Eganville Rotary is looking for partners to help fund a series of workshops addressing critical issues faced by students at Siloam Kware Primary School in Nairobi’s Mukuru slum.
For girls, information will be provided on menstruation and its role in human reproduction, as well as how to manage the monthly period. For boys, information will be provided on the attributes of positive manhood. For both girls and boys, instruction will be provided on Life Skills, such as career choices, dating with dignity, alcohol and drugs and the management of money.
The Rotarian Magazine, which reaches over 1.2 million Rotarians in 200 countries, issued a statement in April from Rotary International’s past-president, Barry Rassin. In light of the current movement around the climate emergency, Mr. Rassin has wisely recommended all Rotary members to get involved in slowing down climate change. Referring to the book Drawdown, by Paul Hawken, Mr. Rassin urges us to consider adopting simple actions to our daily lives, identified as Climate Solutions Within Our Reach.
Le magazine Rotarian, qui rejoins plus de 1,2 million de Rotariens dans 200 pays, a publié en avril une déclaration de l'ancien président du Rotary International, Barry Rassin. Compte tenu du mouvement actuel autour de l'urgence climatique, M. Rassin a sagement recommandé à tous les membres du Club Rotarien de s'impliquer dans le ralentissement du changement climatique. Se référant au livre Drawdown, de Paul Hawken, M. Rassin nous exhorte à envisager d'adopter des actions simples dans notre vie quotidienne, identifiées comme des solutions climatiques à notre portée.
District 7040 has had a Global Grant Scholar for the past 7 years and each time the interview team is amazed at the talents, skills, experiences and academic achievements of each of the candidates. Our scholars are not only smart and capable, they are eager, interested and involved in what the world has to offer.
Le District 7040 compte un boursier de subvention mondiale depuis 7 ans et chaque équipe d’entrevue s'émerveille des talents, des compétences, des expériences et des réalisations académiques de chacun des candidats. Nos chercheurs ne sont pas seulement intelligents et capables, ils sont enthousiastes, intéressés et impliqués dans ce que le monde a à offrir.
The Indian Rotary leadership has stated that this is expected to be one of the last times that the Government will hold a National Polio Immunization program. If you have always wanted to participate in an NID, this may be your last opportunity for this experience.
Les dirigeants du Rotary Indien ont déclaré que ceci est un des derniers programmes nationaux de vaccination contre la polio qui sera organisé par le gouvernement. Si vous avez toujours voulu participer à un NID, cela pourrait être votre dernière occasion de vivre cette expérience.
November first and second are fast approaching, so register today for our District Conference.
We have Past RI Vice-President, Dean Rohrs, and her husband Rhino joining us for the entire weekend beginning with a Boat Tour and box lunch on Friday. If you'd like to join her, as well as our Past District Governors, register now as space is limited to the first 45 people. The cost is $15 per person and please note any food allergies. The Boat Tour should be glorious this time of year!
The boat leaves the Town dock at the shore of the hotel at Noon, so we are asking everyone to come on board no later than 11:30am.
Registration for the Full Conference is still open until October 30th via the link to the left, or click here.
If you would like a hotel room, please call the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel directly (315-686-1100) and let them know you are part of Rotary...see you there!
Jack Nicklaus, the legendary golfer, spoke as a Rotary Polio Ambassador at the Atlanta Rotary Convention a few years ago. It was there that my wife Susan and I were surprised to learn of his childhood affliction with Polio.
His heartfelt comments made a great impression on us especially when he spoke on how he and his family was affected. As an engineer, I never feel a problem is unsurmountable. It just needs to go through a process resulting in something being invented, built, or fixed. In doing so it is easy to lose sight of the impact our Polio efforts are having in preventing memories (like Jack’s) throughout the world for other individuals and families.
What are your club’s plans?Quels sont les plans de votre club ?
Every year, on 24 October, we celebrate our progress toward eradicating polio. Clubs around the world raise awareness and spread the word that the fight to end polio is not over by hosting a local World Polio Day event.
Chaque année, le 24 octobre, nous célébrons nos progrès vers l'éradication de la poliomyélite. Les clubs du monde entier sensibilisent et font savoir que la lutte pour mettre fin à la poliomyélite n'est pas terminée en organisant un événement local de la Journée mondiale de la poliomyélite.
For centuries, people have gathered together around food and drink. Hospitality creates conversation and conversation creates everything from relationships to project lists. Food and the accompanying ceremony is an asset for your Rotary club, not a liability.
2. Don’t attract businesses.
Local businesses can help you identify the movers and shakers in your community. These people often make the best Rotarians. Work hard to be appealing when it comes to the length of your meeting, the location and the time/day slot. “Folksy” can work against you.
The September Rotarian is a good read! Why wouldn't I say that as literacy chair? So, make it a goal, during September which is Literacy month, to make the time to read it.
Inspired to update my literacy rate statistics for Canada & the USA I learned that both countries have remained steady since 2008 to 2014 at anywhere from 85 – 99% depending on the study. This sounds good until you realize the number of illiterate Canadians is 2 in 5 adults or 9 million and with seniors (65 +) included there are 12 million people. For the USA, the government uses 19% for the number of illiterate Americans or 62 million.
Rotarians can thank and recognize other Rotarians for their continued commitment to others. Simply go online to www.rotary.org click on “My Rotary” at the top, then under the “Learning and Reference” tab, click on “awards”. Club leaders and members may nominate for: Recognize a Club, Significant Service Award, Avenues of Service Award in district, Service Award for a Polio-free World, and Polio Plus Pioneer Award. Any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact District 7040 Awards Chair PDG Sue Bellor at sbellor1@twcny.rr.com .
Les Rotariens ont la possibilité de remercier et reconnaître les autres Rotariens pour leur engagement continu envers les autres. Allez simplement en ligne à www.rotary.org, cliquez sur « Mon Rotary » en haut de la page et sous l'onglet « Je me forme », cliquez sur « Prix ». Les Leader et membres de club peuvent se porter candidats pour : Reconnaître un club, un prix de service important, un prix d'avenues de service dans un district, un prix de service pour un monde sans polio et un prix Polio Plus Pioneer. Si vous avez des questions ou des préoccupations, n'hésitez pas à contacter le président du GDP du district 7040, PDG Sue Bellor, à l'adresse sbellor1@twcny.rr.com .
In 1994 I was studying to become a teacher at Laval University in Quebec City; that same year, World Teachers Day was established to “acknowledge, evaluate and enhance the instructors of the world.” (awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-teachers-day-2019/) It is held every year on October 5 and is celebrated by more than 100 nations globally as a way to commemorate the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
En 1994 j’étudiais pour devenir enseignante à l’université Laval à Québec; cette même année-là, la Journée mondiale des enseignants a été établie pour « reconnaître, évaluer et mettre en valeur les instructeurs du monde entier ». (awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-teachers-day-2019/) La journée a lieu tous les ans le 5 octobre et est célébrée par plus de 100 nations autour du monde. C’est une façon de commémorer la signature de la Recommandation UNESCO/ILO de 1966 concernant le Statut des enseignants.
As Hurricane Dorian was raging through Abaco yesterday, leaders of District 7020, the Disaster Network of Assistance Action Group and neighbouring Rotary Districts in Zone 33-34 gathered to formulate plans for the recovery efforts they knew would be needed the very next day.
The team is on alert and will be meeting on a very regular basis, confirming the status of Rotarians and clubs and monitoring the immediate and longer-term needs. Our experience of the storms of 2017 will serve us well as we head into another year of returning these islands to their former beauty.
Although the brunt of the storm was borne by the northern islands of the archipelago, much of the area, including Nassau, New Providence, continues to experience heavy rainfall and flooding.
It's August and I hope all of you have enjoyed your summer so far. As somebody who grew up in California, I look very forward did this time of year. Let me update you on how things are going so far.
