World Funds-The funds the Trustees allocate. By giving to Annual Fund-SHARE we support both local and international efforts!
YOU CAN HELP OUR DISTRICT AND SUPPORT AMAZING PROJECTS BY GIVING TO THE ANNUAL FUND-SHARE DESIGNATION.
On February 23, give Rotary its Greatest Birthday Gift.
Help end polio by hosting a World's Greatest Meal to Help End Polio event. Easy, fun, anyone can do it - clubs, individuals - all funds go through RI as usual and all usual credits apply (club, district, Paul Harris, etc.).
The Gates Foundation gives twice what you give, so, go ahead, and spend some of Bill's money. WGMeal shares your event stories & photos globally. Register @ www.wgmeal.com.
Let's Light Up Rotary by lighting up children's lives!
WEEK 33 WHAT ARE SOME FINANCIAL BEST PRACTICES WITH GRANT FUNDS?
Follow your spending plan to distribute and use grant funds for the stated purpose in a timely manner.
Make project-related expenditures by check or other traceable method.
If payments are made electronically by one person, maintain a paper trail showing that the payment was approved by both signatories.
Maintain detailed receipts and record each transaction in a ledger. The ledger should list each transaction, noting the date, amount, and reason for the transaction.
Make sure to share the information so grants run smoothly and funds are secure!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR GRANT OVERSIGHT TOP NOTCH!
Posted by From a speech by Past RI President Cliff Dochterman
In a single word, Rotary means "opportunities." Through Rotary membership, you can discover dozens of opportunities to enhance your life and enrich the lives of family and friends. There may be opportunities to establish close friendships with individuals around the world whom you would never have met, except through the magic of Rotary. There are opportunities to share with many others a common belief and philosophy of service, without any thought of personal return.
There are opportunities to work side-by-side with other community leaders whom we highly respect. There are opportunities to stretch your horizons by listening to interesting programs and enjoying the good times at the weekly meetings. There are opportunities to represent your profession and demonstrate how high ethical standards are a vital part of your day-to-day occupation.
There are opportunities to travel into virtually every land and find an open door and a cordial welcome to a totally new world of Rotary fellowship. There are opportunities to make your small part in the world really count through the achievements of the great and noble activities of Rotary's programs of service. There are opportunities to touch the lives of thousands of people whom you will never know, except through the rewarding glow of satisfaction which comes from knowing that somewhere, someone needed your help, and you took the time to do something. There are opportunities to join in the search for world peace and goodwill through the dynamic work of The Rotary Foundation.
And finally, all of these opportunities add up to one conclusion: Rotary helps you become a better person and makes the quality of your own life just a little richer and more meaningful.
What a wonderful feeling it is to have all of these opportunities knocking at your door—just because you are a Rotarian!
What It Means to be a Rotarian
From a speech by Past RI President Cliff Dochterman
WEEK 32 WORDS FROM A FORMER GROUP STUDY EXCHANGE TEAM MEMBER:
“In Warsaw, Woijeich Sierpinski, a Rotary Club President, took me on a tour that I will never forget. We visited his parent’s house - where they lived during World War II. There in the kitchen, under a dusty stack of crates was a secret wood panel in the floor. Woijeich removed the panel to reveal a tiny room underneath the kitchen floor where his parents hid their neighbors - a Jewish family - during the war. As I stood speechless, listening to Woijeich describe how they evaded the Nazis, I realized the full value of the Group Study Exchange program.” Ian Oxman, Group Study Exchange member from California.
WEEK 31 WHAT IS A ROTARY FOUNDATION GLOBAL GRANT FOR VOCATIONAL TRAINING?
Established in 1965-66, the Group Study Exchange Program was an educational program that promoted international understanding through organized travel and personal contact. The program evolved as Rotary updated its grant model and placed this activity within global grants. Vocational training under global grants builds skills within a community by offering local training or by supporting groups of professionals traveling abroad for rigorous study in their profession or to teach local professionals about a particular field. This type of training is often effective in conjunction with a humanitarian project.
YOU CAN VOLUNTEER TO BE A VOCATIONAL TRAINING TEAM LEADER OR NOMINATE A NON-ROTARIAN VOCATIONAL TRAINING TEAM MEMBER - WHICH WILL IT BE?
