Archive for the 'DG Newsletter' Category

Published by arnold on 02 Sep 2009

District 7040 September Newsletter - New Generations Month

Governor’s message                                                                                

Two months of the Rotary year are already history! The more clubs I visit, the more impressed I become with the work of the clubs in our District. As I say at meetings: The future of Rotary is in good hands in District 7040!

Now that the summer holidays are behind us, I encourage club leaders to focus on membership during the coming months. I am impressed with the number of clubs that are looking at retention as a key element of their membership goal setting. Ontario clubs are reminded to register for the joint Membership/Foundation Seminar to be held in Kemptville, October 3rd.

Thanks to the Efforts of David McKellar, Sue Fisher and the members of the GSE Committee, plans are well underway for the visit of the visiting GSE team from District 3131 in India. We need your support to identify candidates for the return trip to India in February.

When action needs to be taken, Rotarians are quick to spring into action. In early July Rotary Clubs in Eastern Ontario were asked to commit a million dollars over 10 years. The funds are needed to assist in the creation of a new drug rehab and treatment facility (S.T.E.P.) in Ottawa for teenagers. In less then 2 months, meetings were held, clubs visited and the dream became a reality. Congratulations to all the clubs and Rotarians who are part of this success story.

A special thanks to the clubs and Rotarians who are working with PDG Edmond Lanthier. The goal is to increase Rotary membership in Montreal. On the eve of the Montreal Convention it would be wonderful to welcome many more residents of Montreal and Quebec into the Rotary family. I look forward to the efforts of the group during the coming months.

September is New Generations Month.

Why not invite young people to your club to share in a Rotary program? Clubs can invite Interact Club students  to come and share their goals for the year or invite a Youth Exchange student in your area. Clubs not participating in the above programs can approve funding to send a local student to the Adventures in Technology program to be held in October. The youth are our future so lets get them involved!

District 7040 Conference
 
The District Conference is fast approaching. I want to see all of you in Kingston on October 17th and 18th . Come to participate in our celebration of Rotary Leadership in  District 7040.  Go to www.rotary7040.com and click on to  2009 District Conference on the top right side to learn more about the event and to register.

We are encouraging clubs to sign up for the Project Fair. This is an opportunity to showcase what your club is doing. Clubs can also display projects and seek other clubs to come on board and support their efforts. Perhaps you have an innovative club program that you would like to share! Club presidents have received the Project fair sign up sheet. To answer questions, email: john@kingstondodge.com.

Again this year we are having a Silent Auction at the conference to raise funds in support of the Rotary Foundation. For assistance or information, email: Dorma_Grant@hotmail.com.

Montreal 2010

Katie Burke is continuing to visit clubs to recruit volunteers for the June 2010 International Convention in Montreal. To register online visit: www.hocvolunteers.com and register today. We need registered volunteers to assure our success.

Recently Immediate Past President of RI, Wilf Wilkinson, a Canadian from D7010 was a guest speaker in Brockville.  To view a video clip of his speech, go to
http://www.youtube.com/bordenbaby#play/uploads/0/WAu-QPSh5cI  About halfway through the speech, Wilf mentions the 2010 Montreal International Convention.  It is well worth listening to.

District Administrator

For the past two months, Ariane Carriere, has been working with clubs to assist them to register on the  District website; to update memberships; and to ensure District dues and semi-annual reports are forwarded.

I encourage the 18% of clubs who have not paid their District dues to forward the fees to the District Treasurer immediately. Also, I am asking club Presidents to confirm with the Club Secretary and Treasurer that the Semi-annual reports have been completed and forwarded to Rotary International with the first term dues. Avoid future problems by acting now!

We now have 51 clubs registered on the website and Ariane needs the help of the other 15 to complete the process. You will find Ariane most helpful so lets complete the last group this month!

DG Newsletter

Published by ariane on 19 Jul 2009

NEWSLETTER - JULY 1, 2009

INTRODUCTION
A new and exciting Rotary year begins! I look forward to visiting your club to share my thoughts on the coming year. It will be an opportunity for me to learn about the Rotary activities happening in your area.  Rotary International President Elect John Kenny selected as this theme for the year: THE FUTURE OF ROTARY IS IN YOUR HANDS. His focus is on the clubs and the work they do to promote the Rotary values we all share. Rotary clubs are the key to Rotary’s success. It is the Rotary clubs that will determine the future of Rotary.
 
I wish to extend a special thanks to Past District Governor Peter Bashaw for his support, guidance and leadership during the 2008-2009 Rotary year. Peter has made a special effort to ensure there is continuity in District 7040. He has done that by including the DGE and the DGN in all aspects of the operation of the District. Decision-making was often shared and Peter sought input before major decisions were made.
 
I encourage all Presidents to closely involve Presidents-elect and Presidents-nominee as part of the clubs’ leadership teams. When the leadership team works together, the future of the club is strengthened.
 
When we meet I will share the key objectives for the coming year. However, a few deserve highlighting at this time because of their importance to our District:
 
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION MONTREAL 2010

In June of 2010 we will be inviting approximately 20 000 Rotarians from around the world to visit our district for the convention in Montreal. Our role as hosts is to provide volunteers to assist the guests while they are at the convention. Volunteers will help visiting Rotarians find their destinations during the event and serve in greeting capacities at various functions. Your assistance is required. Take part in this once in a lifetime Rotary event.
 
Visit the District volunteer website: www.hocvolunteers.com or contact District Governor-Elect Katie Burke, katie.burke@rotary7040.com  and she will visit your club to outline the volunteer program.
 
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

For the first time our district has hired the services of an Administrative Assistant to work part-time to strengthen our service to clubs and members. Ariane Carriere, our District Treasurer, will assume the position July 1st. She will also continue in her current volunteer role as Treasurer. Ariane was selected because of her intimate knowledge of how the District operates and because she has worked closely with club members over the last few years.

I look forward to working closely with Ariane as we address the many challenges ahead.
 
WEB SITE AND DATA BASE
 
A major reason for filling the position of administrative Assistant is the need for help to update the website to ensure it contains the information clubs need to achieve their goals. The web page is a work in progress and there is much we still wish to do.  It is not reasonable to expect our Webmaster Rob Scaife to maintain a full time career and the web page at the same time.
We also need to work to have all clubs registered in the database and to encourage member to register and enter their profiles. Clubs often need assistance to ensure club officers are registered at Rotary International. At the same time we need encourage clubs to register their key program chairs on the District database.
 
DISTRICT CONFERENCE
 
Mark Oct 17-18 on your calendar. Our District Conference will be held at the Ambassador Hotel in Kingston Ontario. This year the event will start Saturday morning and end by Sunday noon. Our theme is Rotary Leadership in Action. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about all the different programs in which local Rotarians are involved.
We are having a Rotary Showcase where clubs can display their club projects. Clubs looking for help with projects are also welcome to participate. As always there will be a silent auction to raise funds for the foundation. To learn more and register go to http://www.ckrotary.org/districtconference website.
 
Retired Brig. General and Kingston Hospital chair, Bill Richard, will speak Sunday on volunteerleadership.  Clubs are encouraged to promote attendance of new Rotarians by subsidizing the Registration fee!
 
CLUB VISITS
 
Please check the website for club visit dates, both in the calendar and the DG visit list.