I have started visiting Clubs, in particular fundraisers like Perth's Rib Fest and Nepean-Kanata's 50th anniversary. Additionally, I started my official Club visits earlier this month in the Tri-Lakes area of New York followed by the clubs in the Kingston area. My goal is still to get as many DG visits completed prior to the District Conference on Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd of November. I plan to complete any remaining Club visits by the end of December.
Speaking of the Conference, I'd like to give you an update of what is planned for our annual two-day District Conference starting on Friday, 1 November, with the Council of Governors' meeting for a boat ride among the scenic 1000 Islands at the Harbor Hotel in Clayton, New York. It is a breathtaking facility with a phenomenal view of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
In July, the Rotarian magazine featured an article on Philanthropy Matchmakers, none other than Fatima Lahmami Langlois and Jean Gagnon from the Rotary Club of Montreal. Read about the interview here.
Anna Van Adrichem-Rochon, from the Rotary Club of Kemptville has a long way to go in the 2 weeks that leads up the race weekend that requires her sister, coming from Vancouver, and herself to raise a minimum of $1000 for the ROTARY Home Foundation. They would appreciate all the help they can get from Rotary friends. They will be posting on Facebook too. Members that are on that platform are welcome to repost on their site so that these connections could also support this worthy cause.
Westelcom, a provider of advanced telecommunications solutions, has announced that it will host the 2nd Annual Kickin’ IT for a Cause kickball tournament to support the ARC Jefferson-St. Lawrence Capital Campaign, with plans to fund a speech therapy room at the Gaffney Drive campus.
Rotarians have the opportunity to thank and recognize other Rotarians for their continued commitment to others. Simply go online to www.rotary.org and under the Learning and Reference tab, click on “awards”. Club leaders and members may nominate for: Recognize a Club, Significant Service Award, Avenues of Service Award in district, Service Award for a Polio-free World, and Polio Plus Pioneer Award. Any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact District 7040 Awards Chair PDG Sue Bellor .
Dodge Pond Camp in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains near Fine, NY provides a safe and fun camping experience for individuals between 8 and 21 with developmental and physical disabilities.
Le camp Dodge Pond au pied des montagnes d’Adirondack, à coté de Fine, NY, propose une expérience de camping fun et sécuritaire pour des personnes âgées de 8 à 21 ans, présentant un handicap physique ou mental.
On behalf of Rotary’s Representatives to the United Nations/ New York, we are pleased to share that our New York team has begun planning for Rotary Day at the United Nations - scheduled for 9 November at the United Nations Secretariat. As you may be familiar with past UN Days, I want to alert you to some changes and ask your assistance in sharing information with Rotary members who may express concerns.
First, due to increasingly tight security measures, the UN has limited the number of rooms it permits for civil society/ general public events – particularly during the period of the UN General Assembly which runs from September through December. Regrettably, there is no longer sufficient “UN-authorized” space for two programs. We will instead include Rotaractors and other young professionals in our one UN Day program.
Register on the District website under EVENTS on the right-hand side of the Home Page, or the left-hand side of this bulletin.
Interested in applying for a global grant? Courses in the Learning Center at rotary.org can serve as part of the required training on grants in order to qualify your club to apply for global grants.
These courses look at a grant from start to finish. It's best to take these courses before you start thinking about the type of global grant activity you want to do. You will have many of your questions answered before attending any of the live sessions offered through the District. For the dates of the remaininh sessions, click on See More.
Our new district insurance company for Canadian clubs no longer provides automatic certificates of insurance for every club. If you require one, you need to apply for it.
HOW TO OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE FOR AN EVENT THAT IS COVERED UNDER THE DISTRICT POLICY:
Review the “EVENT COVERAGE” TAB on the district website to ensure your event does not require a separate special events liability.
If your event is not listed on the list of excluded events, please contact our broker 15-30 days prior to the event whenever possible.
Our District Conference is shaping up as one of the best in years...we'll be hearing from a Canadian Rotary Rep to the United Nations and learn how engaged we are with international projects and decisions for Peace and World Understanding as well as Rotary's engagement with its formation. Get motivated with an energetic Leadership Coach who stimulates everyone while providing us with ideas for our clubs as well as ourselves.
Of special note is the RI President Mark Maloney's Representative to our Conference: Past RI Vice-President and Director, Dean Rohrs. Her vitality and uplifting messages and guidance will be of special note!
Join us Friday, November first beginning at 3:30pm and Saturday, November second at the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel in Canton, NY. We'll even have a Friday Foundation Turkey Dinner with Entertainment as an option for just $10US. Make your choice of registration package below.
Friendship exchange is a great way to meet new Rotarians and see the good that they are doing in the world. It is a great way to discover and enjoy new cultures while staying in the homes of local Rotarians. We may also find opportunities for partnership on projects.
I would encourage all the members in the District to consider a Friendship Exchange. It is a rich, eye-opening experience, that can lead to wonderful friendships.
L'échange d'amitié est un excellent moyen de rencontrer de nouveaux Rotariens et de voir le bien qu'ils font dans le monde. C'est une excellente façon de découvrir et de profiter de nouvelles cultures tout en séjournant dans les maisons des Rotariens locaux. Nous pouvons également trouver des occasions de partenariat sur des projets.
J'encourage tous les membres du district à envisager un échange d'amitié. C'est une expérience riche et révélatrice, qui peut mener à de merveilleuses amitiés.
Our current district Youth Protection Policywas drafted in 2014 at the insistence of RI, going back as far as 2004. We need to look at this document to see if revisions are needed. Please send suggestions to Ariane Carriere.
Notre politique actuelle de protection de la jeunesse du district a été rédigée en 2014 sur l'insistance du R.I. et remonte à 2004. Nous devons examiner ce document pour voir si des révisions sont nécessaires. S'il vous plaît envoyer vos suggestions à Ariane Carriere.
I was born in the Los Angeles area in the '50s and spent my early years growing up on the West Coast of the US (Washington, Oregon and California). During the '60s & early '70s, I lived in the San Diego, California area and graduated from High School in El Cajon, California in 1972 where I enjoyed math, science and technology classes, Speech & Debate Club, track & cross-country teams and Scouting/ Order of the Arrow. After high school, I attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. I graduated in June of 1976, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. It was during college that I met my lovely wife, Susan, and we were married two days after graduation. From there, we began our 21-year military career during which I served as an officer in the Signal Corps and Susan served as a hardworking and devoted military spouse.
Susan and I were fortunate to live and work on what would span three continents. We had many assignments in various locations within the United States, were stationed in Stuttgart, Germany for 4 years and Tageu, Republic of Korea for 2 ½ years. I also served as an ROTC Instructor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, receiving my Masters of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. At the end of my military career, I was assigned the duty of Professor of Military Science I Commander of the Clarkson University ROTC Department in Potsdam, New York. This assignment is what brought me to the North Country and to District 7040 as I joined Rotary during my time at Clarkson.
When we arrived in Potsdam, Susan & I had moved 14 times in 17 years. Although this type of nomadic lifestyle can be hectic & challenging, it provided us with many wonderful opportunities. We learned about various cultures firsthand, formed many lifelong friendships, witnessed history in the making & realized that people worldwide are much more alike than different. When I retired from the military in 1997, I continued working for three years at Clarkson University as the Director of International and Transfer Admissions. I had the opportunity, through a military program, to become a teacher and as I had always had an interest in this field, decided to change careers. For 14 years I worked as a Science & Technology teacher at Canton High School. I implemented a program called Project Lead the Way which was designed to encourage more young students to become engineers or work in other technology fields. I also received a second Masters of Educational Administration from St. Lawrence University. Concurrently, my wife and I bought a bagel shop in Potsdam which we ran for over ten years, eventually selling the business.
