Every dollar given to The Rotary Foundation makes a difference in someone’s life! November is Rotary Foundation month and this is an excellent time to emphasize the impact of giving to The Rotary Foundation.
Very simply why is giving to the Rotary Foundation Important?
Report on the next 33 days of District Governor visits – August 18 through September 18.
August 17 – Less than an hour from our home we arrived in Grand Haven at the truly beautiful Community Center for the Grand Haven Rotary Club leadership meeting. President Brook Bisonet led the leadership meeting and club meeting with expertise and enthusiasm. Get ready District 6290 as next year’s DG, Gernot Runschke, is preparing for his year to serve at the helm.
August 18, morning – Denise and I had to leave early to be at Reed City on this quiet summer Tuesday morning. The morning Rotary Club meets at a quaint little downtown restaurant called the Pere Marquette Restaurant. It is a historic place that is owned and managed by a truly Rotary friendly woman who only opens on Tuesday mornings for the Reed City Rotary Club. Club President Tyler Thomson has some new members working in the leadership and the future of Rotary in Reed City is very promising.
The IRS requires that all clubs/districts in the U.S. and territories file an annual information return. If your club/district’s tax year follows the Rotary year, the deadline to file is 15 November. More information available on irs.gov and in our FAQ.
Here are some nuggets of truth that apply to life. Leadership is really a focus on the important things of life and remembering them along the way. There wasn’t an author with this collection of statements of “I’ve learned”. Read it through to the end, it gets better as you go!
Age 5
I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing "Silent Night".
Age 7
I've learned that our dog doesn't want to eat my broccoli either.
Age 9
I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back.
Age 12
I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up again.
Age 14
I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up.
Why do we donate to the Annual Fund of rhe Rotary Foundation? Because it's the engine that funds matching grants which enable clubs to tackle projects they are passionate about.
For the 2014/2015 Rotary year, our Foundation awarded 1,078 global grants, up 24 percent from the previous year’s total. The dollar value of global grants totaled $64.9 million. The most popular area of focus was disease prevention and treatment, followed closely by water and sanitation. The Foundation also awarded 487 district grants, totaling $23.8 million.
That's $88.7 million good reasons!
Rotary helps so many people around the world. In November, use these videos at your club meetings to show the difference that Rotary has made in the lives of others:
Have you seen info about the Ride to End Polio . . . an annual bicycling event in Arizona to raise awareness of and funding for PolioPlus?
Did you know you don't need to be an elite athlete to participate?
Check out the "Indoor Ride for Polio."
Get some of your fellow Rotarians, family and friends together at a local gym and ride stationary bikes for pledges. Talk about a simple event to organize!
The Rotary Club of Traverse City decided to jump on the bandwagon and they will have some individual and group rides during the week of November 11. You can do this any time!
Many thanks to Nick Veldt of Wawa Rotary Club for sharing this terrific idea -- customize your own "What's Rotary" card! Here's what Wawa Rotary has developed:
Outside of card - customize with club-specific info
The Rotary Club of Holland and Rotary District 6290 are sponsoring Sarah Sanderson, a Holland High School and Hope College graduate, to one of the world's most prestigious educational fellowships, one to which only fifty scholars are selected worldwide annually and one that is worth, as Sarah pointed out, far more than the Fulbright she got.
Sarah is coming off a year as a Fulbright Scholar and another as a Fulbright Mentor in Brazil and moving up to bigger and brighter things! She will go on to earn her second Masters Degree, this one at the Rotary Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the International Christian University in Japan, all expenses paid by The Rotary Foundation. Upon completion of this two-year program she will join one of the most select groups of scholars and Peacemakers in the world.
Did you see that Rotary International featured Sarah in a recent interview?
Nearly 100 Rotary Peace Fellows representing 35 countries started their fellowship in recent months at one of six Rotary Peace Centers. We asked Sarah Sanderson, who comes from Michigan, USA, and is attending the Peace Center at International Christian University in Tokyo, to tell us how she’s adjusting to life in Japan:
Rotary Peace Centers: What insights have you gained since you arrived in late July?
Sanderson: During these first months, I've been constantly reminded how important and valuable it is to have support in a new place because it not only conserves time and resources but it becomes a special part of the international exchange experience as well. The transition process was made much easier and more personal because of my local Rotary host counselor, who acts as a natural link between my questions and uncertainty and my daily life in Tokyo. He helped me get set up in my living situation, showed me around the city, took me to Rotary events, introduced me to countless networks, and helped with my Japanese. Read more.
For the 2015/2016 Rotary year Clubs may apply for matching grant funds from the District to fund Public Image campaigns--Club allocates $500 and the District will match with $750. Partner with neighboring clubs and get greater reach! At present we have applications from 13 clubs.
Key deadlines:
Club applications are due November 15th
Clubs will be notified of award by November 30th
Grant reports are due to District April 29th, 2016
For the Highest Growth Rate (percent improvement): Blind River
For bringing in the most new members: Muskegon
For achieving the highest growth rate (percent growth) of female members: Chippewa County Sunrise, Sault Ste. Marie, MI
For achieving the highest growth rate (percent growth) of members under 40: Mancelona
For achieving the highest retention rate (percent) over the past 3 years: Boyne City
Congratulations to all who worked hard in these clubs to achieve these improvements. DG tom will be making these awards to the winning clubs as he makes his way around the district.