DG Newsletter

Published by Peter Bashaw on 29 Jun 2009

District 7040 June Newsletter - Rotary Fellowship Month

REMEMBER AS ROTARIANS CHARACTER COUNTS:

If you were arrested for kindness, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Here are some other wise words about kindness:

“Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away.”
– Sir Arthur Helps

“You will regret many things in life, but you will never regret being too kind or too fair.”
– Brian Tracy

“Don’t wait for people to be kind. Show them how.”
– Anonymous

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.”
– Oscar Wilde

“That best portion of a good man’s life: his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”
– William Wordsworth

“Kindness is loving people more than they deserve.”
– Joseph Joubert

“We are made kind by being kind.”
– Eric Hoffer

“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
– Benjamin Franklin

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.”
– Theodore Isaac Rubin, M.D.

“Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.”
– Robert Brault

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Posted by Josephson Institute Editor

There Are No Senseless Acts of Kindness

I agree with Abraham Heschel who said, “When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.”

Henry James was more emphatic: “Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.”

In 1994, Dr. Chuck Wall, a professor of human relations and management at Bakersfield College in California, came up with a concept that turned into an influential movement. Weary of hearing about “senseless acts of violence,” he began to teach and talk about “random and senseless acts of kindness.” The idea was simple: The best response to a world coarsened by selfishness and cruelty is individual acts of kindness. Now there’s a movement and website devoted to promoting random acts of kindness.

In 1999, Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote the novel Pay It Forward, which later became a movie, that built on Dr. Wall’s initial inspiration. It starts with a teacher’s assignment: “Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action.”

Trevor, the 12-year-old hero, comes up with an idea to do something “real good” for three people. All he asks for in return is that each recipient of kindness “pay it forward” by doing a good deed for three other people. If you do the math, it’s clear that such a plan could quickly change the world.

Whether acts of kindness are spontaneous as advocated by Dr. Wall or premeditated as proposed by Ms. Hyde, they’re certainly not senseless. On the contrary, they’re the best proof of good sense. Every person can send forth ripples of kindness and compassion simply by being nice.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

 

This month is Fellowship Month, some I will highlight the fellowship of the 100th Rotary International Convention in Birmingham UK:

 

 Busy at the Montreal 2010 Booth, over 3500 registrants all ready.

 

 

 

 

 

East Meets West the Korean “Little Angels” Opening Ceremony

 

 

 

 

 

Korean Dancers

 

 

 

 

  

Korean Fan Dancers

 

 

 

 

Meets West!

 

 

 

 

 

Next to the flags of the 200 nations and territories of the Rotary World, Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General addresses Rotarians at the Opening Plenary.  Thanking Rotary for its work, he told the story of a UNICEF worker fatiqued during trip to Africa rejuevenated seeing a group of Rotary Volunteer headed for a National Immunization Day assignment.

 

 

 

 

President Lee speaking at the Opening Plenary, told how he was drawn to his goal of eradicating child mortality when he looked into a small hut in an African village to see both a mother and small baby dying of starvation.  The mother too malnurished to give milk and the bady too weak to cry.

Years later he was encouraged by what Rotary could do when he saw the impact a water filter could have to a family in the  Dominican Republic.

 

 

Dr. Jane Goodall, who spent her life observing chimpanzees in the Gombe Game Preserve in Tanzania, explain how her Institute is now involved in poverty eradication, human rights, health and environmentalism when she observed the forests being cut and land devastated as man tried to cope with the conditions of its population.

 

 

 

 

“ON TO MONTREAL 2010″ WAS THE CRY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Convention Chair Dr. Bob Scott and our own HOC Chair PDG Linda Bradley for a excellent “On to Montreal”  Presentation.   WELL DONE!  And Thank You to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officers.  They were a hit of the Convention.

 

 

 

IN CONCLUSION, THERE IS ONLY ONE THING I CAN SAY!  THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I THINK WE AS A TEAM HAVE MADE PROGRESS AND MADE DREAMS REAL.  WE HAVE STARTED ON OUR WAY TO LIVING A LIFE THAT MATTERS.  I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY THIS YEARS PRESIDENTS, DISTRICT OFFICERS AND ASSISTANT GOVERNORS.  I WISH ARNOLD LAWRENCE AND HIS TEAM ALL THE BEST AND PROMISE MY SUPPORT.

 

MERCI!  THANK YOU! 

PETE

DG Newsletter

Published by Peter Bashaw on 01 Jun 2009

District 7040 May Newsletter

Six Rules About Trust

I’ve talked about it lots of times before: The high cost of lying and deception by politicians, police, corporate executives, clergy, journalists, accountants, and educators has weakened every major social institution.

As each of these domains wages its separate battle to remove the cloud of suspicion and cynicism that hovers over it, there are six truths about trust that must be understood and dealt with.

First, there’s no shortcut to building trust. Rebuilding it on the rubble of lost credibility is much harder. The antidote is nothing less than scrupulous and consistent honesty – especially when the truth is costly.

Second, where trust is important, there are no small lies. Falsehoods, however small they seem, are like germs. Without the antibody of trust, they cause infections that can kill credibility.

Third, the lethal quality of lies lasts long after they’re told. Lies told years ago have an immediate poisonous effect on trust when they’re discovered. Think of all the prominent people who’ve been undone by the discovery of old trumped-up resumes.

Fourth, while honesty and forthrightness don’t always pay, dishonesty and concealment always cost. It’s true that in some settings nothing good may come of admitting wrongdoing, but it gets a lot worse when you don’t.

Fifth, lies breed other lies. It’s harder to tell just one lie than to have just one potato chip. Once you start deceiving, it takes more and more bodyguards of new lies to protect the old ones.

Finally, don’t be seduced by the “I’m just fighting fire with fire” excuse or all you’ll end up with are the ashes of your integrity. Self-justifications aside, you can’t lie to a liar or cheat a cheater without becoming a liar or a cheater.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Membership/Rotary Awareness Survey

ROTARY INFORMATION/MEMBERSHIP/PR SURVEY

 

In order to better support Clubs in the areas of Membership Development and Public Relations, we are asking that you fill out this brief survey.  This information will be used to develop District Level programs. If you have asked more than one person to join Rotary, summarize the group experience as best your can. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Peter Bashaw, Governor 

  1. In last 3 years, did you invite someone to  become a member of your club?   Yes __68___     No __12___  if yes how many __156___
  2. Did they join your club?    Yes  81__     No _75__
  3. If they joined your club, what reason can be most attributed to their decision? Opportunities for: Fellowship _19_, Business Networking _19, Social networking, _4__,  or for:  Developing Business skills _2____, Community Service Opportunities _25___, International Service Opportunities __8__, Rotary’s Image __10__, Other _0
  4. If they did not join your club, what reason did they give?  Cost _14_, Time commitment _34__, family _10___, Meeting Time _12__, Meeting Place ___0_, Rotary’s Image __0__, Other______  (2)joined another organization
  5. What was their level of Rotary knowledge?  Did they know about; 

         Your Club’s Community Projects:  Yes _54_  No _12_

         Polio Campaign:  Yes _38_   No _27_

        Foundation Programs

                 i.      Ambassadorial and World Peace Scholarships: Yes _9_ No _42

                 ii.      International projects     Yes_38_   No _26_

                 iii.      Group Study Exchanges:  Yes _21  No _37

          Youth Programs

                 i.      Interact:  Yes 18_   No _38

                 ii.      Rotaract:  Yes 8__   No _47

                 iii.      Youth Exchange:  Yes _25  No _28

Other Comments: _New member left due to lack of hands on projects: “Pay to Volunteer?” was one comment from potential member; Rotary not known; new members surprised at what we do.

Food for thought.  These results will be used to develop membership, public awareness and marketing plans for the future.

