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You won't want to miss these amazing events: Grant Management Seminars (last chance!) . . . Life Leadership . . . Rotary Leadership Institute . . . something for everyone. Mark your calendar now!

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WOW! What whirlwind month!! April blossomed and grew in my life almost daily into one of the most exciting Rotary moments of my DG year – and I have so many people to thank for making the District Conference successful.

Let me start thanking those who came by sharing a link to the 150 pictures that our crack photographer, John Noonan from the Traverse City club took. Some great shots all are downloadable. Enjoy!! Here is the link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/132093510@N05/sets/

District Conferences are all about celebrating successes. Club successes create the district’s success. In this light, when we can celebrate many clubs and individuals for great work, the conference is successful. Let’s review some of these celebrations.

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At our 2015 District Conference we were thrilled to recognize many special individuals and clubs. Two important awards included naming new Paul Harris Fellows . . . Kris Thomas of Benzie Sunrise, who has worked tirelessly in support of the District Food Security project "THREE SQUARES" . . . and Marcia Koppa, for her dedicated support Coast to Coast - The Hard Way Fund Ride for Polio Plus.

Thirty-seven additional awards were given in honor of outstanding achievement and/or service to Rotary and our District.

 

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Our 2015 District Conference featured some outstanding presentations on a broad range of topics. Interested in seeing more? 

Our speakers provided electronic copies of their presentations. These have been uploaded to the District Conference site on the Agenda page. All are MS PowerPoint files.

 
The District Grants Committee anticipates having approximately $5,000 of untapped funds following the May 24 deadline for grant applications. The Committee has agreed that this money would be used at the discretion of District Governor Al Bonney. With the recent tragedy in Nepal, DG Al will be allocating those funds to go to Shelter Box USA.

DG Al and the Grants Committee strongly encourages our Rotary clubs and our Rotarians to reach out to the people of Nepal. No amount is too small. Every single dollar that is given will make a difference. Continue reading for specific details of how you and your club can assist.

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Thanks to the Rotary Club of Lowell, we learned an easy, effective way we can triple our donation to our local food pantry to support hunger relief efforts in our own community. They turned a $10,000 donation into $30,000. The program? 

SIMPLY GIVE

If you have a local Meijer's Store your club can take advantage of this too! Our District is continuing the THREE SQUARES food security project in 2015/2016 so this could be a great option for your club too! Interested in learning more?

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As you know, our gifts to The Rotary Foundation provide us the opportunity as Rotarians to fulfill our mission of “Doing Good in the World” and make a difference in the lives of others, it is truly Service Above Self! 

Our District 6290 Rotary Foundation Committee has approved a special match program for a limited time only, April 25, 2015 through May 25, 2015.  On a first come, first serve basis, Rotarians in our District who make a new gift to Annual Fund of The Rotary Foundation in the amount of $500 will receive a $500 match in recognition points from District 6290 to name a Paul Harris Fellow.  Please download PDF for details.

 

If you are a registered user at MyRotary you gain access to amazing resources.

  • More than 180 projects have been posted on Rotary Ideas and it has more than 10,500 users.
  • Almost 10,000 projects have been shared on Rotary Showcase and it gets more than 19,000 unique visitors every month.
  • In the last three months there has been a 33% increase in discussion group membership on My Rotary.  With more than 400 groups to choose from you are sure to find more than one topic that interests you; what you find might surprise you!
​Not familiar with these resources? Watch our brief tutorial that covers Rotary Ideas and Rotary Showcase!
 

It's one of Rotary's most highly regarded programs--so much so, that some employers credit hours invested by Rotarians as formal leadership training! In District 6290 we feel so strongly about the quality and impact of this program that we have budgeted funds that are available as matching scholarship funds -- Clubs send one member and the District will fund a second. All you need to do is notify Kathy Hegedus at the District Office and she'll make it happen for you!

If you have attended Rotary Leadership Institute, PDG Tim Knaggs encourages you to share your experiences with your fellow club members. Encourage new members and emerging leaders to attend. To help us help you tell that story, please send your personal testimonials to tknaggs@charter.net.

See what your fellow Rotarians have to say

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Have you ever seen a website where the content on the home page was noticeably dated? The President's Letter is dated 2012? Every story that has ever been published is a constant stream on an endless home page? 

If you think it's an impossible chore, think again. If you have a Facebook page there is a very simple technique that will allow you to blend the best of both worlds. Your home page can serve as a reliable reference center to access club contacts, membership applications, signature service project information . . . and your Facebook page can provide the steady stream of current stories. Use a social media plugin to pull that content into your home page. This 4 minute video tutorial will walk you through the steps.

 

It is not too late for any club to apply for a District Grant. The 2014/2015 grant cycle has been reopened specifically in support of food insecurity projects. In order to apply, your club still must have met the criteria for applying for grants for the 2014-2015 Rotary year. For a local grant, the maximum match is $1,500. For an international grant, the maximum match is $4,000 unless there is more than one club involved, in which case the maximum match is $5,000 per club. All a club has to do is to complete the application form and send it in no later than May 24. Grants committee will meet Thursday May 28th to evaluate. Details about this opportunity have been sent to all club presidents, or you can contact Jane Millar at 231.838.2347 or jane@northernmediaton.org

Learn more about District Grants

District Local Grant Info & Application

District International Grant Info & Application

 

 

Inevitably, at some point, your club will need to hold a fundraiser to support its service projects in the community or abroad. There are great crowdsourcing sites that can help you, such as Rotary’s own Rotary Ideas and others like GoFundMe and Kickstarter. Learn about these sites and get other tips for your next fundraising campaign.

Learn about other ways you can fund your projects

Check out what other 6290 clubs are doing

 

If you have an interest in, or experience with, water and sanitation projects, plan to attend the 11th annual Thirsting to Serve Conference. Held at the Prince Conference Center at Calvin College, this one-day event provides invaluable information for those that are interested in supporting an existing project and/or launching their own. Online registration is available now.

 

Huge savings can come from any new appliances you might need to purchase. But, only if you buy Energy Star rated ones. Example – A new refrigerator is 75% more efficient than one that is more than 5 years old! Refrigerators typically run about 9 hours per day. It is your largest energy user in the house. Big savings depending on the size you have and the replacement. Other appliances are similar in savings, but not as impactful as your refrigerator! How about sending $10 to the Foundation this month – even if you don’t buy a new refrigerator! rotary.org/give 

 

* All numbers reported through April 30, 2015

 

During the upcoming  year, the District newsletter will be released on the 1st of each month. The deadline to submit materials is the 20th of each month. 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.

District Office
Kathy Hegedus Administrative Assistant PO Box 381
Grand Haven, MI. 49417

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