Rotary International’s involvement with polio began in 1979 with a five-year commitment to provide, and help deliver, polio vaccine to six million children in the Philippines. Over the next four years, similar five-year commitments were provided to Haiti, Bolivia, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia with great success. In 1988, because of the success of this effort, 166 nations of the world committed themselves to the goal of eradication by the year 2000.
My first experience with Polio was in 1953 when two young Wawa men died of polio within a week of each other. These men were healthy and athletic, and everyone was horrified because no one knew how they became ill. The suspicion was that the town water was involved. My sister and I were confined to our home and yard until precautions were announced to protect us. We were not allowed near Wawa Lake beach. We were prevented from playing with our friends and it was a very boring summer for both of us, not to mention the rest of the kids in town. Eventually we were vaccinated against Polio and North America was safe (or so we thought)!
This year’s Presidential Citation is somewhat different from previous years. President Ravi has selected goals that are measurable and, if achieved, make Rotary stronger.
This month, encourage club members to register online with My Rotary. President Ravi is challenging each club to sign up at least 50% of their members. Registration is easy!
Signing in to My Rotary gives you a customized experience and easier access to tools and information that are relevant to you.
Anyone can create an account and sign in. Existing Member Access users can re-register with their current user ID. For tips on registering and using the site, see our website resources. For assistance, contact us.
Above, most of the 33 attendees gather for a photo to celebrate the very successful District Rotaract Conference.
Thirty-three Rotaractors from Michigan Tech, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Cadillac, Traverse City, Muskegon Community College, and host club, Baker College of Muskegon, shared ideas and action plans at the Second Annual Multi-District Rotaract Conference held October 17 in Muskegon. Sessions focused on best club practices, networking, Rotaract member recruitment and promotion, and possible projects for future service.
Also participating were four Rotary District level officers, including Tom Schmidt, District Governor, PDG Al Bonney, and District Rotaract Chair, Steve Osborn. Three Montague-Whitehall Rotarians, ten from Muskegon Rotary, and four Rotarians from Royal Oak and Rochester added much to the discussions with Rotaractors. All participating Rotaract clubs agreed to a common goal of completing at least one fundraiser this year for End Polio Now.
Special thanks to Muskegon Rotary President Susan and husband, Orville Crain, for hosting students at their home over the weekend to save on students' travel and food expenses while attending the conference. And hearty Congratulations to Rotaract Club Advisor, Linda Meyers, and the entire Baker College Rotaract Club for a very well planned and successful conference program!
During the first weekend in November our prospective outbound students (and their parents) will be interviewed for acceptance as part of the 2016/2017 class of District 6290 Rotary Youth Exchange program.
In September, our inbound students met for the first time at Camp Daggett.
Andrea Lefevre, inbound from Denmark, commented on the first evening: "It was a beautiful night in the best company and new multi-colored friendships were born right there under the stars. I am so lucky to be one them and let me tell you how it all went....
Rotary is developing new resources to help support clubs’ efforts to strengthen their membership.
Visit shop.rotary.org to order welcome kits to share with new members. Customize your kits with a club brochure, personalized member certificates, and ID cards available in the Brand Center.
On October the Rotary Clubs of Sault Ste. Marie, held a polio fundraiser "Cocktails And A Movie" to create awareness in our community about the impacts of the polio disease and also to highlight Rotary's leading role in helping to eradicate this debilitating and deadly disease. On hand was Dr. Zufelt a pediatric physician, Frank Calvano a polio survivor and Ken Demary who shared about the iron lung. Also present were the Rotaracters collecting purple pinkie donations.
It was a wonderful evening which included viewing the film The Shot Felt Around the World followed by conversation with a discussion panel. Almost $1,000 was collected from the generosity of the general public from the iron lung display alone.
Interested in having a viewing in your local community? Download the Organizer's Guide from the PolioPlus page at our website.
During the upcoming year, our goal is to release the District newsletter at the start of each month. The deadline to submit materials is the 20th the month to issue. If you have an example of a 'best practice' or have other great news to share, please complete our 'Club News' submission form (found at www.ridistrict6290.org under Public Image, or in the FAQ section in our monthly newsletter). Electronic photos are encouraged. Please try to limit your submission to 300 words or less.
Every dollar given to The Rotary Foundation makes a difference in someone’s life! November is Rotary Foundation month and this is an excellent time to emphasize the impact of giving to The Rotary Foundation. 
Here are some nuggets of truth that apply to life. Leadership is really a focus on the important things of life and remembering them along the way. 
Have you seen info about the Ride to End Polio . . . an annual bicycling event in Arizona to raise awareness of and funding for PolioPlus?
For the 2015/2016 Rotary year Clubs may apply for matching grant funds from the District to fund Public Image campaigns--Club allocates $500 and the District will match with $750. 
For the Highest Growth Rate (percent improvement): Blind River
Support the Rotary Foundation via our District 6290 Foundation Raffle and you too might win a fabulous cash prize!
Rotary is developing new resources to help support clubs’ efforts to strengthen their membership.
On October the Rotary Clubs of Sault Ste. Marie, held a polio fundraiser "Cocktails And A Movie" to create awareness in our community about the impacts of the polio disease and also to highlight Rotary's leading role in helping to eradicate this debilitating and deadly disease. On hand was Dr. Zufelt a pediatric physician, Frank Calvano a polio survivor and Ken Demary who shared about the iron lung. Also present were the Rotaracters collecting purple pinkie donations. 