 

Foundation Walk

The Foundation Walk was held on May 9th.  Rotarians and family from 19 clubs weathered the rain to walk the beautiful walk along the river.  The event was well organized by the Cornwall and Cornwall Sunrise clubs.  Congratulations go to the organizing committee, volunteers and Interactors.

The Highest Club Participation award went to Montreal Westward with 11 walkers.  Highest per Capita Award went to the Cornwall Sunrise Club with $94 per member.  Watertown Rotary Club won the coveted Bette Miller Walking Stick with a total club contribution of $4282 Canadian.  Well done to all.  The preliminary total raised at the Foundation Walk was a new record of over $28,000 GREAT! Thanks to all the clubs and participants!

There is not much time left to get your contributions in for this year.  All contributions must be received by The Rotary Foundation by June 31st.  We are still short of our goal.  Please get that club or member contribution in!

 

New Regional Websites:  http://www.rotaryandyou.org  

The regional sites are listed along the bottom of the google map.  Click on one.  Click on the Rotary wheel for the District Website.  Click on a club icon to access the club meeting information and website.

 These sites were created to support our mutual marketing efforts.  They are intended to be used by clubs and the district when Public Service Announcements or articles will be seen regionally.  Clubs are requested to use the regional websites so that interested parties wish to find out more information about their local club can find where and when that club meets and also go the the club’s website.  The District will also be able to address PSA’s to regions of the district.  We must work together to get the Rotary word out. The regional sites are: RotaryAndYou.org • RotaryQuebecOuest.org • RotaryWestQuebec.org •RotaryOttawaValley.org • RotaryOttawa.org • RotarySeaway.org • RotaryWNNY.org •RotaryENNY.org

 

 

 

Announcements:

  1. William (Bill) Gray of the Cataraqui-Kingston Rotary Club was selected by the District Nominating Committee to be Governor for the Rotary Year 2011 - 2012.  Having failed to obtain a candidate from New York, I can not think of a better selections.  I am sure Rotarians from District 7040 will give Bill the same excellent support I have received this past year during his year as Governor.
  2. Bruce Higgs, chair of the District World Community Service Committee and member of the Gananoque Rotary Club was awarded Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award.  The prestigious award was established by the RI to recognize a small number of Rotarians for their devotion to service not just in Rotary but in their life in general.  Congratulations Bruce.
  3. District interviews for our only Ambassadorial Scholarship was held June 9th.  Eleven candidates in all.  The scholarship winner is Karyne Merrick Moore sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ottawa.  The alternate selected is Sarah Lee, sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Renfrew.  Thank you to the committee for taking time to interview all the candidates and thank you the candidates and sponsor clubs.
  4. Two applicants were interviewed to be our district’s candidate for the Rotary World Peace Fellowship.  Ryan Rowe sponsored by the Montréal Lakeshore Rotary Club was selected.  Ryan is a graduate of Concordia University with an MBA from York University.  Ryan is currently employed by MacQuarie Middle East Management Limited working in Abu Dhahi, UAE. 
  5. Anna Rochon member of the Kemptville Rotary Club has been selected to be the Team Leader for next year’s GSE with District 3131 India.

 

Dates to Remember:

June 9, 2009:  District Changeover Dinner at Best Western Pembroke.  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=194

June 21-24, 2009:  Rotary International Convention, Birmingham, UK

August 8, 2009:  Membership & Foundation Seminar in Canton NY,  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=309 

 

Remember that volunteers are being recruited for the Montreal 2010 RI Convention.  Please visit www.hocvolunteers.com for further information.

 

DG Newsletter

Published by Peter Bashaw on 08 May 2009

District 7040 April Newsletter - Magazine Month

Rotary’s Four-Way Test

Josephson Institute is in the midst of a major project with Rotary International to enhance the character-building and ethical decision-making aspects of its high school leadership program called the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, or RYLA.

Rotary is not the only fine service organization that positively influences society, but one program feature I especially admire is its rigorous and vigorous commitment to high ethical standards and service above self.

Rotarians are encouraged to use a decision-making guide called The Four-Way Test that directs them to think, speak, and act in a manner that promotes truthfulness, fairness, goodwill and strong friendships, and making decisions that benefit all concerned.

The universal appeal of this moral foundation is demonstrated by Rotary’s growth from a small club in Chicago to a huge global enterprise with more than a million members.

Membership in an organization with lofty deals won’t assure consistent adherence to stated values, however. Noble rhetoric and good intentions aren’t always enough to overcome the fears, temptations, and rationalizations that can divert us from the path of virtue.

Still, The Four-Way Test is a powerful foundation for a better society, and it’s impressive that Rotary’s ardent advocacy of service and ethics has resonated around the world with so many men and women in business and the professions. Most people really do want to live a worthy life of virtue.

As we struggle to cope with the horrendous results of a less honorable approach to business by far too many executives and politicians, it may be helpful to teach and advocate Rotary’s simple prescription: Be honest, fair, and concerned with the well-being of all concerned.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Presidential Citations

 The following Rotary, Interact and Rotaract Clubs have met the requirements to received a Presidential Citation:

Rotary Clubs:

 ·         Cornwall RC, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

·         Cornwall Sunrise RC, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada

·         Canton RC, Canton, New York, USA

·         Lake Placid RC, Lake Placid, New York, USA

·         Potsdam RC, Potsdam, New York, USA

·         Ottawa RC, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·         Cataraqui-Kingson RC, Ontario, Canada

·         Watertown Sunrise RC, Watertown, New York USA

·         Petawawa RC, Petawawa, Ontario, Canada

·         Old (Vieux) Montreal RC, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

·         West Ottawa RC, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·         Ogdensburg RC, Ogdensburg, New York, USA

·         Ottawa South RC, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

·         Kingston RC, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

·         Napanee RC, Napanee, Ontario, Canada

.          Tupper Lake RC, Tupper Lake, NY, USA

·         Ottawa Bytown RC, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

 Rotaract Club:

·         St. Lawrence University Rotaract Club, sponsor Canton RC

 Interact Club:

·         General Vanier Interact Club, sponsor Cornwall Sunrise RC

·         Franklin Academy Interact Club,  sponsor Malone RC

·         Bell High School Interact Club, Sponsor Nepean Kanata RC

Well done to all!

Important Dates to Remember http://www.rotary7040.com/eventlist.php 

District Assembly - 2 May/Mai

Foundation Walk - Marche Foundation -  9 May/Mai   http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=252

RYLA - Rotary Youth Leadership Award - 15 - 20 May/Mai  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=259

Changeover Dinner - 9  June/Juin   http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=194

 

 

 

DG Newsletter

Published by Peter Bashaw on 08 May 2009

District 7040 March Newsletter - Literacy Month

A Person of Character

Let’s face it: It’s not easy to become a person of character. It takes a good heart, but it also requires wisdom to know right from wrong and the discipline to do right even when it’s costly, inconvenient, or difficult.

Becoming a person of character is a lifelong quest to be better.

A person of character values honesty and integrity and pays whatever price is needed to be worthy of trust, earning self-respect and the pride of family and friends.

A person of character plays fair even when others don’t and values no achievement unless it is attained with honor.

A person of character has strong convictions, yet avoids self-righteousness.

A person of character believes in the inherent dignity of all people and treats everyone with respect, even those whose ideas and ideologies evoke strong disagreement.

A person of character deals with criticism constructively and is self-confident enough to take good advice, admit and learn from mistakes, feel and express genuine remorse, and apologize graciously.

A person of character knows what’s important, sacrifices now for later, is in control of attitudes and actions, overcomes negative impulses, and makes the best of every situation.

A person of character willingly faces fears and tackles unpleasant tasks.