When I worked in Canton, I transferred from the Rotary Club of Potsdam to the Rotary Club of Canton where I have remained a member ever since. It was while l was in the Canton Club that I became Club President and eventually became an Area Governor. I also helped expand a multi-club Rotary camp at Dodge Pond in Clifton-Fine for children with special needs. Upon retirement from teaching in 2014, I became involved with Volunteer Transportation, Incorporated (a Rotarian-created business) focused on transporting Medicare and Medicaid-eligible clients to medical appointments in the Northern New York area. Within Rotary, 1 also became more involved at the District level and eventually applied and was selected to become the District Governor while also serving as the chair of the District Learning and Development Team. Additionally, I have become an adjunct faculty member for North Country Community College and teach business courses in a special college program offered at prisons in Northern New York. I have been blessed with my wife Susan who, like me, has had a long career in the field of education and is currently Director of Special Education for the Massena School District and adjunct professor for North Country Community College. Susan is a member of the Massena Rotary Club and has served as secretary and president. Susan and J have four amazing children. In typical military fashion, our oldest was born in Germany, our second and third were born in Korea and our youngest was born in Virginia. My current interests include anything dealing with technology, gardening, and working together with others to accomplish great things.
Earning theRotary Citationis an honor that RI President Barry Rassin hopes clubs strive to achieve. To earn the citation, please complete all activities and report your accomplishments to Rotary by30 June. Click to learn more about how to earn a Club or Rotaract Citation and how to nominate an Interact or Earlyact club for a citation.
Rotarians seeking to respond to the Cyclone Idai disaster—which hit Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Madagascar—may do so by donating to Rotary district 9400 NPC, which includes South Africa and Mozambique, and which has received the first ever Rotary Disaster Response Grant (DR1). They are on the ground working on water systems and are collecting funds for a possible global grant. ShelterBox also has boots on the ground. More information:
What does it take to change the culture of a club, of a Rotary district, of a Rotary Zone, of Rotary International, of the world? Courage! If you care about the future of Rotary, a webinar worth watching.
We are pleased to announce that the district nominating committee has chosen Fay Morris Campbell of the Orleans club to be district governor in 2021-2022. Fay has held a number of positions in Rotary, including area governor for Ottawa Central 2011-2017 and is the current district friendship exchange chair.
We are over half way through the Rotary year. A lot to celebrate! And, a lot to do by 30 June 2018. Thank you for letting me serve you. Being District Governor is a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to meet Rotarians across the district and experience what makes Rotary so very special.
Thanks to the fantastic organizing team chaired by Trevor Dagilis the District Conference produced a rich set of ideas for use by clubs. In the spirit of innovation that the conference was based on, the conference document is meant to be an inspiration and resource for clubs. It was never meant to become a set of goals and a directive from the district. Rotary is a grassroots organization, and clubs need water and sunshine to grow in their own direction.
In my travels over the past year, I've visited many strong, vibrant clubs and districts that are transforming their communities. When I attend their meetings, I can feel the energy. When I meet their members, I can see they are people of action. And when I look at their communities, I can recognize the impact of their work.
I've also visited communities with Rotary clubs that were hardly more than social clubs. It shouldn't ever be that way. Fortunately, there's a simple approach that I believe can help revitalize any club.
I'd like to challenge every Rotary club to come up with at least one high-impact service project. Each club already has the potential, the resources, to make it happen. It has the power to change people's lives — completely.
Wishing you a happy Winter Solstice, blessed Hanukkah, merry Christmas, peaceful Shabe-Yalda, compassionate Bohdi Day, Festivus grievances or whatever holiday you celebrate as we near the time of year when days grow longer.
Rotary is non-sectarian, but our founder Paul Harris sought meaningful spiritual relationships. He said that his religious affiliations were, like himself, difficult to label. “I really have no church affiliation...I am not easily classified...”
Many traditions give gifts during this season. Please join me in contributing to Rotary's campaign to end polio forever because we Rotarians are generous year-round. You can easily donate online at https://www.endpolio.org/donate. If you sign-in to your Rotary account, your club will receive credit for the donation.
Please donate now to protect children like Adil Khan and honor health workers like Shafiullah.
What are the hallmarks of a healthy Rotary Club, and how do we foster the ideal conditions for a vital and engaged membership? Conference participants joined in a professionally facilitated dialogue across all generations of Rotary (from Interact to Honorary Rotarians) on the opportunities and potential that lie ahead for our organization, discussing the ongoing value, relevance, and accessibility of Rotary.
Voting on the composition of the nominating committee is over. The new policy was adopted with 53 votes in favor and 1 against. The new procedures for membership of the Nominating Committee are as follows:
Whether your club is a subordinate under Rotary International’s 501(c)(4) group exemption or is independently tax-exempt, the IRS requires that all Rotary clubs in the U.S. and its territories file an annual information return. For those clubs whose tax year follows the Rotary year, the deadline to file is 15 November. For clubs whose tax year is a calendar year, the deadline is 15 April. The form a club must file is dependent upon its gross receipts for the year.
The World Day against polio, October 24, is fast approaching.
Gather with your club members and the people of your city to view events of the World Day against polio, broadcast live from the Philadelphia College of Physicians at 18:30 local time. Join celebrities and health experts to discover our progress to end polio and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the creation of the Global Initiative to eradicate polio.
The district has set up a bank account to take donations for projects to help recovery from the effects of the tornado. Ottawa/Gatineau area clubs will coordinate distribution of funds. Checks may be made out to the "Ottawa Gatineau Rotary Tornado Fund" and mailed to:
A Rotary Foundation Donor Advised Fund (DAF) has been established to provide disaster relief from Hurricane Florence. The Fund will be directed by local Rotarians in the Carolinas and surrounding states that are effected by the storm. More information about Donor Advised Funds can be found here
Rotarians and friends wishing to help the affected area, can enter your gift as follows:
Name of the Donor Advised Fund Account: Rotary District 7680 DAF #574
Contributions to this fund will be directed by Rotarians in District 7680 who will ensure your contributions have the biggest impact and go to the areas with the most need.
As DG I am required to certify to Rotary International that the selection of the Governor-nominee (designate) conforms to Rotary International Bylaws and Policies. The current district selection procedure violates Rotary policy that members of the nominating committee cannot serve more than three times on the committee. To be fair to all, two resolutions were approved by District Council to change district procedures to read:
1. - 6.1 (G) Nominating Committee – shall be composed of the three most immediate Past District 7040 Governors, who are available and active in the district; and three club Immediate Past Presidents, who are available and active in the district, one from each geographic region, selected by random draw. Members shall serve for no more than three one-year terms. The District Governor will be Chair and only vote in the case of a tie. The District Governor-Elect and District Governor Nominee shall be observers without vote. The positions considered by this committee will be District Governor-Nominee and the Vice Governor for the upcoming Rotary year.
2. - 6.1 (G) Nominating Committee – shall be compose of the three most immediate Past District 7040 Governors, who are available and active in the district, and three Area Governors, one from each geographic region, who are available and active in the district, selected by random draw. Members shall serve for no more than three one-year terms. The District Governor will be Chair and only vote in the case of a tie. The District Governor-Elect and District Governor Nominee shall be observers without vote. The positions considered by this committee will be District Governor-Nominee and the Vice Governor for the upcoming Rotary year.
As Rotarians, we are all aware of the good work that we do. It is very rewarding, however, to be recognized in the communities we are in by the people and businesses in those communities. One such example of this is a local business owner in Renfrew, Ontario, Jon Pole of MyFM who recently heard an ad promoting Rotary while he was doing a program for a Toronto Station. He was aware of Rotary and the work we do, so he decided to use the People of Action ad as a filler ad on his 21 stations across Ontario at no cost to Rotary.
If you are in one of the communities where MyFM broadcasts, take a minute to thank them!
Club Profile
Community Involvement Boosts Renfrew Rotary Projects
There are no words to describe how honored and humbled I am to serve in this assignment as an RI Director for the next two years. By all reports it will pass quickly. My pledge to you is that I will work diligently on behalf of our organization to move the needle on the change we need to accomplish to stay relevant over the next decades. I’m enthusiastic to be a part of your team.
