Good mid-February greetings to each District 7230 Rotarians!
I am hoping that the month of January was productive and gave you ample opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others by giving service above self. As for me, I was busy planning and serving the district in a variety of ways:
“Almost” completing my club visits. Only 9 remain of the 50+ that make up our District.
One step away from securing the location for the district conference. The date is set for June 29.
Finalizing the specifics for the yet to be formally announced district speech contest.
Created a template that was developed by the District’s mental health committee after their first and very successful event hosted by the Chinatown Rotary Club. The template is being prepared to share District wide.
Encouraged every Rotarian to contribute and plan to attend the joint Bermuda Rotary Clubs' Centennial Celebration of the Hamilton RC of Bermuda. Your collective contributions have provided funds that will allow us to give 50% or $1,000 (whichever is less) towards the total cost of the trip to person(s) who will be randomly selected and announced shortly. As a reminder, the number of persons selected will be based on the amount of money received, and only those who contributed and gave their names will be considered. This is truly exciting!
Moving forward, we need to also focus our attention on the Rotary Foundation and EREY, Every Rotarian Every Year. District Rotary Foundation Chair PDG Eric Storberg sent a well-written update and appeal for the Foundation that I thought I would share after closing my comments in this month’s newsletter.
Finally, RI has provided the attached document to help during this political season, noting that some challenges are already arising in some districts and many people have questions about how to handle certain situations. If any situations arise that you are unsure of how to handle, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for all you do and allowing me the opportunity to serve you in any way possible with your efforts to make a difference in the world.
Rev. Dr. J. Loren Russell
District Governor 2023-2024
Rotary International District 7230
Here’s PDG Eric’s communication:
“I thought our members might find it interesting to see where our Rotary International Foundation contributions have been coming from. I am pleased to say that to date, our highest donors per capita to the Foundation Annual Fund are.... (drumroll please!), taking the top spot, Cortlandt Manor at $202.78 per member; sitting in 2nd place with per capita contributions of $158.33 is the E-Club of Sunshine, and currently placing 3rd is the Chinatown Club with per capita contributions of $142.71.
It is with contributions to our Annual Fund that we're able to fund so many of the local projects through District Grants and the larger international projects with Global Grants. Contributions to the Annual Fund allow clubs such as the North Shore club on Staten Island to sponsor water bore projects in Egypt to provide fresh water to 60,000 people. That's making a difference. Let's keep it up!
I say with confidence that the Rotary International Foundation is the crown jewel of our organization. It's what allows us to tackle the 7 Areas of Focus that help change lives and save lives. It's what has put us on the cusp of eradicating Polio once and for all. If you or your clubs have yet to make your contributions, please consider doing so. You might also consider becoming a Paul Harris Society member.
If you have any questions or comments about our Foundation, feel free to share them with me at any time.
Thank you for all that you do.
Eric Storberg
District Rotary Foundation Chair
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