A person of character is consistently and self-consciously kind and empathetic, giving generously without concern for reward.

A person of character feels and expresses gratitude freely and frequently.

A person of character is not defeated by failure or dissuaded by disappointment.

A person of character seeks true happiness in living a life of purpose and meaning, placing a higher value on significance than success.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Rotary and Literacy

 Dear fellow Rotarians:

We have long supported literacy and education for all. Our projects have strengthened schools, built community libraries, and given the precious gift of reading and writing to those in need. 

As we celebrate Literacy Month this March, we are confronted by the monumental challenge of helping nearly a billion people experience the essential pleasure and power of reading and writing. Without these fundamental skills, too many of our friends and neighbors will remain trapped by poverty, hunger, and disease. 

Despite this challenge, we are heartened by the company of trusted friends and new allies in our struggle to stop illiteracy. Over the last year, we have renewed our relationship with the International Reading Association, allowing Rotary clubs to benefit from the experience of local and international literacy professionals. In addition, The Dollywood Foundation, our newest literacy ally, is working with Rotary clubs across North America and the United Kingdom to support early childhood literacy through its Imagination Library program. 

While these relationships heighten the effectiveness and impact of our projects, little wouldbe possible without your active support for literacy. Your contributions are significant, and I urge you to renew your commitment to this vital effort. 

Our success depends on careful planning. As business, professional, and community leaders, we must pause to consider what more our clubs and districts can do to support literacy in the months and years ahead. We must invest in strong champions for literacy in our communities,including our own club and district literacy chairs, to strengthen and lead our literacy efforts.

Together we can stop illiteracy and help Make Dreams Real  for our friends and neighbors in need. 

 D.  K. Lee,  RI President

DG Newsletter

Published by Peter Bashaw on 01 Mar 2009

District 7040 February Newsletter - World Understanding Month

Have You Heard:

Have you heard speak Bill Gray speak about Volunteerism, Reach Out to Africa, and The Rotary Foundation. The time slot are available from March 10th through May 30th. Bill is starting with Massena on March 10th. Ask Bill about his trip to Africa on February 3rd with time in Egypt, Uganda and Nigeria. This will be his fifth trip to Africa since September 2006.

Message from RIVP and Director Monty Audenart

To All Rotary Clubs in Zone 22(24)
 
Here are two messages of HIGH PRIORITY THAT NEED YOUR ATTENTION.
 
1. Over the past few weeks we have been involved in a high number of communications, precipitated when our Zone Website was no longer accessible using our domain name of www.rotaryzone22.org  After several failed attempts to correct the problem, we have decided that it would be better for us to move on and begin creating the new website that will be shared with Zone 32, our paired Zone.
While Zone 32 will continue to use their website (www.rotaryzones31-32.org)  that they currently share with Zone 31, they have agreed to cojointly using our Zone ClubRunner website effective July 1, 2009. In preparation for that we are moving now to a new domain name, and  now ask you to consider noting the website name change, as well as notifying all clubs in your districts, or any other Rotary entity (Rotarian Action Group for example) that may have a link to our  current Zone 22(24) Website.
 
 
Please be advised that effective immediately the web address for zones 24 and 32 is:
 http://www.rotaryzones24-32.org
This address will open the dedicated website for Zones 24 - 32. This site will be  a work in progress, and  it is intended to serve as the eventual principal communication and information portal for both zones. You are encouraged to use this URL in all publications and references whether electronic or print.
We will keep you informed about the integration of databases from both zones.
 
2 “Rotary Canada” Supplement to the Rotarian Magazine.

As a Director of RI, I am happy to send you an update of  the “Rotary Canada” supplement to the Rotarian Magazine. The newly realigned Zone 24 encompasses Far Eastern Russia, parts of Canada and the United States, St. Pierre and Miquelon. The publication will feature  Canada’s ongoing contributions to Rotary, but, it should always be remembered that Canada is just one of the team players in Zone 24, along with other Rotarians living in the United States, Russia or the French islands. It is, and always has been,  the opportunity to work together and share each others’ successes, that make us stronger, and who we are today.

Recently, PDG Chris Offer reported, “I am pleased to report that we are making good progress on the publication of the new journal Rotary Canada.  We are on track for the first issue to be distributed to Canadian Rotarians with the July 1, 2009, Rotarian Magazine.

We are now receiving story ideas and photos from Rotarians. You may send suggestions to RotaryCanada@rotary.org .

The same criteria as the Rotarian magazine applies.  See: http://rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/TheRotarian/GetProjectsCovered/Pages/ridefault.aspx . 

With the additional criterion that stories and photos must relate to Rotary in Canada or the international service of Canadian Rotarians.

The website for Rotary Canada will be hosted at Rotary.org.  This will expand the international readers of our journal. This site in the future, we hope will expand to include background on stories in Rotary Canada and additional features such as video and additional photographs.  We also plan to have French and English translations of all feature stories. These additional web pages will be phased in over time.

We look forward to receiving story ideas and photos about the extraordinary contributions being made by the Canadian Rotarians.

Please feel free to discuss Rotary Canada with any of the committee members. “

1. PDG Chris Offer, Chair  D5040 – ChrisOffer@dccnet.com
2. PDG Rod Thomson, D5050 – RodThomson@shaw.ca
3. PDG Nancy Gilbert, D7070 - nancy@calliope.ca
4. PDG Jennifer Jones, D6400 - jjones@mediastreet.ca
5. PDG Paul Beaulieu, D7790 - beaulieu44@sympatico.ca

North American Youth Exchange Network Conference

Your Governor welcomed the conference attendees to Montreal and District 7040, inviting them to come back with their friends in 2010.  The Conference was well attended with almost 300 registrants, 12 from District 7040. Good job Conference co-chairs, Ariane and Fred Carriere. During the banquet Saturday evening Fred and Ariane were recognized for the excellent work with a Certificate of Achievement and a standing ovation. The 10th Conference was highlighted with the addition of Mexico to the Network countries of Canada and the US.

As you can see they madea very big impression.  “We have many who wish an exchange with District 7040″ said Frances Rodriquez of District 4170 showing me a list of 18 names.  “Please tell your clubs that we will take very good care of their students” said Rosa Maria de Tremari, President of the Metepec Rotary Club.  In 7040 we are interested in expanding our Youth Exchange Program.  If you are interested in sending a student to Mexico or receiving a student from Mexico contact District Chair, Chris Edgell.  The assembly was also addressed by the Consul General to Quebec from Mexico, Edgardo Flores Rivas.  Our District goal for the program is 30 exchanges (inbound/outbound).  Your club can help by participating.

The highlight of the opening Session, no not your Governor, was Past RI President Wilf Wilkinson. He was escorted by the symbol of Canada, two Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers.  I understand they were a hit in San Diego in January and will be a hit in Birmingham, helping to promote Montreal 2010.

Wilf extended encouragement to those at the conference noting that in these hard times it may be hard to get clubs to participate or host families to agree, but the program was too important to Rotary’s mission, Peace and World Understanding. ”You must keep working hard.” 

Remember it was RI President Carl Wilhem Stenhammar who said that if every 17 year old in the world was a youth exchange student, there would be peace in the world.

Something for everyone.  Governor Nominee Katie Burke met RI President Nominee Ray Klinginsmith from Missouri (Missora) USA.  Speaking Saturday afternoon, RIPN Ray gave us some inside information.  His emphasis during his year will be Polio, Foundation Programs, and Youth Exchange.  This news received an immediate standing ovation. 