A message from Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko
As any great institution with a long and glorious trajectory, I believe that our organization is at an inflection point, at a crossroads.
We are living in a time when technology and the means of communication are radically, and at an unprecedented rate, changing the ways humans interact.
We are living in a time when there are myriad competing options for people to network professionally and to give back to their communities.
We are living in a time when, in many countries, young professionals barely have time for their work and families, let alone time to engage in outside activities such as Rotary.
One year ago, your Rotary International Board of Directors adopted a new vision statement, reflecting our aspirations for our organization and its future. It reads, “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”
That simple sentence distills so much of what is essential about Rotary. We unite, because we know that we are far stronger together than we could ever be alone. We take action, because we are not dreamers, but doers. We work to create lasting change that will endure long after our involvement has ended – across the globe and in our communities. And perhaps most important of all, we work to create change in ourselves – not just building a better world around us, but becoming better people ourselves.
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.
Foundation
D 7040 Global Grant Scholar nomination for 2018-19
In the 1800s Martha's family settled in California, and that is where she raised her son, met her husband Jim Britell and where one of her step-sons and his family still live.
Posted by Susan Bellor, District Governor on Jul 01, 2017
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
A new Rotary year has begun and a new journey ahead is always filled with hope, plans, and excitement. Congratulations and best wishes are extended to all 7040 Club Presidents, Area Governors and District Chairs.
As we all start out in 2017-2018, I want to thank now Past District Governor Nabil Oudeh for a job well done. I wish Nabil the best as he is now setting the plans to be Vice General Chair of the Rotary Zone Institute in Montreal in fall 2018. When he asks you to help, please say, “yes”.
Years as AG/other titles: 3 years as Area Governor and District Training/Learning and Development Team (LDT) Chair, Current District Governor Nominee
Other district committees participation: Learning & Development Team, 2017 District Conference, District Legislation Committee, Million Dollar Dinner (MDD) Committee
Years as Rotarian: 23 Years
Current/ Past Rotary Club Member: Canton/Potsdam NY
Rotary designations (titles in clubs, Foundation awards, etc.): Club President, Foundation Chair, Club Vocational Chair (included Ambassadorial Scholarships, Club Scholarships/awards, District Adventures in Technology & Environment and RYLA) ….and St Lawrence County 4-Club Rotary Dodge Pond Committee member/past chair.
Your occupation now or before (retirement etc.): Retired Military, Retired grades 7-12 Technology /Project Lead the Way(PLTW) teacher/Certified School Administrator, 15 years’ small business owner, landlord and now Part-time Volunteer Transportation Driver.
Family information: Wife Susan Rotarian Massena Club President, 4 children
Leisure activities, what you would care to share: Technology, tree farming, gardening, travel.
We may have started our year as acquaintances, but we bonded as family by the year's end.
I am so grateful to each one of you who welcomed and hosted me, and to all the leaders who supported me.
There are so many people who made this year the success it is. I won't named them here in person. I did thank a few at the changeover dinner, and many others I will continue to reach out to thank in person.
La version française de cette lettre est ci-jointe.
District 7040 has just chartered a new club concept to make it easy for Rotarians who want to make a difference in their community to do so in a way that fits within their time, talent and finances, as well as with their family, work and life commitments — and do so through Rotary. The founding principle of the Rotary Passport Club is to make Rotary fit the lifestyle of its members through an affordable dues structure and flexible, and infrequent, in-person meetings. Instead of attending weekly meetings, members are encouraged to engage in humanitarian service — however that works best for them. Some meetings are online.
It is my great pleasure to announce the creation of our newest club in the district. "D7040 Passport Club" was chartered on May 8 by RI with 26 members. I will be presenting them with the charter documents in a couple of weeks.
The Passport Club is a unique club that allows club members to support a variety of service projects and fundraisers with clubs throughout our district. For more information about the club go to www.d7040passport.org.
Thank you PDG Ariane for taking the lead on this project.
What did you do during your spring break? If you were an Interactor in District 7040, you might have gone to Guatemala to work with Common Hope, an organization that makes education possible for impoverished children and families in Guatemala. A group of 15 - 11 students and 4 adults, left Montreal, Canada early in the morning of March 12, with 30 suitcases of donations and travelled all day to land in Guatemala in the evening.
Monday, our work started. Everyone was given a choice of activities each day. You could choose to see one of the artisans of the region at work. There was tortilla making, a silversmith, and a ceramic artist. You could help at the daycare or the library. Two of us unpacked the suitcases with donations. There was site maintenance, but most important of all, we built a house!
It’s a simple house, cement floor, cement board panels and a corrugated tin roof. There is no electricity or water, yet the family that we built it for thought it was a palace. The floor was poured on Tuesday, and at the shop area we made panels for the walls. Everything had to be taken to the build site. The best part of that, according to the Vision Team members, was riding in the back of a pick-up truck. Friday afternoon we had the house blessing and because we were an all-Canadian team, we presented the family with a Canadian flag, signed by all the team members.
Each group of volunteers that goes for a week, a Vision Team, gets an opportunity to come face-to-face with poverty, often to an extent not experienced before. I asked a couple of the students who lived nearby to come and talk at a session at the District 7040 Training Assembly. What blew me away was when they started talking about the culture shock, more so when they got home then when they arrived there. The whole experience really made an impression on them, and on the whole team.
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
How do you know what is a dream if you never accomplished one? How do you know what is an adventure if you never took part in one? How do you know what is anguish if you never said goodbye to your family and friends with your eyes full of tears?
How do you know what is being desperate, if you never arrived in a place alone and could not understand a word of what everyone else was saying? How do you know what is diversity if you never lived under the same roof with people from all over the world?
How do you know what is tolerance, if you never had to get used to something different even if you didn't like it? How do you know what is autonomy, if you never had the chance to decide something by yourself? How do you know what it means to grow up, if you never stopped begin a child to start a new course?
How do you know what is to be helpless, if you never wanted to hug someone and had a computer screen to prevent you from doing it? How do you know what is distance, if you never, looking at a map, said "I am so far away."
How do you know what is a language, if you never had to learn one to make friends? How do you know what is patriotism, if you never shouted "I love my country" holding a flag in your hands? How do you know what is the true reality, if you never had the chance to see a lot of them to make one?
How do you know what is an opportunity, if you never caught one? How do you know what is pride, if you never experienced it for yourself at realizing how much you have accomplished? How do you know what is to seize the day, if you never saw the time running so fast?
How do you know what is a friend, if the circumstances never showed you the true ones. How do you know what is a family, if you never had one that supported you unconditionally? How do you know what are borders, if you never crossed yours, to see what there was on the other side?
How do you know what is imagination, if you never thought about the moment when you would go back home? How do you know the world, if you have never been an exchange student?
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.
I have just returned from El Salvador where I attended Uniendo America project fair with Central and North American partners. Our district was well represented with 10 participants. It was an honor to be among so many people dedicated to service above self. I am so grateful for reconnecting with old friends and building new and lasting friendships in Central America. - DG Nabil
On November 23rd, the International Service Committee of the Rotaract Club of Ottawa hosted the Loft Board Game Night at the Loft Board Game Lounge in Ottawa. At the event there were 65 friends and community members who were looking for a fun night out to play board games with friends while also donating to a great cause. There was also a raffle draw for four tickets to an Ottawa 67's hockey game. All of the proceeds, which ended up totaling to $833, were donated the ECHO Haiti for their Light for the Victims of Hurricane Matthew project in Haiti. The organization used the money to buy solar lamps for families and hospitals in the affected areas of Haiti. They will be used for light as well as an alternative energy source to charge phones and other electronic devices until the electricity is restored in these areas. The event was overall extremely successful. Thank you again to everyone who was able to come out to the event!