Thank you all. It was a wonderful day for the district.
What did your club do for January 24?
Many clubs participated in the January 24 Hunger Awareness Rotary Day of Service. Send pictures. To find out what clubs are already doing on a continuous basis for hunger awareness, go to our district website http://portal.clubrunner.ca/50214/Page/hunger-and-food-insecurity
Two donations. A total of $20,000. Now, that’s a good start on a fundraising campaign that will see the creation of a peace park with a labyrinth in Stittsville this year. This will be the first such peace park with a labyrinth within the city of Ottawa.
These two major donations, one for $15,000 and one for $5,000, were announced by the Rotary Club of Ottawa-Stittsville, the driving force behind this peace park project, at a celebration to launch the fundraising component of the project on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at the Bank of Montreal branch on Hazeldean Road in Stittsville. Rotarian Brad Spriggs is in the photo at right.
Established in 2002, each year, Rotary selects individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of the peace centers. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship/field study expenses. Two types of peace fellowships are available. We offer master’s degree fellowships at premier universities in fields related to peace and conflict resolution and prevention. Programs last 15–24 months and require a practical internship of 2–3 months during the academic break. Each year we award up to 50 master’s fellowships from these institutions:
Has your club done something for your community this year that you are particularly proud of? Consider forwarding information to DG Ariane. You might be chosen for this award.
Criteria The RI Significant Achievement Award recognizes club projects that have done the following:
• Addressed a significant problem or need in the local community (international service projects, no matter how worthy, are not eligible for this award)
• Involved most or all of the club’s members in personal rather than monetary service
• Been commensurate with the size of the club and its available resources
• Enhanced the image of Rotary in the community
• Been able to be emulated by other Rotary clubs
• Been active during the Rotary year for which the award is being given (though it need not have been initiated, and may have been completed, in the current Rotary year)
An officer appointed by the RI president will determine whether nominations meet these criteria.
Eligibility Only projects carried out by a single club are eligible for this award, and only one club per district may be nominated. Projects previously recognized with an RI Significant Achievement Award are not eligible.
Yes! Rotary global grants can have large projects, scholarships, vocational teams all here in the US or in Canada…or in any Rotary country/region. One of the most amazing aspects of our great foundation is that there are opportunities for large projects where ever there is need. Criteria must be met but there have been and will continue to have large-scale projects in “developed” countries. If you want to see them in motion go to vimeo.com and view the wonderful Grant done after Katrina hit…See your Foundation and other nations come together to help where there is great need!
YOUR FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THOSE IN NEED WHICH MAY BE IN YOUR TOWN!
I wanted to pass along a thank you note from Palash Bardhan. He heads up one of the NGOs that built 20 toilets in a few villages around Basirhat, about 2 hours east of Calcutta. It was a 3-hour trip each way, but we managed to spend a few hours meeting with beneficiaries, hearing their stories and taking lots of photos.
Krishna
Dear District 7040,
Hearty greetings from Atghara Sanhati Kendra, a grass roots level NGO working for holistic rural development for the deserving people in 3/4 blocks under North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. This is for your kind information that we had the opportunity to get assistance from Rotary including your support for 20 low cost toilets from RID 7040.
On last 28th December, three Canadian friends led by Mr. Krishna have visited a several units at our project area. They have showed their interest and we were also moved for their tolerance in all aspects including food.
On behalf of our organization we like to covey our sincere thanks to you & your colleagues for supporting us for the Project Dignity. We hope we will get your support in future for the implementation for the Project Dignity and also other needed activities for the deserving people.
We wish you all the best and convey our best wishes for the Happy New Year 2015 for all of you.
Some of the world’s most distinguished leaders are alumni of Rotary’s programs (current and past), including: Ambassador Otto Borch of Denmark, the late Carlos Alberto da Monta Pinto, Prime Minister of Portugal; Sadako Ogata, the former UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Bill Moyers, prominent television journalist and former deputy director of the U.S. Peace Corps; Paul Volcker, professor, economist and former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank; Sir William Dean, last governor of the Commonwealth of Australia; Philip Lader, former U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain; David Johnston, the Governor General of Canada, and renowned pianist Van Cliburn, winner of the first Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow.