 

Montreal 2010

Don’t forget to register and attend the International Convention in Birmingham UK in June.  As you can see President DK was supporting Montreal 2010 in San Diego at the International Assembly, so lets make DK’s Convention in Birmingham a success.  But also lets help PDG Linda Bradley and her committee take registrations for 2010 at the Birmingham House of Friendship. 

You recently received an email from DGN Katie Burke.  “As the Chair of Volunteers for Montreal 2010, I wish to let you know that we have already had some District 7040 Rotarians register as volunteers and their names have been entered in our data base; however, we need many more volunteers !!.  I would like to visit your club in the not-too-distant future and make a presentation about Montreal 2010 as well as the volunteer opportunities both for individuals and clubs.

Please contact me to arrange for a visit - I can be reached at k.a.burke@hotmail.com “
 
Home hospitality is a big request from Convention goers.  Since we have so few Rotarians in Montreal, one idea I have heard is the following.  If you can spare and evening and afford a night out in Montreal why not volunteer to take a Rotarian and spouse from another country out to dinner.  There are many fine restaurants in Montreal.  Look for opportunities to help on the Convention website to be online soon at www.rotary2010.com . 
 

Presidents Checklist (March)

March - Literacy Month

  • Plan and conduct monthly board meeting
  • Send monthly membership and attendance and membership report to attendance@rotary7040.com
  • Assess the progress of club projects, hold club assembly to review progress and assess effectiveness of committees and objectives.
  • Monitor membership development initiatives and goals.
  • Promote attendance at RI Convention in Birmingham UK.
  • 31 March: Ambassadorial Scholarships and Rotary World Peace Fellowships due. 
  • Remind  President-Elect of PETS  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=51 and to promote District Assembly  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=189 .
  • Plan to conduct activites to promote literacy related activities and programs.
  • 31 March end of reporting period for Presidential Citation, get the forms in to the Governor early.
  • President-Elects start developing goals, appoint committee chairs and begin to develop you budget.  Register for PETS, attend pre-PETS with AG. 

 

 Governor Nominee/Gouverneur Nommé

I am pursuant to District 7040 procedures inviting all clubs in District 7040 to proposed qualified candidates for Governor Nominee by April 1, 2009 ( http://archive.rotary7040.com/forms/Governor_Nominee_Data_Form_EN.pdf )

 j’agis maintenant selon les procédures du district 7040 et j’invite tous les clubs du district 7040 à mettre en nomination des candidats qualifiés pour le poste de gouverneur pour l’année 2010-2011. La date limite pour la remise de nominations est le 1 avril 2009. ( http://archive.rotary7040.com/forms/Governeur_Nomme_Data_Form_FR.pdf )

Dates to Remember

For all important District Events go to the website http://www.rotary7040.com/eventlist.php 

 

Countdown to June 30, 2009: Are we meeting our Goals?

 

Foundation Annual Giving:  Goal $100 per member 2154 members July 1, goal $215,400,  actual contribution thru February $100,619

 

Polio Challenge:  Goal $1000 per club or $65,000, current contribution thru February, $21,844

 

Membership Growth:  Goal (10% growth July 1st 2158) 215 members, 2 new clubs; End of February 2183, 1 new club net growth 25 new member (Good but as President DK said, we can do better).

 

But most importantly, have  you made someones dreams real  ???????????????????

DG Newsletter

Published by Peter Bashaw on 24 Jan 2009

District 7040 January Newsletter - Rotary Awareness Month

 

 

The Rotary Foundation:

Yes, we are in a worldwide recession and personal and corporate monies are tight.  But in a recession the need is greater.  National, provincial/state and local governments are cutting back programs and the community support provided by Rotary Clubs can be critical.  It seems as Rotarians and business people that everyone is asking for money and there is a temptation to spend our money locally, but as Rotarians can we afford to forget The Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus Challenge.  Do we really want to abandon efforts to foster world understanding and peace? Do we want to stop sending deserving students to be educated oversees or to a Rotary World Peace Center?  Do we want to suspend the eradication of Polio, this close to accomplishing eradication?  Do we want to abandon the youth dying too young or stop digging wells and latrines, supporting schools, providing HIV/AIDS training, supporting hospital and teaching agricultural skills?

For the first 6 months of the Rotary year 18 clubs have donated to the Polio Plus Challenge for a total of $21,380.  Our goal for the year is $1000 per club or $65,000.  Also for the first 6 months of the Rotary year 37 clubs have donated $85,719 of Annual Giving.  This is well off last years contribution pace and far from the goal of $100 per member or approximately $215,000.  Currently only $43,000 would be returned to the District in three year as our “Share” of the Annual Programs Fund. Only 6 clubs have reached the $100 per member level. 

To all who have contributed on behalf of the youth and poor of the world I thank you very very much! 

Lets double our efforts and contributions for the next 6 months and strive to meet our goals. 

Yes times are tough, but lets get out our spare change, our dimes, nickels and quarters.  The goal of $100 per member per year is less than $2 per member per week per year.

 

Polio Challenge News

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded US$255 million to Rotary International in the global effort to eradicate polio, bringing the total committed by Rotary and the Gates Foundation to $555 million.

Shortly after meeting with incoming district governors from the four countries where the wild poliovirus is endemic — Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan — Bill Gates announced the new grant on Wednesday morning at the International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA.

“Rotarians, government leaders, and health professionals have made a phenomenal commitment to get us to a point at which polio afflicts only a small number of the world’s children,” Gates said. “However, complete elimination of the poliovirus is difficult and will continue to be difficult for a number of years. Rotary in particular has inspired my own personal commitment to get deeply involved in achieving eradication.”

“We are going to end polio now,” affirmed Robert S. Scott, chair of RI’s International PolioPlus Committee.

  

Membership:

In a letter received recently from RI President DK Lee he states,

“Increasing Rotary membership is key to increasing Rotary’s ability to Make Dreams Real  through service and fellowship. Success in membership development means there will be more eyes to see the needs, hands to meet those needs, and more hearts to share in Rotary’s efforts to make the world a better place for all. Your success in motivating the clubs in your district to increase their membership and extend Rotary to new communities is a most positive contribution to the long term health and effectiveness of Rotary.

We know that united in Rotary, we can Make Dreams Real for all of the world’s children by reducing the rate of child mortality.”

We have a long way to go meet our membership goals.  Depending on who’s numbers one uses our district has only gained between 19 (RI) or 50 (D7040) net new members. And, of course, we have one new club, Orleans.  Our District data indicates we have lost approximately 95 members.  As we have discussed, retention is just as important as attracting new members.  We have alot of work left to meet our goal of 225, but the fruits of our labors do compare favorably with other Districts in Zones 22 and 31.

In concluding the letter, DK advises to expect a call from him between February and March.  Lets hope I have some good membership information to report.

At the International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA, President Lee noted that while the world’s need for service is growing, Rotary membership is not keeping pace. In fact, while the world’s population is growing, membership is remaining stable. “We must reach out to people who are different from us and from the members in our club,” Lee said, “because this is the way to a stronger club, with more connections and better potential.” President Lee also asked Rotarians to increase the percentage of qualified women and professionals under the age of 50, to bring in at least one alumnus or alumna of Rotary International or Rotary Foundation programs, and to work to increase the diversity of membership in all clubs. President Lee stressed that retention is as important as recruitment. “New members do not benefit Rotary unless they stay,”

 

Do You Believe in Coincidence?