Scotch Raffle Our Speaker's scotch raffle was also a huge success! Congrats to Norm Laur and Keara Lundrigan for each winning a bottle of this exclusive scotch and thanks to everyone who participated!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Posted by Joe D. Fontes — Chair, Youth Exchange Committee on Jun 28, 2016
These are very exciting times for students, both outbounds as well as inbounds and, of course, our returning rebound students.
We have 11 rebound students returning from abroad and some have already returned home. They will be filled with stories about their adventures , the challenges they had and, of course, the excitement of immersing themselves in a new culture.
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.
Rotary Fellowships Month - June is designated as “Rotary Fellowships Month” by the RI Board to recognize the importance of international fellowship and good will among Rotarians with similar recreational interests, vocations, and health and medical issue-oriented interests, to promote increased participation in fellowships and increase understanding of this program.
The RI Board encourages fellowships groups to highlight activities through projects, activities, and events in celebration of “Rotary Fellowships Month” in June.
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.
Editor's note: The following story was copied from website of District 5370 which includes Fort McMurray. The Rotary District 5370 Charitable Foundation has established the “Fort McMurray Fire Relief Fund” to assist in the rebuilding of that city following this tragic fire. The Charitable Foundation is now ready to accept donations, for which tax receipts will be issued. The Foundation will rely on an independent committee of Fort McMurray stakeholders (including the Rotary clubs and the municipality) for advice on disbursal of the funds.
Donations may be from individuals or corporations. Rotary clubs may wish to facilitate this process by collecting donations, and then forwarding either the individual cheques or a cheque drawn on the club’s account for the total amount, along with a list of the donors and their addresses and postal codes.
It is with great pleasure that Dârini Vedarattiname, District Rotaract Representative 2015-2016, and Jean-Philippe Argant, District Rotaract Chair, introduce District 7040 Rotaract Co-Representatives for 2016-17!
Barbara Engels, Club Rotaract of Downtown Montréal and Ryan Fedurco, Ottawa Rotaract Club will represent the nine Rotaract clubs within District 7040 beginning July 1, 2016.
We are convinced the two of them will make a great duo and will achieve impressive Rotary and Rotaract projects during their term. They are both bursting with ideas: Stay tuned to discover what they have in store for our District!
Congratulations Barbara and Ryan!
Rotaract
New District 7040 Rotaract Co-Representatives chosen for 2016-17
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.
The Canadian Rotary Collaboration for International Development (CRCID) will cease operations December 31. A new Grant Agreement between The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Canada and the Government of Canada has created a new international development assistance program, entitled “Partnership for Community Development”. During the last 29 years Kingston Rotarians were among the many Rotary club's throughout Canada who's projects benefited from CRCID support.
The Bethany Crippled Children's Centre project started when Paul Van Nest invited Kim Phuc to Kingston. Kim gave three very moving talks, which raised $13,000. (More information about Kim is available on her foundation website. http://www.kimfoundation.com) The monies we—re split between Kim's foundation and the five area Rotary clubs.
Interact is a club for young people ages 12-18 who want to join together to tackle the issues in their community that they care most about. Through Interact, you can:
Carry out hands-on service projects
Make international connections
Develop leadership skills
Have fun!
EarlyAct is not an official program on Rotary International yet. This does not stop an elementary school from starting an EarlyAct Club for anyone under the age of 12. The District will produce the appropriate documents. All requirements for an EarlyAct charter are the same as for an Interact Club.
How does an Interact/EarlyAct club create positive change?
Every Interact or EarlyAct club carries out two service projects a year: one that helps your school or community and one that promotes international understanding.
Service projects are an effective way for you to take action at home and abroad, connect with other young leaders, and get members excited about your club. You can find ideas and tips for successful projects in the Guide for Rotary Club Sponsors and Advisers. Check Downloads at the top left.
August 1, 2015 – Ottawa, Ontario – Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, announced the renewal of the partnership between Government of Canada and Rotary Foundation Canada by providing a total of up to $18 million to help save the lives of vulnerable children and reduce poverty in the world’s poorest countries.
During the next four years, the Government of Canada will contribute two dollars for every dollar raised by Rotary Foundation Canada in support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Endgame Strategy, to a maximum contribution of $12 million. The funds will be provided to UNICEF to support the goal of eradicating polio worldwide by 2018.
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.
Rotary Showcase is a great place to be inspired and find project ideas, as well as share success stories. District 7040 clubs are doing good in their communities and around the world.
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 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
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.
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
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Créé en 1962, le programme Interact compte aujourd'hui plus de 15 000 clubs dans 142 pays et permet à des jeunes de 12 à 18 ans de passer à l'action au niveau local, de nouer des liens avec d'autres jeunes à l'étranger et de développer leurs talents. Découvrez comment l'Interact permet aux jeunes de s'impliquer.
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.
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.
Renfrew Rotary Club shares pictures and stories of the projects they do that support their community through press releases, on the club website and Facebook page.
A check for $8,000 is a generous contribution by any standards. Recently, our local Rotary Club made such a donation to the Renfrew Hospice to help it with its good work. Everyone is affected by death and having a facility that enables our loved ones to die with dignity, comfort and empathy is of benefit to everyone in our community. Rotary is clearly grateful for the Hospice, offering respite not only for the dying but also the living.
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.
Disaster Relief
Nepal Earthquake
Gary C.K. Huang, President, Rotary International 2014-15
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.vironment 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
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.
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
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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)
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.
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.
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.
Did you know the District has a YouTube channel? It is at https://www.youtube.com/user/district7040 and hosts videos like the one below as well as a number of play lists on topics of interest to Rotarians. For clubs that do not have a YouTube account, the District can host your video for you. Contact PR chair Martha Weaver or District webmaster Ariane Carriere for more information.
By the way, the District version of this video on Facebook has reached 6,000 people, with 281 likes, comments and shares.
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.
Where does one find Rotarians? Everywhere, it seems!
Members of the Montreal Lakeshore Rotary Club, in collaboration with Volunteer West Island’s Corporate/Service Group Volunteer Program, continue to be active in the West Island and Montreal areas, helping out non-profit organizations and making a difference in the community.
Prior to Christmas a team of Rotarian-volunteers participated, via VWI connections, in the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation’s annual Gift Wrapping Project at Fairview Shopping Centre, wrapping customers’ purchases, rendering them ready for gift-giving. Donations from these grateful shoppers benefitted the LGH Foundation.
In addition, members of the Montreal-Lakeshore Club were introduced by VWI to Renée Mathieu, Activities Coordinator at CHSLD Denis-Benjamin Viger on île Bizard. Ms Mathieu warmly welcomed visiting members and took them on a tour of the premises. The Rotarians have developed an ongoing supportive relationship with this long-term care facility, collecting and preparing generous Care & Comfort Packages for residents, including much-needed toiletries and warm socks.
Recently a team of enthusiastic members of the Montreal-Lakeshore Club, again organized by Brenda Scalzo, Community Service Vice-Chair, in collaboration with VWI, lent a hand at Welcome Hall Mission. Such assistance is always appreciated by Tania Togias, the Mission’s Volunteer Coordinator, and the Welcome Hall Team, but especially so at this time, since they were experiencing a dearth of volunteers and an increase in clothing donations and demand for the Mission’s crucial services during these frigid winter days. Rotarians to the rescue!
When asked what the experience was like at Welcome Hall, Ms Scalzo replied unhesitatingly, “We enjoyed our time there, sorting through the never-ending pallets of clothes. Our host, Anthony Bakerdjian, gave us a tour of their "Costco-like” warehouse filled with food and clothing, ready for distribution. It was heartwarming to see the great generosity of corporations and individuals that filled their shelves. We hope to go back and work another ‘shift’. We sure did have a good time!”
Volunteer West Island It’s about time…time to help others www.cabvwi.org
Club ProfileCommunity Service
Montreal-Lakeshore Rotarians and Volunteer West Island: Effective Teamwork!
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.
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!
