Things are heating up on the District Calendar. Youth Exchange . . . Rotaract . . . Rotary Leadership Institute . . . Water Conference . . . Club Membership/Foundation/Public Image strategy/work sessions . . .
The continuing adventures of DG Tom's report on his first days as District Governor:
July 22 – Arrived on a beautiful morning in Kalkaska and was greeted by Kalkaska Club President Tom Tanner and Assistant Governor Steve Packer (home club). Sometime when you are in Kalkaska, maybe at the Trout Festival, stop in and see the community ball fields which proudly wear the logo of Rotary.
July 23 – Do you want to experience a club with a lot of energy? Stop in Muskegon at the Noon Rotary Club and allow President Susan Cloutier-Meyer to share with you about the membership push or maybe the new downtown children’s playground park that will soon be built. Muskegon Rotary will be celebrating 100 years of community and international involvement in the spring of 2016. Celebrate Rotary on the Shoreline, the District 6290 Annual Conference will take place on April 22-24, 2016 in Muskegon. Ginny Ryan, Assistant Governor attended the club leadership meeting and noon club meeting.
Ever wanted to compare how different household water treatment technologies work? How a teacher might bring the topic of the world water crisis into the classroom? Can the biosand filter operate effectively without sand? Can Art be used to tell the message of the need for safe water?
WANT TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION?....be at The Art of Safe Water Thirsting to Serve Water Conference Saturday Sept 26 8:30am-3:30pm at the Calvin College Prince Center in Grand Rapids...not far from the world famous ArtPrize displays.
In business we create annual plans defining how we're going to increase revenue/funding, and how we're going to attract/retain the best possible human resources to help meet those goals. Chances are we don't develop those plans in a vacuum. We involve leadership, sales, marketing, finance . . .
Why shouldn't we approach our clubs exactly the same way?
Join us on October 31st in Roscommon for "One Rotary Summit" - a program that brings together our club leaders, including membership (human resources), foundation (revenue/funding) and public image (marketing). We'll have a combination of best practice/resource sharing, with small group discussions that challenge us to think out of the box.
What's the take-away?
A club-specific integrated plan of attack for growing membership, increasing engagement and inspiring new levels of Foundation support.
At my installation as District Governor of D6290 Chris Etienne gave me a book titled “DARE to SERVE” by Cheryl Bachelor. When Bachelor became CEO of Popeye's Louisiana Kitchens, Inc., she discovered a company that was in a deep downward spiral that was losing market share and becoming financially desperate. At a company leadership team meeting the focus on how to turn around the company was directed toward “serving others over self”. This was not a new method or process to adapt to, it was a life journey that involved serving not only the customer but also co-workers, venders and suppliers. The action of every employee of Popeye's was to be directed toward six behaviors that were “essential to serving people well and delivering superior performance.” (page 19) These six behaviors are “passion, listening, planning, coaching, accountability, and humility”.
The message of Rotarians exists in this same philosophy of life, dare to serve others. It is an attitude and life approach to leadership that is an act of intentionality.
In the category of Humanitarian Service . . . one of the eligible activities is: Sponsor at least one Rotary Community Corps to enhance community engagement and ensure project sustainability
It's your 'go-to' team of volunteers that support club projects/programs. The difference is they are more formally organized and, because of that, are a tremendous resource for outreach and member attraction. Chances are you already know who these people are . . . maybe there's a natural born leader within the group?
Rotary Youth Exchange changes lives -- and it doesn't just impact the student!
Working with youth of the world is one of the best ways to ensure a better future. And for our club to be able to take part in this cultural exchange is a huge opportunity that will not only benefit [our inbound] but our members as well. -- Rotarian
I never would have thought I could grow so close to someone in three months. We still Skype and connect through social media constantly and are always in touch. -- Host Family
Before, I would never be able to make a conversation with a person I didn’t know . . . Now, I can proudly say it isn’t like that anymore. I can go up to people. I have become more open, more mature. -- Student
Pictured is a welcoming at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids as incoming Chilean student Paula Vilches arrived.
This scene has occurred 28 times in District 6290 in the last few weeks. We have welcomed students from Thailand, France, Indonesia, Brazil, Belgium, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Japan, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Mexico, Slovak Republic, Denmark, Argentina, Spain and Croatia.
Jake, representing Traverse City Rotary, is welcomed in Colombia with his first host family in Pasto, Narino.
Students from District 6290 are being welcomed around the world in countries including Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Greenland, Italy, Poland, Brazil, Sweden, Japan, Thailand, Argentina, Chile, Turkey, Chile and Mexico.
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!
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
Payment will be released to clubs by June 17th
What have clubs said about participating in the past?