I was delighted a year ago when current RI President DK Lee chose his theme of “Make Dreams Real”.  I had decided to use the song “Dream Big” in my club presentations and the theme fit perfectly.  In November when now President Obama was elected to be the 44th US President some of my Canadian friends reminded me of the Martin Luther King “I Have a Dream” speech.  How appropriate that President Obama would be elected during the year Rotary would “Make Dreams Real”.  As I thought of all the dreams made real Tuesday, January 20, and listened to President Obama talk about our responsibilities for the future, it was equally fitting that at the Rotary International Assembly  RI President-Elect Kenny should announce his theme ” Rotary’s Future is in Your Hands”.
 

 

Presidents Checklist (January through March)

 

January - Rotary Awareness Month

  • Plan and conduct monthly board meeting
  • Send monthly membership and attendance and membership report to attendance@rotary7040.com
  • If not done in December consult with the secretary to update the RI membership database via the web, www.rotary.org /member access, by December 1st, so the January semiannual report (SAR) from RI will be up to date and accurate.  Return corrected SAR and RI Semi-Annual Dues.  A past due notice will be sent April 1 if dues not paid.
  • Assess the progress of club projects, hold club assembly to review progress and assess effectiveness of committees and objectives.
  • Conduct activities and programs to provide members with continuing education on RI and to publicize Rotary in the community.
  • If not already done report next year’s club president and secretary to RI for the Official Directory, and to the District.  Update information on district website club profile.  Make sure contact information of club officers are correct.
  • Monitor membership development initiatives and goals.
  • Plan to send representative to RI Convention.
  • Promote Ambassadorial Scholarships and Rotary World Peace Fellowships.  Check with District Chair regarding applications.
  • Check District Website for dates of PETS  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=51 and District Assembly  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=189 .
  • President review criteria for Presidential Citation
  • President-Elect start developing goals, appoint committee chairs and begin to develop you budget. 

 

February - World Understanding Month

  • Plan and conduct monthly board meeting
  • Send monthly membership and attendance and membership report to attendance@rotary7040.com
  • Assess the progress of club projects, hold club assembly to review progress and assess effectiveness of committees and objectives.
  • If not already done report next year’s club president and secretary to RI for the Official Directory, and to the District.  Update information on district website club profile.  Make sure contact information of club officers are correct.
  • Monitor membership development initiatives and goals.
  • Promote attendance at RI Convention.
  • Promote Ambassadorial Scholarships and Rotary World Peace Fellowships. 
  • Remind  President-Elect of PETS  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=51 and start to promote District Assembly  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=189 .
  • Complete criteria of Presidential Citation
  • President-Elect start developing goals, appoint committee chairs and begin to develop you budget.  Register for PETS, attend pre-PETS with AG.

 

March - Literacy Month

  • Plan and conduct monthly board meeting
  • Send monthly membership and attendance and membership report to attendance@rotary7040.com
  • Assess the progress of club projects, hold club assembly to review progress and assess effectiveness of committees and objectives.
  • Monitor membership development initiatives and goals.
  • Promote attendance at RI Convention.
  • 31 March: Ambassadorial Scholarships and Rotary World Peace Fellowships due. 
  • Remind  President-Elect of PETS  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=51 and to promote District Assembly  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=189 .
  • Plan to conduct activites to promote literacy related activities and programs.
  • 31 March end of reporting period for Presidential Citation,
  • President-Elect start developing goals, appoint committee chairs and begin to develop you budget.  Register for PETS, attend pre-PETS with AG. 

    •  

 Governor Nominee/Gouverneur Nommé

I am pursuant to District 7040 procedures inviting all clubs in District 7040 to proposed qualified candidates for Governor Nominee by April 1, 2009 ( http://archive.rotary7040.com/forms/Governor_Nominee_Data_Form_EN.pdf )

 j’agis maintenant selon les procédures du district 7040 et j’invite tous les clubs du district 7040 à mettre en nomination des candidats qualifiés pour le poste de gouverneur pour l’année 2010-2011. La date limite pour la remise de nominations est le 1 avril 2009. ( http://archive.rotary7040.com/forms/Governeur_Nomme_Data_Form_FR.pdf )

 

Public Relations

At the end of December, I was notified that District 7040 application for the RI PR Grant had been approved.  The PR Grant is a re-imbursement program.  Our application has been approved for TV and billboard messages up to $10,000.  Planning for implementation will begin this month.  Ideas should be emailed to Chris Cochrane.

Since late November the Northern NY TV stations WWNY and WNYF have been playing Rotary’s “Humanity in Motion” PSAs during the evening hours.  Listeners are being referred to a joint Watertown Noon and Watertown Sunrise website.  These stations serve Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties directly and surrounding areas on both sides of the border.  Congratulations!

This is just what we are planning for this PR Grant with some home grown local PSA messages throughout the District.   Additionally, we intend to utilize the large screen message boards in the Montréal subway to spread the Rotary message and build to the Rotary Convention in 2010.

 

Happiness Is a Choice

“In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy asks Charlie Brown, “Why do you think we were put on earth?”

Charlie answers, “To make others happy.”

Lucy replies, “I don’t think I’m making anyone happy,” and then adds, “but nobody’s making me very happy either. Somebody’s not doing his job!”

People like Lucy are so sure happiness is a matter of getting something that they ask not what they can do for others but what others can and should do for them. They usually feel shortchanged or cheated. They become so preoccupied with what they don’t have that they can’t enjoy what they do have.

What’s more, they don’t realize one of the best ways to be happy is to experience the joy and self-worth of making others happy.

In his book Happiness Is a Serious Problem, Dennis Prager argues that it’s human nature to want and feel we need more. The problem is, the quest for more is endless because we can always add more to whatever we have. As a result, the Lucys of the world often live in an “if only” world that keeps them one step away from happiness: “If only I get this raise, make this sale, pay off my debts, or win this game, I’ll be happy.”

Abraham Lincoln understood that happiness is essentially a way of looking at one’s life. “A person is generally about as happy as he’s willing to be,” he said.

Thus, we’re more likely to experience happiness if we realize it’s not just getting what we want. It’s learning to want what we get. “

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

 

Dates to Remember

For all important District Events go to the website http://www.rotary7040.com/eventlist.php

DG Newsletter

Published by Peter Bashaw on 23 Jan 2009

District 7040 December Newsletter - Family Month

 

 

The Business-Ethics Myth

“Some years ago, a senior executive at a large company objected when I asserted that corporations have an ethical, as well as a legal, obligation to keep promises and honor their contracts.

He said the decision to live up to or ignore contractual commitments is a business decision, not an ethical one. His primary responsibility, he said, was to the stockholders. He noted that most of the time it is wise to fulfill your promises because there are legal and relationship risks involved in breaking contracts, but in the end the decision to honor or renounce a business agreement should be based on a cost/benefit analysis. Ethics has nothing to do with it.

This claim that business executives are justified in treating the pursuit of self-interest as a moral imperative is disturbing and dangerous. It’s also common.

The theory that expediency, not ethics, should control decision-making in business flourishes because many people compartmentalize their lives into separate personal and business domains, choosing to believe each area is governed by different moral standards.

As a result, fundamentally good people who would never lie, cheat, or break a promise in their personal lives delude themselves into thinking they can properly do so in business.

Nonsense! There’s no such thing as “business” ethics. There is only ethics. Fundamental standards of right and wrong such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship do not become irrelevant when we enter the workplace.

And it doesn’t matter how many people think otherwise. Ethics is not a description of the way people actually behave. It’s a prescription for how we ought to behave.

In business – and, for that matter, in politics, sports, journalism, and parenting – ethical principles are not simply factors to be taken into account. They are ground rules.”

This is Michael Josephson reminding us that character counts.