Membership
What It Means to be a Rotarian
From a speech by Past RI President Cliff Dochterman
The current issue of The Rotarian magazine has an interview with David Isay, founder of StoryCorps, a non-profit offering recording booths where anyone can reserve a spot to interview a relative or friend. Isay says, "I came to believe that the act of interviewing was having an impact, reminding people how much their lives matter."
Last year while I was president of the Malone club, members were invited to tell their stories. The club had several members who had been Rotarians for 50 years and some younger members who were new to the Malone area. All Rotarians were given a chance to share a bit of their life story and get to know each other better. One meeting a month was set aside for two or three members to each give a short talk.
Everyone's stories were amazing. The first two people -- a Pastor whose early life experiences would make a great movie and a school principal who told a warm, funny and personal story -- set the bar high. The rest of the members met the challenge, with stories that brought club members closer together. One member I personally was grateful we were able to hear passed away not long after he spoke. His talk left us with some special memories.
DG Ariane says that the year she was president of the Cornwall club, she had some of the club's long standing members do what she called a “re-classification” talk. One of the members, a dentist, was an antique expert and showed club members how his log house had been dismantled and was rebuilt piece by piece at its present location. DG Ariane says, "He passed away this summer, very unexpectedly, but I still remember that talk."
We didn't use an interviewer, though members were free to ask each other questions and they often did. Many clubs have "vocational/classification talks" where new members get a chance to introduce themselves to the club, but how new members learn about everyone else in the club is sometime a bit hit or miss. Sharing stories is, as Isay says, "...about connecting with someone you care about." The one thing I regret is that we did not record the talks.
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.
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
Does your club have a brochure? When was the last time you updated your letterhead? Need to create a flyer for an event? The Rotary Brand Center has editable templates and customizable materials to promote your club or project.
A number of the templates download as pdf files. You can further edit them with Adobe Acrobat Pro; or for a less expensive option, use PDFBuddy. (Google Chrome is recommended.) Using these tools you can , for instance, replace the pictures in the brochure or flyer with your own.
With assistance from the Rotary Brand Center your club's print and online branding material will accurately represent your club's professional membership.
So, what is the Rotary Club of Iqaluit all about? The club is situated in the capital of the Nunavut Territory on Baffin Island in Frobisher Bay. Originally, the Club met at the Frobisher Inn in 'downtown' Iqaluit but has since moved to the Legion.
You might be interested to know that their longest tenured member is Murray Horn who has Educational Administration as his classification. Soon, Murray will be headed for points south as he retires and wants to be closer to his extended family in the Montreal area. Their first female member was Eden Crout who joined as soon as women could! Today, the has 34 active members of which Geoff Johnson is the newest.
If you stopped someone on the street, they quickly respond that the Rotary Club of Iqaluit does a lot of good! The club is known for its Christmas Hampers for the needy, Elders' Dinner, Fall Fair for the kids, and more. For their 25th Anniversary, over a decade ago, they establish Rotary Park which is used by residents when the weather is warmer for picnics and barbeques with families. Benches were established throughout the park and many come to view the Bay and wildlife.
If a Rotarian from one of the other 69 clubs wants to visit, they would suggest either coming to visit to do something with the club such as helping with Fall Fair in October or, if for a relaxing vacation, try April during Toonik time. Not sure what that is? Ask a member when you see them at the District Conference or the District Training Assembly or PETS....yes, they travel south to keep our connections strong!
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.
Rotarians are improving lives in communities around District 7040 through service projects in support of food banks and pantries.
Explore the good work Rotary clubs are doing locally and globally.
You can help on Saturday January 24, 2015 by making a donation of food or funds when clubs throughout Rotary District 7040 join together with their communities in a Rotary Day of Service to support our local food banks.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Rotary Clubs in Northeastern New York continue to provide excellent service to their communities.
Starting with the smallest clubs, both Chateaugay and Champlain-Rouses Point are both in the process of adding new members, good news after several years of lack of growth. It would appear that the good things that they are doing are starting to catch on.
Chateaugay recently received press coverage on its continued support of the Town of Chateaugay Theater project. The bulk of the funds they have been able to raise in support of the project have been through the annual clam bake, a favorite event in the community. Chateaugay is also active on the International front, contributing to a boy’s home in Ecuador.
Champlain-Rouses Point has had such success with its annual Father-Daughter dance that this upcoming year they are expanding the concept to a Mother’s Day dance that will feature a Mother-Son dance event. And get out your running shoes this December, as they will be sponsoring the first annual Christmas race in the area. These two clubs have shown that size is not a detriment when it comes to serving your community.
Malone is very active in its community as well. Malone has implemented a Teacher of the Year award, selecting from among the 7 schools within their service area. Nominations are invited from a variety of sources in order to obtain a cross section of inputs as to what makes an excellent teacher. The award, as well as their Paul Harris Fellow are presented at the annual Christmas Holiday celebration. Their annual spaghetti dinner is an event that is looked forward to in the community. The club is active on the international front supporting the same Ecuador project as Chateaugay, and has been a long time supporter of the Student Exchange program to the benefit of local and foreign students. Malone has reached out to other Rotary Clubs and has had mutual events with clubs on both sides of the border.
The two clubs in Plattsburgh have taken to working on several projects together. For many years, they have shared the Radio Days fundraiser, and have decided to mutually sponsor RYLA for area students, making for a richer and more streamlined process. This upcoming February, they will again be coordinating their efforts on sponsoring a Chamber of Commerce event. Together, they sponsor an International Project, for which they receive matching funds, in Nicaragua. Individually, Plattsburgh (generally known as the noon Rotary) puts on the annual Lake Champlain Fishing Derby, one of the biggest fishing derbies on Lake Champlain, the Roducky Derby where people can buy rubber ducks and decorate them to be raced down the river, and the bed race in conjunction with the Battle of Plattsburgh weekend. Plattsburgh Sunrise provides the activities for the annual Mayor’s Cup yachting race and land lubber events, Winter Carnival, and Literacy Challenge in conjunction with Literacy Volunteers. Both clubs have several individual international projects as well as their local projects.
The five clubs in Northeastern NY have shown that living up the “service above self” both on the community and international fronts can be achieved while having fun. It does not have to toil and drudgery, as these clubs have demonstrated, you can have fun while providing service to your communities.
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.
Many clubs are participating in the January 24 Hunger Awareness Rotary Day of Service. To find out what clubs are already doing on a continuous basis for hunger awareness, go to our district websitehttp://portal.clubrunner.ca/50214/Page/hunger-and-food-insecurity
HUNGER: In Canada 36.4% of those turning to food banks are children. And in 2012, 49 million Americans lived in food insecure households: 33.1 million adults and 15.9 million children.
Many of our District Rotary clubs have special campaigns throughout the year in support of local food banks and pantries.
You can help on Saturday January 24, 2015 when clubs throughout Rotary District 7040 join together with their communities in a Rotary Day of Service to support our local food banks.
Click "Read more" for resource documents about hunger and food banks, and PR templates your club can customize -- or contact District PI chair Martha Weaver for assistance.
Many templates are in MS Word and can be customized with your club logo. If you have not done so yet, log onto the Rotary website and under "manage" go to the brand center to create a logo.
Day of Service
What is your club doing for the Rotary Day of Service 24 January 2015?
Posted by Andre Morriseau Senior Manager, Awards and Communications Canadian Council For Aboriginal Business(CCAB)
The Rotary Club is a grass-roots organization consisting of business professionals and community leaders that volunteer time, talent & resources in order to remedy vital community needs. With over 1.2 million members worldwide Rotary has been making history and bringing the world closer together for over 100 years. Since forming in 1905, they’ve taken on some of the world's toughest challenges and helped a wide range of international and service organizationsfrom the UN to Easter Sealsget started.
Rotarians in Southern Ontario once again has Rotary at the forefront of applying new ideas on the road to creative solutions through the newly created Honouring Indigenous People (HIP) website created after extensive consultation with a number of Indigenous peoples and organizations.