THERE ARE MANY OTHERS AS WELL. WHO CAN YOU RECOMMEND THAT WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT ROTARY SCHOLAR?
Not all Rotary Peace Fellow candidates are lucky enough to find someone to guide them through the application process. And not all clubs and districts have an expert on fellowships to take the lead when they’re approached by a potential applicant. Here’s a timeline of steps that can help your club or district with the process. In our district, applications are due April 15.
The Rotary Club of Montreal Westward will be holding our 75th Anniversary Gala evening Friday January 23rd at 6:30 PM at the Montreal West Town Hall, 50 Westminster south, Montreal West.
MP Marc Garneau is our special guest speaker and Mayor Beny Masella will be the Master of Ceremonies.
We have a special caterer, DJ and wine included. Cost $85.
We need to know your very precise numbers by Thursday January 15th at the latest - with your cheque to Montreal Westward Rotary by the 15th also as we are paying the caterer per person. Please e-mail me so that I can keep track of numbers.
Please list the names of your guests. The main meal choice is chicken. If you or your guest cannot eat chicken, we can order salmon for those individuals if you specify ahead.
It will be a wonderful, fun evening. Please invite family and friends for our celebration.
WEEK 27 HOW THE ROTARY FOUNDATION TOUCHED ONE PERSON’S LIFE:
“What we do is touch other people . . . open the horizon to them . . . say ‘You matter.’ You see, the five men who chose me to become a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar are gone . . . but they’re not. They never will be. Because along the way, I will in my own way share with others - and have - what those five men and the 60 members of the Marshall (Texas) Rotary and the tens of thousands of other members of Rotary did in 1956 when they said, ‘Bill Moyers, you can matter.’” Bill Moyers, TV journalist and commentator, and former Deputy Director of the Peace Corps.
DO YOU HAVE A ROTARY FOUNDATION STORY? SEND IT IN.
Do you wear your Rotary pin each day? When you wear your pin people you know and work with will see that you are proud to be a Rotarian. They may even ask you about Rotary. You might tell them that Rotary is a group of people who pool their resources and use their talents to serve their communities. That Rotarians' dedication to serve is best expressed in our motto: Service Above Self.
Someone might even ask you how to join Rotary, and you could invite them to attend a meeting or join in working on a service project.
Not only does wearing your Rotary pin raise awareness of Rotary among friends and colleagues, it is a reminder that you are part of a group of people who live their lives by the ethical guide of The Four-Way Test:
Of the things we think, say or do
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
When people make the connection between your Rotary pin and your ethical behavior they will gain a deep insight into what Rotary is about.
Massena, Canton, Potsdam, Ogdensburg and Gouverneur are all busy with their annual cycle of fundraisers, recognitions, donations and community service projects.
Massena tried a new fundraiser this fall a “Shania Twin” concert which was not only a lot of fun but very successful.
Canton, Potsdam and Massena have been busy raising funds and assisting local organizations with putting holiday baskets together for needy families within their local communities.
Potsdam's annual wheelchair race was fun as always and led to a significant donation to their international project, The Rotary Wheelchair Foundation.
The St Lawrence University ROTARACT in Canton, NY is having a great year. They recently held a Run for Life event that raised over $12,000 on campus while at the same time inducted 19 new members into their club.
Ogdensburg held a successful golf outing and has also decided to move their meetings to a new location in town in order to better accommodate its members.
Gouverneur Rotary continues to sponsor an annual public speaking contest in the local high school which is one of the oldest in the state/nation. Also coming up will be their Pink Flamingo Fundraiser whereby (if I have this correct, for a small donation you can have 1 or more Pink Flamingos put on your neighbors/friends’ yard :-)
Canton donated some Rotary (embedded emblem) Adirondack Chairs and is also partnering with the local school to build mini Rotary library boxes to put around the community.
Both Potsdam and Canton made additional vocational award presentations to local high school students.