As Rotarianswe have the Four-Way Test which should guide us in both the personal and business domain.

 

2009 RI Convention in Birmingham, England, 21-24 June

Be a part of history and celebrate the 100th Rotary convention, which will take place in Birmingham, the heart of England!

If you haven’t been back to Birmingham since the 1984 convention, you may not recognize this former industrial town. Now a lively canal city known for its outstanding shopping and dining, Birmingham — or Brum, as the natives call it — underwent a dramatic facelift in the 1990s. The transformation resulted in a modern, more pedestrian-friendly city that retains traces of its medieval and Industrial Age roots.

Download the convention booklet  for more reasons to come to Birmingham in 2009. This 24-page booklet also contains registration, hotel reservation, and Host Organization Committee forms.

Register early and save

Register early for the convention to take advantage of special pricing!

First deadline: 15 December
Second deadline: 31 March

Register online . It’s convenient and secure. Your confirmation materials will be e-mailed to you.

Or download the registration form .

Housing reservations

Birmingham Convention Bureau will handle all individual and group housing requests. Reservations are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Mail:
Birmingham Convention Bureau
Millennium Point Level 4
Curzon Street
Birmingham
B4 7XG
England

Phone: +44 (0) 121 202 5154
Fax: +44 (0) 121 202 5123
E-mail: bcb.accommodation@marketingbirmingham.com

You will receive a hotel confirmation from the Birmingham Convention Bureau indicating the hotel name, address, room rate per night, room type requested, and dates reserved. All housing changes/inquiries must be made directly to the Birmingham Convention Bureau until 8 May 2009.

Booking for RI Convention housing begins 14 June 2008. Confirmations will be issued beginning July 2008. Please return your completed reservation form by 17:00 GMT on 8 May 2009.

Download the hotel reservation form  or reserve your hotel online .

For a block of 15 rooms or more, download the Group Housing Form .

Alternative housing
In the Birmingham area, there are several economic housing alternatives. Read more  about these options.
Note: These housing alternatives are not part of Rotary International’s official convention housing block, and they are not serviced by the RI Convention shuttle.

Convention venue

The National Exhibition Centre is Europe’s busiest venue, staging more than 180 exhibitions each year. Its 21 interconnected halls offer plenty of space for convention activities such as registration services, plenary sessions, the House of Friendship and exhibits, convention luncheons, workshops and interactive discussion groups, and the Rotaract and Youth Exchange preconvention meetings. Find more information about the NEC .

Read more about Birmingham .

Host events

Find out more about the Birmingham area and meet local Rotarians by participating in the events the Host Organization Committee has planned. Pre- and post-convention tours also are available. Purchase tickets online at www.rotaryconvention2009.com   through a secure service, or download the ticket order form  and fax or mail it to the HOC:

Fax: +44 (0) 1926 885588

Mail:
Birmingham Convention 2009 Limited
Kinwarton Road, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6PB
United Kingdom

Questions? 
Fax:  + 44 (0) 2476 712055
Phone:  +44 (0) 1789 765411
E-mail: enquiries@rotaryconvention2009.com

Remember the 2010 HOC Committee will be providing information and taking reservations for Montreal 2010.  Your help will be appreciated.

 

North American Youth Exchange Network Conference

The 2009 Annual Conference of the North American Youth Exchange Network will be held at the Delta Centre Ville Hotel in Montréal, Quebec from February 26 through March 1, 2009.  For those interested in YouthExchange this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more and mingle with others interested in the program from all of the America’s.  A variety of registration packages are available.  For more information go to the North American Youth Exchange Network website http://www.usacanconference.org/index.htm or go to the District 7040 Events Calendar at http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=187 and contact our own Fred and Ariane Carriere.

President’s Checklist

 

December - Family Month

  • Plan and conduct monthly board meeting
  • Send monthly membership and attendance and membership report to attendance@rotary7040.com
  • Consult with the secretary to update the RI membership database via the web, www.rotary.org /member access, by December 1st, so the January semiannual report (SAR) from RI will be up to date and accurate
  • Assess the progress of club projects
  • Conduct activities to demonstrate you club’s commitment to family and community.
  • Hold annual club election no later than 31 December
  • 31 December: Deadline for reporting next year’s club president and secretary to RI for the Official Directory, and to the District.  Update information on district website club profile.  Make sure contact information of club officers are correct.
  • Monitor membership development initiatives and goals.
  • Ensure that all contributions to be counted within the calendar year are received at The Rotary Foundation before December 31.
  • Promote International Convention in Birmingham, UK.

 

January - Rotary Awareness Month

  • Plan and conduct monthly board meeting
  • Send monthly membership and attendance and membership report to attendance@rotary7040.com
  • If not done in December consult with the secretary to update the RI membership database via the web, www.rotary.org /member access, by December 1st, so the January semiannual report (SAR) from RI will be up to date and accurate.  Return corrected SAR and RI Semi-Annual Dues.  A past due notice will be sent April 1 if dues not paid.
  • Assess the progress of club projects, hold club assembly to review progress and assess effectiveness of committees and objectives.
  • Conduct activities and programs to provide members with continuing education on RI and to publicize Rotary in the community.
  • If not already done report next year’s club president and secretary to RI for the Official Directory, and to the District.  Update information on district website club profile.  Make sure contact information of club officers are correct.
  • Monitor membership development initiatives and goals.
  • Plan to send representative to RI Convention.
  • Promote Ambassadorial Scholarships and Rotary World Peace Fellowships.  Check with District Chair regarding applications.
  • Check District Website for dates of PETS  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=51 and District Assembly  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=189 .

 

February - World Understanding Month

  • Plan and conduct monthly board meeting
  • Send monthly membership and attendance and membership report to attendance@rotary7040.com
  • Assess the progress of club projects, hold club assembly to review progress and assess effectiveness of committees and objectives.
  • If not already done report next year’s club president and secretary to RI for the Official Directory, and to the District.  Update information on district website club profile.  Make sure contact information of club officers are correct.
  • Monitor membership development initiatives and goals.
  • Promote attendance at RI Convention.
  • Promote Ambassadorial Scholarships and Rotary World Peace Fellowships. 
  • Remind  President-Elect of PETS  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=51 and start to promote District Assembly  http://www.rotary7040.com/event.php?id=189 .
  • 23 February (Rotary’s annuversary) is World Understanding and Peace Day. Plan to conduct activites to promote world understanding, friendship, and peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DG Newsletter

Published by Peter Bashaw on 22 Jan 2009

District 7040 November Newsletter - Foundation Month

“Live a Life that Matters”

So what does matters?  Family, health, our membership in Rotary matters and the work of the Rotary Foundation and Polio Plus Campaign certainly matter.  For Foundation Month, I would like to review some of the Cultural, Educational and Humanitarian Programs of our Rotary Foundation.

Do you know what the first Foundation grant was?  It was a $500 Grant to the International Society of Crippled Children, today’s Easter Seals in 1930. 

In 1947 the first Foundation Program, the Graduate Fellowship (today’s Ambassadorial  Scholarship) was started.

Ambassadorial Scholarships and Peace Fellowships:

Since 1947 over 47,000 students have received undergraduate of graduate level scholarship in 110 countries, over 700 scholarships annually.  In District 7040, the annual Ambassadorial Scholarship is augmented by the addition of the Stoiber Scholarship.  This last year, 2007-2008, 3 students receive one Ambassadorial and two Stoiber Scholarships in District 7040.  Booke James will be attending the University of Pretoria, in Pretoria South Africa.  Katie Gauthier will be attending the Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.  Both were sponored by the Canton Rotary Club. Karen Bakeleer sponsored by the Ottawa Rotary Club will be attending the University of Cape Town in Rondebosch, South Africa.  All will be attending during the  2009-2010 academic year.