“HIP is honouring Indigenous people by supporting their educational efforts and encouraging all Canadians to become aware of Indigenous issues, history and culture. It is the hope of Rotarians, Rotary clubs and others that partnerships and collaborations will be established with Indigenous people in Canada focusing on creating mutual awareness and understanding.” Stated HIP Chair Chris Snyder.
Now that elections are finished in most part of our district, Rotarians are reminded of the following statement from the Manual of Procedures, p. 7
Politics
RI and its member clubs refrain from issuing partisan political statements. Rotarians are prohibited from adopting statements with a view to exerting any pressure on governments or political authorities. However, it is the duty of Rotarians:
In their clubs, to keep under review political developments in their own communities and throughout the world insofar as they affect service to their vocations and communities as well as the pursuit of the Rotary objective of world understanding and peace. They are expected to seek reliable information through balanced programs and discussions so that members can reach their own conclusions after a fair, collective examination of the issues.
Outside their clubs, to be active as individuals in as many legally constituted groups and organizations as possible to promote, not only in words but through exemplary dedication, awareness of the dignity of all people and the respect of the consequent human rights of the individual. (89-134, RCP 2.100.)
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.
We are 99% of the way to a polio-free world – truly, “this close” to eradicating polio forever. On 24 October, help us get closer by spreading the word about our fight to End Polio Now with our communities and the world. Here’s how:
Make a gift today and protect another child from getting polio for life.
Share Rotary’s fight to end polio with local government officials and use this opportunity to encourage them to support the global commitment to a polio free world. Download advocacy and event resources.
Show your support for polio eradication on social media and let your friends know that you want to end polio with this new End Polio Now graphic.
Host your own event on 24 October and add your voice to the conversation with the hashtag #WorldPolioDay.
Our global network of volunteers has helped the vast majority of the world end polio. On World Polio Day, let’s show the world that when Rotarians start something, they finish it. Let’s end polio now. ________________________________________________
A video from the Walk to End Polio October 5 in Gatineau Park made by AG Jacinthe Paillé Landry
Content Marketing delivers valuable information that your audience wants and needs. For a potential Rotarian that would include information about how belonging to Rotary offers the opportunity to network and to join together with like minded people to make the world a better place. Creating a variety of engaging content on a consistent basis and delivering it through the best channel where people can find it the essence of Content Marketing. This year’s Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends report from Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs offers some insights as to how best to do this.
B2B companies report that the most effective tactic are :
in-person events (69%)
webinars (64%)
videos (60%)
blogs (60%)
case studies, white papers, research reports and eNewsletters (58%)
B2B companies report that he most effective social networks for content marketing are :
The work of Rotary begins in the community, and every community has its own unique needs and concerns. While we serve in countless ways, we’ve focused our efforts in six key areas to maximize our impact. Our areas of focus not only encompass some of the world’s most critical and widespread humanitarian needs; they also reflect service opportunities in which we have demonstrated a proven track record of success:
Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
Disease prevention and treatment
Water, sanitation and hygiene
Maternal and child health
Basic education and literacy
Economic and community development
Our Foundation places a priority on these six areas of focus by offering global grants of US$30,000-US$400,000 to large scale, sustainable Rotary projects that address them. However, our work in the areas of focus is not limited only to these large scale projects. Every Rotary club is capable of addressing needs within these areas. To encourage them to get involved, I am requiring every club to participate in a project related to at least one area of focus in order to qualify for the 2014-15 Presidential Citation.
After three years of preparations, Interota 2014 came and went in a flash. From July 26 to August 1, 2014, 200 Rotaractors and Rotarians from 38 countries descended upon Toronto and Montreal for a week of leadership and professional development, cultural exploration, and fellowship. Delegates spent three days in Toronto and three days in Montreal, as well experience transportation on Via Rail between both cities. Plenary sessions covered topics that included cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution and personalities, finding balance between physical health, mental health, careers, and social and family life, Rotaract around the world, and showcasing Rotaract on your resume.
We were honored to have Rotary International President Gary Huang and his wife Corinna attend for the first three days! RI President Gary lit up the audience during our first plenary session with an engaging speech that got everyone excited. We were also honoured to have RI Zone Director Julia Phelps attend part of the conference as well as District Governors from Districts 7040 and 7070.
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.
It is hard to describe a whole year in just a couple paragraphs, but it is worth trying. First of all it is important to say that it does not matter how much I explain how my year was or how many stories I tell about it, it is impossible to make someone feel what I did if one has never been an exchange student. The feeling is unique and indescribable. I remember the day I left Brazil as it was yesterday (even though it has been already a year since). I cried for the first 10 minutes of my first flight and then the only thing I could think about was how my life in Canada was going to be. When I first arrived in Kingston there were at least 12 people waiting for me. I cannot remember what I said or what they did; I was too tired and afraid to turn that moment into a memory. But I remember after that I realized that my exchange was not a dream anymore, I was living it.
It was hard. It was very hard. And the 10 minutes of crying on the plane happened a couple more times again throughout the year. Today I realize all my tears meant that I was growing up, facing the world in a way I had not done before. Today I realize I had two options to mature. Do it through the years as everybody does or do it while having one of the biggest experiences of my life. I am glad I chose the second option.
When was the last time your club did a member satisfaction survey? RI has a very formal one which can take some work to analyze. See https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/document/618 - 18-Apr-2013 There are lots of good ideas on how to evaluate your club.
Everybody likes to be asked for their opinion so find an easy way. How about three questions:
How would you rate the weekly meeting? Fair…Good… Very Good…Excellent. Any suggestions are appreciated: __________________________________________ .
Please rate the clubs service projects: not enough….good balance of resources…… some times too much. Any Suggestions: _________________________________________ .
Why did you join Rotary? _____________________ and does your Club meet your expectations? 100%......75%....50%..... 25%
Explain your answer: ___________________________________ ____________________________________________________.
The survey can be a starter of several club discussions. You can form groups to discuss and then summarize their consensus to the entire club. Make up your own questions. Use Survey Monkey or whatever.
The important thing is to ask for opinions, draw some conclusions, feed back to the club and take appropriate action. Having satisfied your members is important.
Suppose you could get a lead on a new prospective member for your club and you learn that she or he has the following attributes:
A strong desire to make the community and the world a better place to live;
A stable lifestyle free of worry about getting transferred or, worse, fired;
The education and experience to execute successful humanitarian projects;
Both time and money to devote to making the world a better place.
Any Rotary membership chair would jump at an opportunity to recruit such a candidate. In many cases there are prospective new Rotarians with such traits within your own community – they are retirees. This growing segment of our population finds itself free from the duties of tending to business and raising children and now can devote time to giving back to the community and to the world.
While Rotary’s long term growth certainly depends on bringing in younger members, we must not overlook older potential candidates who have so much to contribute. The point is that good Rotarians can come from any age group and a wise club looks toward older generations as well as to youth.
Potential members see “WHAT” when they visit your club? They draw conclusions about the club. Should they join??
Is your club friendly? Is your club engaged in community projects? Do the members seem engaged?
Does your club have a short brochure or business card which describes the club? Is there a Club bulletin? Are there member reports about upcoming projects? Is there evidence that the club has FUN together? In short “WHAT’S YOUR IMAGE?”
Every Club has a different personality. There is a regular meeting format, some socializing, some program and some Rotary/Club information. If the meeting depicts a vibrant club, a friendly club, an engaged club wouldn’t that be a good selling point to a potential member!
If you were interviewing for a job, how would you act? The potential member is here to interview your club, so act accordingly, besides the same characteristics apply to member retention as well.
How does your club stack up? Make “What’s Your Image” an assembly discussion and see what you can learn.
