Governor's Message - June 6, 2016

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks again for a great year!
 
By Jim Fusco
 
It is hard to imagine that in only four weeks my term will be ending. Pat and Skip Doyle will be installed as district governors on June 26, taking leadership of our district on July 1. It has truly been an amazing experience as I have traveled the district making visits, attending events, inducting new members and presenting Paul Harris recognitions. There was much that needed to be accomplished and we have done so much. But with only four weeks left, I still have plenty to do.
 
Last week, 11 Rotarians and partners from our district attended the Rotary International Convention in Seoul, South Korea. From the feedback I received, it was another great convention. Next year, the RI Convention will be in Atlanta, so I hope to see hundreds from our district in attendance.
 
For me, last week was on the quiet side. But I kept extremely busy cleaning up old action items. On Thursday, I pretended to be an artist as my home club, Montachusett Area Rotary, held a Paint Night. Here is my creation:
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What a shame Paint Night wasn’t held before the District Conference because I would have put this painting up for bids in the Silent Auction. I am sure the bidding would have been often and high!
 
This week, I will be attending the Rotarian Youth Leadership Awards Committee meeting and joining Tyngsboro-Dunstable, Lowell and Nashua Rotary at their annual Fishing Day. Bob Guernsey, president of Tyngsboro-Dunstable, promised me the fishing would be good and he would bait my hook.
 
International and District Award Winners: I am so proud of the accomplishments of our clubs and Rotarians during this Rotary Year that I want to once again list the award recipients:
  • Citation for Meritorious Service Award to Roy Balfour of Shrewsbury Rotary
  • International Service Award for a Polio Free World to Dr. Carl Good III, PhD, of Merrimack Valley Rotary
  • The Rotary Foundation Service Award to Shirley MacPherson and Arnie Miller of Brookline Rotary, Lynn Duffy-O'Shea of Brookfields Rotary,Mike Thorton of Neponset Valley Rotary, Al Bowers of Athol-Orange Rotary, Ralph Hammond of Bedford Rotary, Richard Simon of Nashoba Valley Rotary, Michelle and Tony Gasbarro of Montachusett Area Rotary, Sanjay Deshpande of Wachusett Area Rotary, Mike Beekof Westford Rotary, John Sbrogna of Montachusett Area Rotary, Mark Blumentahl of Natick Rotary, Patricia Thorpe of Ayer Rotary, Tom Sawyer of Milford Rotary
  • Vocational Service Leadership Award to Karen Jacobs of Brookline Rotary
  • Major Donor Award to Satya  and Supriya Mitra of Worcester Rotary
  • Major Donor Award to Michelle and Tony Gasbarro of Montachusett Area Rotary
  • Paul Harris Recognition to Dawn Phelan of Ayer Rotary and Melinda Nicholson of Bedford Rotary
  • Club of the Year Gold to Concord Rotary
  • Club of the Year Silver to Bedford Rotary
  • Club of the Year Bronze to Nashoba Valley
  • Rotarian of the Year to Dick Andersen of Littleton Rotary
  • Rotarian of the Year to Steve Jones-D’Agostino of Auburn Rotary
  • Service Above Self Award to Klaus Hachfeld of Sturbridge Rotary
  • Rotarian Spouse/Partner Service Award to Les Davis of Auburn Rotary
  • Presidential Citation Gold to Acton-Boxborough, Concord and Nashoba Valley Rotary
  • Presidential Citation Silver to Bedford and Gardner Rotary
  • Presidential Citation Bronze to Brookline and Wachusett Area Rotary
  • Presidential Citation for Interact Clubs to Bedford, Wellesley and Nashoba Valley Rotary
  • Make Your Mark Award to Acton-Boxborough Rotary
  • Club Service Award to Concord Rotary
  • Community Service Award to Littleton and Worcester Rotary
  • International Service Award to Concord Rotary
  • Vocational Service Award to Bedford Rotary
  • Youth Service Award to Acton-Boxborough Rotary
  • Club Growth Award to Leominster Rotary
  • Strategic Partners Award by Nashoba Valley Rotary
  • PR Coverage Award to Brookline Rotary 
  • Digital Marketing Award to Acton-Boxborough Rotary
  • Brand Compliance Award to Brookline Rotary
  • Innovative Use of PR In A Project to Auburn Rotary
Membership Update: I just received the membership report from Rotary Zone 24/32 and although I am disappointed that our membership numbers through June are up only by three, I am encouraged that of the 20 districts in our zone we were sixth best in membership performance.
Facebook is such an important tool for any organization and getting people to “like” our page is important. We are slowly growing our “likes.”  When my year began, we had just 465 “likes” and we needed to do better. We ran a Facebook contest from February to April and are at 647 "likes" - with the number increasing slowly each week. Plans are in the works for another contest.
 
District Fellowship Golf League: In May, the league played at Sterling Golf Course and all had a great time. The next round will be held at Butter Brook Golf Club on Thursday, June 16. This event is open to Rotarians and friends of Rotary so talk it up. If you're interested in joining us on June 16, then click here.
 
RYLA Volunteers Needed: Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) at Fitchburg State University is only three weeks away. Now, we need volunteers. Vice Chair Christine Pinney asked me to remind you that as a rule of thumb a club should have two volunteers for each RYLA student they are sponsoring. To volunteer, click here.
 
District Banners:  Our district banners are in high demand so I urge you to put in your banner request early. If you have an upcoming event or fundraiser and want to reserve one of the banners, please contact PR Chair Laura Spear at laura@spear.net.
 
RI and District Dues: Don’t forget that RI and District dues are now based upon your membership data that are in Rotary’s database as of this July 1. No adjustments can be made to the RI or District invoice after they have been issued. I do not want you to end up paying for members who do not continue after June 30, so I urge you to ensure that your membership data are accurate in ClubRunner by June 30. The 2016-2017 officers will not have access to edit these data until July 1, so it is important that the '15-'16 club officers review them. I encourage all club officers to ensure they are registered on My Rotary. To do so, click here.
 
RI on YouTube: Did you know that Rotary International has official online-media channels, including a YouTube page? You can find a wealth of Rotary-themed video that can be featured during one of your events. To check out RI's YouTube page, click here.
 
 
District Conference Photos: Check out the scores of photos by Cheryl Rosen of Hudson Rotary, Rich Prager of Worcester Rotary, Skip Doyle of Northborough Rotary, and me:
District Resolutions: During the Business Meeting portion of the recent District Conference, club delegates approved numerous changes to the District Resolutions. Click here to view the full, revised set of Resolutions, in PDF format.
 
I now have only four more weeks to serve as your district governor and I will keep busy to the end. Thank you for a great year!
 
Jim Fusco, 2015-2016 governor of District 7910, may be reached at  jim.fusco2@gmail.com.