"Our membership mixer was a great event and gave us an opportunity to work with two neighboring clubs. Without the offer of the District match, we wouldn't have thought of undertaking a project like this!" -- Jackie Bertsch - Roscommon Rotary Immediate Past President
Recently the importance of literacy and education became evident in my kitchen. My granddaughters and I were going to make some cupcakes when I returned home from a meeting. Before getting home they had decided to begin the process. The cake mix was evident in the mixing bowl along with extra amount of liquids. Two egg shells on the counter along with a now half empty bottle of vegetable oil accounted for the watered down mixture. The pictures were clear on the package as to what was needed to make the cupcakes. What was not clear to them were the amounts of ingredients to be added.
Leah and Lucy were successful in getting all the right ingredients but not the right quantities. This first mixture was washed down the drain. Reading and measuring out the right amounts is an application of literacy and education.
138 youth leaders from 40 District clubs experienced a vibrant and impactful program thanks to the leadership of Dave Rozman, our new Conference Director, and his terrific staff.
Our goal for 2016 is 150 conferees from at least 55 clubs.
If you are interested in working with the best and brightest student leaders as part of a 68-year program with an amazing track record, dive in!
Been a Rotary member for at least seven years . . .
Served as Club President . . .
Is a member in good standing . . .
Has a passion for Rotary, and a willingness to lead.
If you know such a person, encourage them to consider serving as our future District Governor. Nominations come in the form of a club resolution, and they are due November 14th. For additional details download these resources:
District Local and International Matching Grants are excellent vehicles to generate funding for your club projects. Deadline to submit applications for the 2015 2016 year is October 31, 2015. All details are available at District website under Our Foundation > Foundation Grants > District Grants.
For the eighth straight year, The Rotary Foundation has earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the largest and most prestigious independent evaluator of nonprofits in the United States. The rating, which is the highest that Charity Navigator assigns, reflects The Rotary Foundation’s sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. This rating places the Foundation in the top 2 percent of U.S.-based charities!
This is a great month to check your hot water heater's temperature. There can be significant savings here if your water heater is above 120 degrees right now - as much as $25-50 per year if it is 140 degrees (F) or even higher. Our Foundation needs this money more than our energy companies do.
Why heat water needlessly - send that same money to OUR Foundation instead as part of your EREY Sustaining member goal.
Not sure how to check your hot water heater's temperature?
Last year our Foundation Committee held our first annual raffle to benefit the Rotary Foundation. Clubs were challenged to sell tickets ($20 each) during a period from May 1 to June 23, 2015. Individuals that purchased tickets were eligible for one of six cash prizes ($5000 first prize). Clubs that sold at least as many tickets as they had members January 1st, 2015 were also eligible for a cash award to be used for grant-eligible Rotary Foundation projects.
A total of 448 tickets were sold. The winners were announced at Tom Schmidt's installation as our 2015-2016 District Governor.
We were thrilled with the results (Chris Etienne and Jane Millar, in particular).
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.
At my installation as District Governor of D6290 Chris Etienne gave me a book titled “DARE to SERVE” by Cheryl Bachelor. When Bachelor became CEO of Popeye's Louisiana Kitchens, Inc., she discovered a company that was in a deep downward spiral that was losing market share and becoming financially desperate. At a company leadership team meeting the focus on how to turn around the company was directed toward “serving others over self”. This was not a new method or process to adapt to, it was a life journey that involved serving not only the customer but also co-workers, venders and suppliers. The action of every employee of Popeye's was to be directed toward six behaviors that were “essential to serving people well and delivering superior performance.” (page 19) These six behaviors are “passion, listening, planning, coaching, accountability, and humility”.
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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.
Recently the importance of literacy and education became evident in my kitchen. My granddaughters and I were going to make some cupcakes when I returned home from a meeting. Before getting home they had decided to begin the process. The cake mix was evident in the mixing bowl along with extra amount of liquids. Two egg shells on the counter along with a now half empty bottle of vegetable oil accounted for the watered down mixture. The pictures were clear on the package as to what was needed to make the cupcakes. What was not clear to them were the amounts of ingredients to be added.
138 youth leaders from 40 District clubs experienced a vibrant and impactful program thanks to the leadership of Dave Rozman, our new Conference Director, and his terrific staff.
Do you know anyone who has:
Last year our Foundation Committee held our first annual raffle to benefit the Rotary Foundation. Clubs were challenged to sell tickets ($20 each) during a period from May 1 to June 23, 2015. Individuals that purchased tickets were eligible for one of six cash prizes ($5000 first prize). Clubs that sold at least as many tickets as they had members January 1st, 2015 were also eligible for a cash award to be used for grant-eligible Rotary Foundation projects.