The Adventure in Citizenship (AiC) Program, spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Ottawa, is the oldest running Adventure program in the District and will be celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2015. For four days each May, the AiC program offers a unique opportunity for 200 youth between 16-18 years of age to come to our nation’s capital, engage with others from across the country, and deepen their knowledge of Canada and its institutions. Students are billeted in Rotarians’ and friends of Rotarians’ homes and spend their time learning about both the privileges and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship through interactive workshops and plenary sessions, engaging in a dynamic mock election process, and visiting institutions such as the House of Commons, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health.
Adventure in High Technology, which started in 1983, is an annual program of the Rotary Club of Nepean - Kanata offered to senior High School students who have an interest in exploring the potential of a career in the exciting world of high technology. As a result, the program assists participants in making more informed career decisions. The program involves many local, prominent businesses and industries which have agreed to guide the students with ‘hands on’ learning opportunities, not only in the world of computers, but also in other disciplines using Hi-Tech applications to push the envelope in their respective fields.
Participating organizations include educational institutions, economic development organizations, life sciences organizations and small to medium sized ‘start-ups’. The program is five days in duration and will take place on October 19-23, 2014. Participating Rotary clubs sponsor senior high school students from their local high schools who have an interest in pursuing careers in high technology. In addition, sponsoring clubs arrange for their transportation to Ottawa. The Rotary Club of Nepean-Kanata organizes and manages the daily program and arranges for accommodation through billeting with Rotary club members and friends of Rotary. The event culminates with a high profile banquet for participants and business sponsors. Application forms and flyers are available online at www.nepeankanatarotary.org/adventure
Is your Rotary club making an impact in your community? Whether your answer is yes or no, the impact your club is, or is not making, is probably having the same impact on membership.
When it comes to making an impact, is it really beneficial to all concerned to try to be beneficial to all concerned? A huge mistake many clubs make is that they spread their resources over wide areas. This is partly because club leaders want to be fair to as many local causes as possible and to all members as possible by supporting their pet causes. This conundrum weakens clubs’ abilities to make greater impacts and often causes problems within the club.
Yet another Rotary adventure is Adventures in History, the newest of the group. Adventures in History was begun in 2012 as a pilot project in Kingston, Ontario, sponsored originally by a couple of keen members of the Cataraqui-Kingston Rotary club. The idea behind it was to promote to youth, in an experiential way, the interesting and well established history of Kingston and the surrounding area in a unique format. In its second year, the Rotary Club of Kingston and the Kingston Frontenac club became partners. Students were recruited from local high schools to visit and listen to organizations promoting history. The goal was to see which of the organizations made the best case; at that point, the students would determine which organization or organizations would receive funding (from $100,000 imaginary “Rotary bucks”). After the awarding of the grant(s), students and organization delegates held a round table discussion which served to advance the cause of the organizations involved and further engage the students in real and practical applications of history.
President Gary Huang's inspiring theme "Light Up Rotary" will motivate all Rotarians to seek new goals and greater achievements in this new Rotary year. Rotarian Action Groups have been endorsed as a significant resource for humanitarian projects and programs. WASRAG, founded in 2007, has focused on WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) as the core element of all the Areas of Focus – providing clean water is the key to fighting disease, alleviating hunger and malnutrition, improving maternal and child health, enhancing literacy, reducing conflict and growing local economies.
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.
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.
A long time ago Gregory Bateson told the story: "There was once a man who had a computer, and he asked it, "Do you compute that you will ever be able to think like a human being?" And after assorted grindings and beepings, a slip of paper came out of the computer that said, "That reminds me of a story . . . " Computers no longer answer with slips of paper. But, the point that human beings are story tellers and story participants is universally true. Most decisions are informed by emotional response; and stories, not facts, generate emotional response.
District 7040 has had a Global Grant Scholar for the past 7 years and each time the interview team is amazed at the talents, skills, experiences and academic achievements of each of the candidates. Our scholars are not only smart and capable, they are eager, interested and involved in what the world has to offer.
A message from Barry Rasin, President 2018-2019
Wishing you a happy Winter Solstice, blessed Hanukkah, merry Christmas, peaceful Shabe-Yalda, compassionate Bohdi Day, Festivus grievances or whatever holiday you celebrate as we near the time of year when days grow longer.
A message from Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko
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.
Name of award: Rotarian of the Year
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
Dear Rotary family:
Common Hope, an organization that makes education possible for impoverished children and families in Guatemala. A group of 15 - 11 students and 4 adults, left Montreal, Canada early in the morning of March 12, with 30 suitcases of donations and travelled all day to land in Guatemala in the evening. 
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.
.jpg)
These are very exciting times for students, both outbounds as well as inbounds and, of course, our returning rebound students.
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 Fellowships Month - June is designated as “Rotary Fellowships Month” by the RI Board to recognize the importance of international fellowship and good will among Rotarians with similar recreational interests, vocations, and health and medical issue-oriented interests, to promote increased participation in fellowships and increase understanding of this program.
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).
Editor's note: The following story was copied from website of District 5370 which includes Fort McMurray.
It is with great pleasure that Dârini Vedarattiname, District Rotaract Representative 2015-2016, and Jean-Philippe Argant, District Rotaract Chair, introduce District 7040 Rotaract Co-Representatives for 2016-17!
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.
August 1, 2015 – Ottawa, Ontario – Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
.jpg)
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.
You might be interested to know that their 
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.
The work of Rotary begins in the community, and every community has its own unique needs and concerns. While we serve in countless ways, we’ve focused our efforts in six key areas to maximize our impact. Our areas of focus not only encompass some of the world’s most critical and widespread humanitarian needs; they also reflect service opportunities in which we have demonstrated a proven track record of success:
We were honored to have Rotary International President Gary Huang and his wife Corinna attend for the first three days! RI President Gary lit up the audience during our first plenary session with an engaging speech that got everyone excited. We were also honoured to have RI Zone Director Julia Phelps attend part of the conference as well as District Governors from Districts 7040 and 7070.
It was hard. It was very hard. And the 10 minutes of crying on the plane happened a couple more times again throughout the year. Today I realize all my tears meant that I was growing up, facing the world in a way I had not done before. Today I realize I had two options to mature. Do it through the years as everybody does or do it while having one of the biggest experiences of my life. I am glad I chose the second option.
The Adventure in Citizenship (AiC) Program, spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Ottawa, is the oldest running Adventure program in the District and will be celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2015. For four days each May, the AiC program offers a unique opportunity for 200 youth between 16-18 years of age to come to our nation’s capital, engage with others from across the country, and deepen their knowledge of Canada and its institutions. Students are billeted in Rotarians’ and friends of Rotarians’ homes and spend their time learning about both the privileges and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship through interactive workshops and plenary sessions, engaging in a dynamic mock election process, and visiting institutions such as the House of Commons, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health.
Yet another Rotary adventure is Adventures in History, the newest of the group. Adventures in History was begun in 2012 as a pilot project in Kingston, Ontario, sponsored originally by a couple of keen members of the Cataraqui-Kingston Rotary club. The idea behind it was to promote to youth, in an experiential way, the interesting and well established history of Kingston and the surrounding area in a unique format. In its second year, the Rotary Club of Kingston and the Kingston Frontenac club became partners. Students were recruited from local high schools to visit and listen to organizations promoting history. The goal was to see which of the organizations made the best case; at that point, the students would determine which organization or organizations would receive funding (from $100,000 imaginary “Rotary bucks”). After the awarding of the grant(s), students and organization delegates held a round table discussion which served to advance the cause of the organizations involved and further engage the students in real and practical applications of history.
A long time ago Gregory Bateson told the story: "There was once a man who had a computer, and he asked it, "Do you compute that you will ever be able to think like a human being?" And after assorted grindings and beepings, a slip of paper came out of the computer that said, "That reminds me of a story . . . " Computers no longer answer with slips of paper. But, the point that human beings are story tellers and story participants is universally true. Most decisions are informed by emotional response; and stories, not facts, generate emotional response.