WEEK 26 ROTARY DIRECT TESTIMONIAL FROM TERRY ZIEGLER IN 2014 “I received my Gift Acknowledgement from Rotary International today recognizing the contributions I made on a credit card through Rotary Direct in 2013. This is one more reason to give by Rotary Direct - you get one Gift Statement at the end of the year rather than each time you mail a check. That's in addition to the fact that it's automatic, it's easy - no checks to mail, no stamp cost (going up soon), and the fact that Rotary has determined that it costs them less to process contributions from credit cards than checks due to the low rate they pay, the rebate they receive from Visa ($ millions currently going to PolioPlus) and the labor required to process large numbers of checks.”
ROTARY DIRECT IS SAFE, SECURE AND EASY…SIGN UP TODAY! YOU SELECT AN AMOUNT AND FREQUENCY THAT'S CONVENIENT FOR YOU. GET STARTED.
Clubs may consider implementing the following measures when setting up this membership category:
1. Approval. A corporate entity or organization can become an eligible corporate member of the Rotary club through an approval process established by the club.
2. Designees. Once an entity becomes an eligible corporate member through the established approval process, it may appoint up to four persons to be its designees, one of whom must be a member of that entity’s senior executive group; the others can be managerial individuals employed full time by the eligible corporation.
3. Changing designees. The club will determine the ability of the eligible corporation to change any of its designees so long as at all times one of them is a member of the eligible corporation’s senior executive group.
4. Inductions. A corporate member designee will be formally inducted into the club as established by the club.
5. Attendance. The attendance requirement for an eligible corporation will be established by the club.
6. Classification. The classification of the eligible corporation and its designees will be established by the club. Because a corporate member is an official member of the Rotary club, this classification will be counted toward the classification limits set forth in the RI Constitution, Article 5, Section 2(b).
7. RI registration. Each designee will be listed as an official member of the Rotary club and will be noted in the roster that they are designees of the named eligible corporation.
Rotary International Statement of Conduct for Working with Youth
Rotary International strives to create and maintain a safe environment for all youth who participate in Rotary activities. To the best of their ability, Rotarians, Rotarians’ spouses and partners, and other volunteers must safeguard the children and young people they come into contact with and protect them from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.
The District 7040 Youth Protection Policy
There are still many questions about the District Youth Protection Policy. This is a policy approved by the District Council and posted on the District website | Avenues of Service | Youth Services | Youth Protection Policies. It is a requirement if you or your club will participate in any youth related activity. It is not optional. Our Canadian insurance company has stated that the $1,000,000 abuse liability coverage was added to the policy with the understanding that all clubs follow the Rotary International protocol. The American insurance is similar.
The Abuse and Harassment Prevention Training Manual and Leaders’ Guide is designed to help Rotarians provide a safe and secure environment for participants in Rotary International youth programs. District governors, district youth protection officers and all district leaders involved with Interact, RYLA, and Youth Exchange should review these materials. Districts also may use these guidelines when working with other youth-related projects, such as scouting or mentoring, and any at-risk or vulnerable population, such as the elderly or disabled.
The training manual provides information and guidelines for developing and implementing an effective district abuse and harassment prevention program for youth protection. Topics include proper screening of adult volunteers working with youth (including privacy issues and recordkeeping), selection of youth participants, and effective training programs for Rotarians, non-Rotarian volunteers, and students.
The leaders’ guide consists of abuse and harassment prevention training sessions for all Rotarians involved in youth programs as well as specialized Youth Exchange training sessions for district Youth Exchange committee members, club counselors, host families, and students and their parents.
Posted by Stephanie Battisti, Area Governor NY Lakes
Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and AuSable Valley have been actively fundraising and donating back to their communities.
Lake Placid just put on a Trivia Night which made over $3,000 for Literacy Projects.
Saranac Lake recently held a Job Fair with the Local Businesses.
Tupper Lake held a Blood Drive on November 20 at the Goff Nelson Library.
AuSable Valley will be presenting $10,000 to the Montreal Club to support a Water Project in Africa. Except for AuSable Valley, which has five members and wants to bring in younger members, all these clubs have had a new member within the past couple months.