Applications for the 2010-2011, are now available for the one Ambassadorial Scholarship and Peace Fellowship are due March 31, 2009.

Former and current scholars continue to impact the world.  Paul Volcker, former chair of the US Federal Reserve and current economic advisor to President-Elect Barack Obama was a 1951-1952 Ambassadorial Scholar at the London School of Economics.  Katerina Kappos, an current Ambassadorial Scholar studying at McGill University, has an opportunity to intern at the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia. 

Since 2002, 233 Fellows from 60 countries have studied at 6 Rotary Centers for World Peace in peace and conflict resolution.  Youla Pompilus-Touré , 2008-2010, has reported on her activities at Bradford University.  Her report is posted in the document section of the District Website, http://www.rotary7040.com/docs/rwpf/rwpf_2008_Pompilus-Toure_1.pdf  .  Since 2002, District 7040 has had 5 candidates selected to attend one of the six Rotary Centers. The decisions have been made on the World Peace Fellows for 2009-2011 by the Foundation. Lisa Monette, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ottawa, received a fellowship to the short–term program in Peace and Conflict Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. 

For information on other Scholars and Alumni check out the Reconnections Newsletter at  http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/reconnections_current_en.pdf.

 

District Simplified Grants:

The district again has funding available for District Simplified Grants.  The Foundation Grant was $12,500 and applications were received.  Six applications were received from Potsdam, North Renfrew, Watertown, Gananoque, West Ottawa and Cornwall Sunrise.  Each have been approved.  The projects included a shelter along the Deep River waterfront, benches on the Racquette River in Potsdam, equipment for the Agape Centre in Cornwall, Rotary Centennial Park -Renovation of the water play area in Ottawa, construction of a gazebo near the zoo at Thompson Park in Watertown and a water project in Panama.

Matching Grants

Many clubs are involved in World Community Services projects without matching grants from the district and Rotary Foundation.  Just read the minutes of the WCS committee. A number of matching grants have been forwarded to the Rotary Foundations for consideration.  Some of the Matching Grant projects include:

EDUCATION: In the US and Canada, it is well recognized that hungry children do not learn.  West Ottawa is involved in a school lunch program in Johannesburg, South Africa, for Grade 10 to 12 students.  This program compliments the state program which ends at Grade 9.  North Renfrew is planning to bring the internet and computer-aided educational materials to two schools (one boys and one girls) to Tanzania.

HEALTH: Responding to President DK Lee’s desire to reduce child mortality, The Rotary Club of Ottawa Bytown is involved in a matching grant project in Kingston, Jamaica.  Respiratory problems is a major cause of infant mortality. Two new ventilators will be provided to the University Hospital of the West Indies, where there is current none.

Polio Plus

We Rotarians are part of a great partnership.  Only one other disease has been eradicated in world history, smallpox.  Rotary International in partnership with WHO, UNICEF, and CDC with the help of the Gates Foundation and world governments is close to eradicating Polio.  We have been challenged to raise $100 Million to match a similar donation by the Gates Foundation.  Endemic countries are down to 4.  Lets continue to be part of this historic achievement.

The examples above are just some of the ways THE ROTARY FOUNDATION and DISTRICT 7040 Make Dreams Real.  But this can not be done without clubs and Rotarians willing to take on World Community Service Projects, to advertise and sponsor Ambassadorial and Peace Scholars, and to donate to the FOUNDATION.

 

How Can You Support the Foundations Work?

There are many ways to support the Foundation with outright donations and bequest. Donations can be given through you Rotary Club, directly to the Rotary Foundation (online contribution forms http://www.rotary.org/en/Contribute/ContributeNow/OnlineContributionForm/Pages/ridefault.aspx ), supporting the Districts Foundation Walk, and if you sign on to Member Access at www.Rotary.org you can contribute online with a credit card.

Donors may direct their gifts to three main funds: the Annual Programs Fund, which supports the Foundation’s humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs worldwide; the Permanent Fund, which provides an endowment; and the PolioPlus Fund. 

There are several ways to contribute, the information below is all on the Rotary website. 

 

Online contributions

Outright gifts can be made easily with The Rotary Foundation’s online contribution form.

The Rotary Foundation’s tax identification number is 36-3245072.

Check

Make your check payable to The Rotary Foundation, and send it with a completed recognition/contribution form (PDF) to the appropriate address:

Canada: 
The Rotary Foundation (Canada) - Box B9322
P.O. Box 9100
Postal Station F
Toronto, ON M4Y 3A5

United States:
The Rotary Foundation
14280 Collections Center Dr.
Chicago, IL 60693

Credit card

To make a contribution with your credit card, complete the recognition/contribution form (PDF).

Tangible personal property

Gifts of tangible personal property, such as jewelry or artwork, are given careful consideration on a case-by-case basis.

The Rotary Foundation’s general guidelines specify that gifts of jewelry be worth at least US$10,000 and gifts of artwork be valued at a minimum of $25,000. Gifts must also be accompanied by a written proposal, which must include a qualified appraisal, photograph, and supporting materials, such as authentication papers.

If you’re interested in making a gift of tangible personal property, contact the Gift Administration department.

Contributing appreciated securities to The Rotary Foundation may benefit you in two ways:

  • You may avoid paying capital gains taxes
  • You may receive a charitable tax deduction

Stocks can be transferred either electronically or by mail. Detailed instructions are available for residents of the United States and Canada(PDF). Do not mail stock certificates to the Foundation’s post office box.

Complete a stock contribution form with your gift. If you’re sending certificates via mail, you’ll also need to complete a stock power form to assign ownership to the Foundation.

For additional information on making a gift of stock, or if you’re interested in contributing mutual funds, bonds, or closely held securities, read the Publicly Traded Securities brochure, or contact the Gift Administration department.

TRF-DIRECT Electronic fund transfer

Donors in North America can automatically transfer funds from their checking, savings, or credit card accounts to the Foundation through electronic fund transfers.

To enroll in this program, donors must complete the U.S. or Canadian version of the authorization form and send it to the Foundation. Donors who wish to contribute from a checking or savings account should include a voided check from the checking account or a deposit slip from the savings account.

Read frequently asked questions about TRF-DIRECT electronic fund transfers (PDF). 

Real estate

Making a gift of real estate to the Foundation may afford you financial benefits. Consult your financial adviser about your personal circumstances.

To initiate the process, you must obtain an independent qualified appraisal of the property. The property’s value should be at least $100,000 (or $25,000 for undeveloped land) if you wish to make an outright gift to the Foundation. If you’re interested in funding a charitable remainder trust, the property should be worth at least $100,000.

If you believe that a gift of real estate could benefit you and the Foundation, contact the Gift Administration department.

Rotary Foundation Sustaining Members

You can help ensure the continued success of Foundation programs by contributing a minimum of $100 each year. With a gift from every Rotarian, every year, the Foundation can do more good in the world. Read more about Sustaining Members. 

Remember when the economic times are tough, the need is greater.  As Rotarians we need to find a way to help.  $100 per year is only $2 per week.  Set aside a container to put your discarded change and you will find how easy it is to save $2 per week for The Rotary Foundation.  This is how I started to support the Foundation 20 years ago.  If we do not find a way to support the Foundation, we will have fewer Ambassadorial Scholarships, District Simplifed Grants and Matching Grants in our District and the fight against Polio will take longer.

DG Newsletter

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