Fellow D7230 Rotarians and Rotaractors:
My hope and prayer is that you had a memorable month of November and packed it with joyful service to others, as well as thoughtful and loving time with your family and friends. We speak often and highly of this season of giving and sharing. As Rotarians, we strive to make giving a part of our everyday lives. But I want to put emphasis on and remind us that our Rotary mantra, “Service Above Self,” must be just as real in our homes as it is in the field. Our first service belongs to our families.
I think I was able to personify that position by not only visiting seven Rotary Clubs and one Rotaract club; helping to organize and present a truly spectacular District Training Conference; continue planning for our first ever district-wide speech contest; meeting with the centennial committee of the Hamilton Rotary Club; running a 1K 5K walk/run in the Botanical Gardens (Paget, Bermuda) to raise awareness, educate, inform, and screen for risk factors of non communicable diseases; I was also able to spend a day of Thanksgiving serving meals to the hungry, visiting a nursing home, then dining with family and close friends to close out the day.
Our district website has reflected and chronicled many of the service projects our clubs have performed throughout the month of November. They have been life altering for the recipients as well as encouraging for the club participants. If you didn’t see your club’s service projects or planned activities, please send your photos, stories, and plans to our District’s Public Image Chair, for posting. The only way for us to know what you’re doing is if you tell us. “It’s not about ME, it’s about WE!”
As we close in on the end of 2023 and eagerly look forward to a new year of giving above self, I want to remind everyone of our desire to raise funds to bring a consortium of mainland District 7230 Rotatarians to Bermuda for their four clubs’ collaborative effort to celebrate the Hamilton Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary. There will be an in-person fundraiser on February 3 (more information to come). In the meantime, I am asking each district member to make a $20 contribution. Checks can be made payable to Rotary District 7230 and sent to PO Box 273, Bronxville, NY 10708.
Random selections will be made of all contributors and 15-18 selectees (depending on the amount raised) will receive approximately 50% of the airline, hotel, transportation, and meal cost to offset the total cost of attending the celebration (March 14-17, 2024).
Additionally, a portion of the funds raised will be used to bring the winner of the Bermuda area speech contest and their chaperone to the US to compete in the contest final that will be held at the Spring District Conference.
I am hopeful you will support me in these efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable District.
I mean it when I say, I love you and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, so get used to it!
Yours in service,
Rev. Dr. J. Loren Russell
District Governor 7230
2023-2024