WEEK 25 WORDS FROM A PAST ROTARY FOUNDATION AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLAR:
“The Rotary Foundation’s programs are all the more important because we live in a world of sharp contrasts: fear and hope, illness and good health, poverty and wealth. Worse, we live in a world in which inequalities of income, unemployment - and presumably exclusion from well-being - have sensibly increased in the last fifteen years, not so much between countries, but with countries, developed and developing alike. In such a situation, the role of The Rotary Foundation is of the utmost importance.” French Professor Rene Munier, 1967-68 Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar.
WHY DON’T YOU NOMINATE A GRADUATE STUDENT FOR A SCHOLARSHIP?
The Rotary Clubs of Northwestern New York are made up of three clubs from the City of Watertown and three clubs from the Northern part of Jefferson County. The Watertown Clubs are the Noon Club, the Evening Club and the Sunrise Club. The Northern clubs are the Clayton Club, the Alexandria Bay Club and the Theresa Club. All clubs are strong, vibrant and actively engaged in services projects both on the local and international level.
The oldest Club in Jefferson County, the Watertown Noon Club, is proud to be celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year. The Club was established on December 3, 1914, and thus has the honor of being among the earliest Rotary clubs in existence. A delegation from the Watertown Noon Club attended this year's District Conference in Ottawa and gave a presentation highlighting their Club's long history, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edYr9M0fpUA&feature=youtu.be . The Club is also working on a centennial project which is water park/wading pool that will be placed in a Watertown City park.
The main service project for the Watertown Sunrise Club is Dodge Pond, which is a summer camp for handicap children. This year, Sunrise was a co-sponsor of an annual event in Watertown called Taste of the Town. The well attended event is a showcase of local restaurants, and as a co-sponsor the Sunrise Club was able to raise more money than even to support Dodge Pond.
The Watertown Evening Club is the newest Rotary Club in Jefferson County and has become very active in the Rotary community. The Evening Club has children as a focus, and they have partnered with a local school to provide food-filled backpacks for needy children. Evening Club has also started working with other Jefferson County Rotary clubs on the joint international service project committee.
Although it is the smallest Club in the County, the Theresa Club is a powerhouse in Jefferson County Rotary. The Club particularly focuses on local project and is known for their annual Chili Cook-Off, which raises thousands of dollars for Club projects. The Club's work is found all over their community, and the Theresa Rotarians embody the ideal of service above self.
The Clayton Club continues to be very active with numerous ongoing projects each year. A major fundraiser for the Clayton Club is their annual gun show, which is a well attended event in the community each year. Clayton Rotary also sponsors their own Taste of the Town event with all proceeds going toward the eradication of Polio. A unique event organized by the Club is the annual "Pumpkin Chunking" contest, where teams build catapults to see who can hurl a pumpkin the farthest into the St. Lawrence River. Instead of money this event collects food which is then donated to the community. This year the Rotary Club of Clayton will be hosting the Third Annual Fellowship Event in Clayton.
The Alexandria Bay Club sits geographically between the Clayton Club and the Theresa Club in the Northern part of Jefferson County. Alex Bay Rotarians are active in their support of community based projects, and in addition have recently joined other Jefferson County Rotary Clubs on the joint international service committee. This year the Alex Bay Club stepped up and offered to host a dinner for the District Governor when she visited Jefferson County. The weather did not co-operate, but Rotarians from all over the County were able to enjoy a wonderful evening of fellowship at the Bonnie Castle Resort in Alexandria Bay. The Alex Bay Rotarians put on an outstanding dinner, and the event was a nice opportunity to showcase what the Club is all about.
WEEK 24 WHAT IS A ROTARY FOUNDATION GLOBAL GRANT SCHOLARSHIP?
Established in 1947, the original Ambassadorial Scholarship program, valued in excess of $20,000 was designed to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. With the launch of the Rotary Grants model, scholarships are now used to fund study by graduate students whose career goals support an area of focus. The funding is the same as a Humanitarian global grant with a minimum scholarship amount of US$30,000. Upon returning home, Rotary Scholars share with Rotarians and others their experiences that led to a greater understanding of their host country, and what career they will go into in order to meet the six areas of focus and spread good will and understanding.
WHY DON’T YOU NOMINATE A GRADUATE STUDENT FOR A SCHOLARSHIP?
Members cannot simultaneously hold active and honorary memberships in the same club. However, a person may be an active member of one club and an honorary member of another club. A satellite club member is also a member of the sponsor club.
