Dear D7230 Rotarians and Rotaractors,
Greetings and Happy Spring!
It’s hard to imagine that we have already completed nearly three months of this new year. I invite you to visit the District website on a regular basis to see some of the incredible projects your fellow district Rotarians have engaged to make life better for needy humanity in a variety of areas.
We have been busy on the District side as well, solidifying initiatives that will complement projects and activities you are doing. We are hopeful that the District efforts will create opportunities for the disengaged to reengage. Before I get to that, let me quickly update you on club visits.
CLUB VISITS:
I recently visited two of the remaining Rotary Clubs that have not had a DG visit this year. There remain only 4 of the 50 clubs to be scheduled. As those who have hosted me can attest, I make it a point to emphasize why we are Rotarians. I have said it repeatedly that we are not Rotarians because of what we do, we are Rotarians because of who we are! What we do complements that fact!
DISTRICT CONFERENCE:
We are no longer one step away from securing the venue for the District Conference, the contract is signed, and the date is set! June 29 is the date, and the venue is..., wait for it…, Yankee Stadium!!! Tell your fellow Rotarians, your family, and your friends to join us as we celebrate this past year and ready ourselves for the incoming year in one of the most iconic locations in the world. We will share the cost in a separate post and email. I can tell you that it will be slightly more than usual, but the venue is slightly different than routine. I hope you can make your way out to this very historic event.
DISTRICT SPEECH CONTEST:
We have officially launched the district speech contest. Information, including registration can be found on the district's home page. It was also sent via email to everyone in the district. This is one of the the opportunities for engagement and reengagement I was speaking of.
I would like every club to reach out to the high school age students in their area and encourage them to participate. Some members may have connections with their local department of education, others will just reach out to their family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and associates who have high school-aged children. Many of our disengaged members may see this as their opportunity to reinvigorate themselves and introduce young people to the wonderful world of Rotary.
HAMILTON CENTENNIAL:
Congratulations to the Bermuda Centennial Committee and all the Bermuda Rotarians for organizing a fantastic week of celebrating 100 years of Rotary in Bermuda!
A quick update on the fundraiser we did to bring USA residents to Bermuda for the centennial celebrations. We did not raise the $15-20,000 we hoped to, bur did raise enough to take one person with us. After going through the first unavailable 7 randomly selected winners, IPDG Marty Schulman’s name was selected. (The remaining funds will be used to offset the cost of transportation and lodging for the winner from the Area 2 (Bermuda) to the US to present their wining speech at the District Conference.)
STUDENT EXCHANGE:
We are also working on a student exchange with Tasmania, Australia and looking for members who are willing to host a student in their home, and for students who are interested in going to Australia. DGN Garrett Capobianco is overseeing that along with Rtn. Serkan Ceylan. Please feel free to reach out to either of these gentlemen for additional information.
FOUNDATION GIVING:
On a final note, the Rotary year is quickly coming to a conclusion (already) and we want to finish the year strong as it relates to Foundation giving. Every dollar that we give to the Rotary Foundation is used to fund projects worldwide while a portion is returned to the District for our local projects. This year, we were able to distribute just over $37,000 to clubs in our district to do what they hold dear to their hearts. I hope you were one of the recipients. “Every Rotarian Every Year” (EREY) is a great way for each of us to make a financial contribution with a small contribution of just $25.00 a year. Use this link to contribute ( https://my.rotary.org/en/donate)
On a final note, the Rotary year is quickly coming to a conclusion (already) and we want to finish the year strong as it relates to Foundation giving. Every dollar that we give to the Rotary Foundation is used to fund projects worldwide while a portion is returned to the District for our local projects. This year, we were able to distribute just over $37,000 to clubs in our district to do what they hold dear to their hearts. I hope you were one of the recipients. “Every Rotarian Every Year” (EREY) is a great way for each of us to make a financial contribution with a small contribution of just $25.00 a year. Use this link to contribute ( https://my.rotary.org/en/donate)
CONCLUSION:
I am excited by what we have been able to accomplish so far, but the year is not over. Let’s keep on doing what we do, creating hope in the world…, not ME, but “WE!”
Rev. Dr. J. Loren Russell
District Governor 2023-2024
District 7230
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