Honorary Membership
The procedure for electing honorary members is detailed in article 7, section 6, of the Standard Rotary Club Constitution. Honorary membership is the highest distinction that a club can bestow and should be conferred only in exceptional cases. Clubs should grant honorary membership only as a distinction for meritorious service that embodies Rotary ideals or for permanent support of Rotary’s cause. (RCP 5.010.)
Honorary members are exempt from paying admission fees and dues, may not vote, and may not hold any office in the club. Such members do not hold classifications but are entitled to attend all meetings, wear the RI emblem, badge, or other RI insignia, and enjoy all the other privileges of the club. No honorary member of a club is entitled to any rights or privileges in any other club, except for the right to visit other clubs without being the guest of a Rotarian. Individuals may hold honorary membership in more than one club. (RIB 4.050.2.; SRCC 7, 6)
Honorary membership shall automatically terminate at the end of the term for such membership as determined by the board. However, the board may extend an honorary membership for an additional period. The board may revoke an honorary membership at any time.
Massena Rotarians and friends will fight world hunger with a community project to help stock the shelves of their local food pantries AFTER the holidays. Rotarians plan to collect non-perishable food items at the Massena Rotary Club meetings from December 9th to January 27th. The food will be sent to the food pantries at the end of January.
Laval Rive-Nord holds an annual wine and cheese tasting to raise funds for Le Relais Communautaire de Laval, and plans to do another another event for the 24th.
Watertown Rotarians are holding a Rotary showcase event at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. Admission is free, and they are asking for donations of canned goods or cash, with all proceeds going to their local food banks. There will be displays and exhibits; games for the kids; hot dogs, pretzels and other refreshments; and live music by the premier dance band in the North Country - Fred and The Eds!
What is your club planning for Rotary Day of Service? Please share with you AG so we all can be inspired.
Twenty-two Rotarians from across Ontario and Quebec will be touring Scotland during November 2014 in pursuit of fellowship and curling supremacy as they curl Scottish Rotarians in 12 different locations over the month. The 2014 Team members from our district include Sherri Agnew (Captain) and Bill Beattie from the Rotary Club of Kingston as well as Dave Pelletier (Sgt. at Arms) from the Rotary Club of Kemptville.
Canadian and Scottish Rotarians meet and compete for the Transatlantic Rotary Curling Quaich every 2 years – alternating play between Canada and Scotland. The first tour took place when a group of Canadian and American Rotarians traveled to Scotland way back in 1956 – and the tour has been going strong ever since. The scores of all the games played at a dozen different curling rinks over the month are added together to determine the winner that year. The 2014 team from Canada will be out for revenge after the touring Scot’s won the Quaich while touring Quebec and Ontario in 2012.
While curling is the event – fun and fellowship are the name of the game. On the ice the competition will be fierce. Off the ice it will be an opportunity to tour Scotland, renew friendships, and meet new friends in the birthplace of the game.
You are invited to follow the team through the Team Blog – www.canada-scotland2014.com and follow on Twitter @CanadaScot2014 . During the tour the team will be posting both the curling results and some of the off-ice highlights. Visit the Blog right now – have a look and bookmark the page.
During World Interact Week, Interactors and Rotarians around the world commemorate the chartering of the first Interact club. The celebration, which takes place during the week of 5 November, is an ideal time for Interact clubs and their Rotary club sponsors to carry out joint activities and promote the positive effect Interact clubs have on their communities.
While you’re planning your celebration, why not include the activities listed on the World Interact Week recognition form at www.rotary.org? Clubs that complete the activities and submit the form as instructed will receive special recognition from RI.
WEEK 14 WHAT IS THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S ENDOWMENT FUND?
If you will remember, The Rotary Foundation is funded in two different ways: the Annual Fund and the Endowment Fund (formerly the Permanent fund). The Permanent Fund enables individuals to combine their gifts into a significant force to address the world’s greatest needs for generations to come. Donations to the Endowment Fund are made with outright gifts (cash, securities, real estate, tangible personal property or an Endowed Fund), life income agreements, or bequests by a will or trust. Contributions to this fund are invested for the future. Only earnings from their investments are used to support Foundation programs.
WHAT’S YOUR LEGACY? IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY TO THE WORLD THROUGH THE ROTARY FOUNDATION’S ENDOWMENT FUND - JUST ASK ME HOW AND I‘LL SHOW YOU.
We all think we choose what path we take in life, who we socialize and mix with, what views we hold. But those decisions are actually shaped by networks of people - David Brooks.
It does so by chartering local Rotary clubs and encouraging them to create Rotarians by advancing the Object of Rotary. To make it easier to understand how the Object of Rotary can and does influence club members, here it is made simple.
The Paul Harris Society recognizes individuals who contribute US$1,000 or more each Rotary year to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, or an approved global grant. Paul Harris Society contributions count toward Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member (Annual Fund contributions only), Paul Harris Fellow, Multiple Paul Harris Fellow, and Major Donor recognition. Recognition consists of a chevron style pin provided by your District Paul Harris Society Coordinator. A US$1,000 gift in your name to The Rotary Foundation can create a legacy of helping many people live better lives around the world.
I HAVE PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP FORMS FOR YOU!
As a business leader, it’s often lonely at the top.
In 2002, when I visited the Rotary Club of Laval for the first time, I knew I found my niche. A group of business and professional leaders with whom I could laugh, share my talents and experiences, ask for advices and plan projects that made a difference here and abroad. Right away, they got me involved in activities I would never have access to as tax preparer. For example, ask some local leaders to become mannequins for a benefit fashion show, visit local high schools for the Rotary Youth Exchange program, speak at the radio, get my picture in the newspaper, give interviews at the local TV, write a blog, create a Facebook page, etc. !
As a teenager, my dream was to dig wells for people with no access to clean water. When I attended my first Rotary seminar, I realized this became possible thanks to the Rotary Foundation and started giving. Rotary is a powerful network of leaders doing good around the world!
Like the real-estate phrase, "location, location, location" marketing's phrase "relationship, relationship, relationship" distils a time-honored truth.
Former District PR chair Chris Cochrane puts it this way: "The only proven way to get free media coverage in a large city is to make a friend of the editor(s) and owners." He suggests that clubs invite the owner and/or editor of a media outlet to speak to their club. "Treat the invitee like gold and constantly keep that person in the loop. Perhaps invite the owner to join the club after a successful talk." Chris advises.
Rotarian Manon Lennon from Club Rotary de Laval Rive-Sud receiving her Bequest Society pin and crystal from DG Bonnie on June 14, 2014. A Bequest Society member has made a commitment in their estate plan totaling US$10,000 or more for the Rotary Foundation. Thank you Manon for your support of our Foundation.
Objective: Provision of a source of electricity for a medical clinic in a remote village
Location: Village of Rwoga, Burundi
Partners: Rotary Clubs of Bujumbura, Montreal-Lakeshore and its satellite club, Hudson-St. Lazare. Citizens group in Rwoga
Background: Jean-Claude Manirakiza, a member of the newly chartered Rotary Club of Hudson-St. Lazare, is a teacher in the Montreal area who was born in Rwoga, Burundi where his parents were murdered during tribal fighting while he was attending university in Belgium. For the past several years, he has returned twice a year to Rwoga, at his own expense, to work with a citizens’ group dedicated to peace building through education and the development of a better quality of life for the new generation.
Wali gazes meditatively at the Mekong stretching before our eyes. “In the last week of January alone, fours attacks were perpetrated in Afghanistan. Three in Kabul, and one in my hometown of Jalalabad, which targeted Save the Children, an NGO dedicated to improving the livelihoods of the most vulnerable. A friend of mine was killed in all of this madness. Terrible.” Wali stays calm. I don’t know how he does it. I want to peer through the veil of his resilience to find answers: Do you ever get used to the bloodshed? Do you become accustomed to incessantly shattered dreams? 
Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), June 8-10, 2018, is a unique opportunity for high school students to gain insight and knowledge in life and leadership skills. The academy features professionally developed curriculum, exciting guest leaders, small group problem solving and self reflection which lead to enhanced leadership skills. Based on their academy experience, many graduates change their career objectives or educational plans. District 7040 Rotary Clubs may sponsor one to three students (ages 15-17) to attend this Youth Leadership Academy that gives them a memorable and potentially life-changing experience.
Name of award: Rotarian of the Year
District 7040 is pleased to announce that the District Governor selection committee has selected Mr. Gerry Lambert (Canton, NY) as incoming governor for 2019-20.
In 2016, the District 7040 DG appointed me chair of the Fellowships Committee. Rotary Fellowships give their members the opportunity to have fun, make new friends around the world, and enhance their experience in Rotary.
On November 12th, our District 7040 Rotary Leadership Institute graduated our first Part III class completing their Undergraduate Level. Left to right are: Gene Gengel (Lake Placid), PDG Bette Miller (Faculty/Cornwall Sunrise Club), AG Fay Campbell (Orleans), DGN Martha Weaver (e-club D7040 premier), DGE Susan Bellor (Massena), AG Hadi Mortada (West Ottawa), PDG Bonnie Black (Faculty/Plattsburgh)..jpg)
When was the last time there was polio in Europe? If you guessed 2002, the year the region was certified polio-free, you were wrong. The last time polio affected a child in Europe was last summer. In 2015, two Ukrainian children were diagnosed with paralytic polio, and, given the way the disease manifests itself, that means many more were likely infected and didn’t show symptoms. At least one Western news outlet deemed the outbreak “crazy” – but the reality is that no place on earth is safe from polio until the disease is eradicated everywhere.
The Scholarships Committee is pleased to announce that Natalie Kauf, nominated by the Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston and selected as District 7040 Global Grant Scholarship candidate has been approved by The Rotary Foundation for the Global Grant Scholarship of $30,000 USD.
Rotary International will make your club’s July 2016 invoice available online around the middle of July. RI uses the membership data that’s in Rotary’s database as of 1 July to generate the invoice, so you need to make sure that your club’s information is current by then. Having an accurate membership figure is vitally important — RI can no longer adjust invoices after they’re made available.
All aspects of the 2016 annual Rotary Foundation were very successful… great organization and hospitality provided by the Rotary Clubs of Brockville, Prescott and 1000 Islands (Brockville).
Congratulations to PR Chair Martha Weaver for being nominated as 2018-2019 District 7040 Governor. For those who ask, about the validity of the eClubs, Martha is the second governor for District 7040 to come from eClub Premier Francophone.
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The Rotary Club of West Ottawa held its Membership Day on Tuesday, February 10, 2015. In his introduction
Rotaract Week, we held our annual Chilly Chili Sunday at the Ottawa Rotary Home.Members of the Metro Satellite club also joined us in providing the meal for our younger Rotarians.All of us toured the Adult Wing of the facility with their coordinator and Chair of the Rotary Home foundation, John Lark.John is a member of our club and we were pleased to learn that the foundation had been able to raise $50K more in 2014 than in the previous year.
There are opportunities to work side-by-side with other community leaders whom we highly respect. There are opportunities to stretch your horizons by listening to interesting programs and enjoying the good times at the weekly meetings. There are opportunities to represent your profession and demonstrate how high ethical standards are a vital part of your day-to-day occupation.
Canton, Potsdam and Massena have been busy raising funds and assisting local organizations with putting holiday baskets together for needy families within their local communities.
The Alexandria Bay Club sits geographically between the Clayton Club and the Theresa Club in the Northern part of Jefferson County. Alex Bay Rotarians are active in their support of community based projects, and in addition have recently joined other Jefferson County Rotary Clubs on the joint international service committee. This year the Alex Bay Club stepped up and offered to host a dinner for the District Governor when she visited Jefferson County. The weather did not co-operate, but Rotarians from all over the County were able to enjoy a wonderful evening of fellowship at the Bonnie Castle Resort in Alexandria Bay. The Alex Bay Rotarians put on an outstanding dinner, and the event was a nice opportunity to showcase what the Club is all about.
Rotarian Manon Lennon from Club Rotary de Laval Rive-Sud receiving her Bequest Society pin and crystal from DG Bonnie on June 14, 2014. A Bequest Society member has made a commitment in their estate plan totaling US$10,000 or more for the Rotary Foundation. Thank you Manon for your support of our Foundation.