Rotary District 7910 Newsletter - March 21, 2016
Upcoming EventsYou may submit event information per the District 7910 Promotional Guidelines. If your club does not use ClubRunner, please send your event information to Rotary District 7910 Newsletter. And make sure to add jim.fusco2@gmail.com to your club's distribution list.
2016 District Conference: Plymouth Rocks!
by District 7910 Conference Committee
May 20, 21 and 22
Hotel 1620 At Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth
Click here to Register Now!
Click here to download the 11-page, 'everything you need to know' District Conference Booklet, which contains:
- Schedule
- Pricing
- Hospitality 'Sweets' Request Form
- Cruise Registration Form
- Golf Registration Form
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Facebook 'Like' Contest
Click here to watch the three-minute promo video, produced by Assistant Governor Richard Simon
RYLA: Student online registration is now open
Student online registration for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards is now open.
Click here, for online registration.
If you have any special club events that you would like me to attend or any inductions or presentations that you would like me to make, please let me know.
DG Jim
District EventsMonday, March 21-Monday, April 11
Saturday, March 26
7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Amica Mutual Insurance, Lincoln, RI
Tuesday, March 29
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 31
Thursday, April 8
4:00-8:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
Saturday, April 10
12:30-5:30 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
RI Spotlight
Zone 32 Foundation Webinar Now Available
On February 2, Rotary Zone 32, of which District 7910 is a part, held a webinar titled “Best Practices to Improve Foundation Giving." If you missed that webinar, click here to watch video of it, and click here to download the PowerPoint presentation for it.
To read Zone 24 & 32's February 2016 Beyond Borders newsletter, click here.
RI Membership Resource Guide: Winter 2016
To download in PDF format, click here
New Tools For Membership Tool Belt
Looking to enhance your club membership experience? Do you want to find opportunities for growth in your club? Club and district leaders now have a set of updated Membership Assessment Tools (formerly Club Assessment Tools) to help them strengthen club membership and add value to your club membership experience, so that more people will join and fewer members will leave.For your convenience, you can download the entire publication, or just the individual assessments that are most relevant to your club.
The individual assessments, which walk users through evaluation and development of an action plan, include:
- Representing Your Community’s Professions: A Classification Assessment
- Diversifying Your Club: A Member Diversity Assessment
- Finding New Club Members: A Prospective Member Exercise
- Improving Your Member Retention: A Retention Assessment and Analysis
- Enhancing the Club Experience: Member Satisfaction Survey
- Understanding Why Members Resign: Exit Survey
Historical trends show that there’s an increase in membership soon after the new year, so this is the perfect time to consider how you welcome new members into your club. Read how one club is using our New Member Welcome Kits to enhance their welcome and orientation.
Rotary Global Rewards: Sign Up Today!
Click here to learn more
Have you tried Rotary Global Rewards — Rotary International’s new member-benefit program that offers discounts on travel, hotels, dining, entertainment and more? Rotary Global Rewards will make your Rotary membership even more rewarding.
Rotary Global Rewards helps you share Rotary by:
- Doing more good work: Involve more members in Rotary projects with savings on truck rentals, airfare, and hotels.
- Building Rotary friendships: Forge richer friendships with fellow members with your dining and entertainment offers.
- Sharing our story with someone new: Tell people about Rotary’s work when you use discounts at coffee shops and restaurants.
Our rewards program is even more special now because members are invited to build it. This fall, Rotarians can add their company’s special offers to our growing portfolio of Rotary Global Rewards.
Where will Rotary Global Rewards take you? Sign in to My Rotary, go to the Member Center, and learn more. If you don’t have an account, create one now at www.rotary.org/myrotary.
The good you do comes back to you!
2016-2017 Rotary Theme: 'Rotary Serving Humanity'
Check Out Rotary Voices Blog
Check out Rotary Voices, the official blog of Rotary International. This blog features stories by and about Rotary members, Rotary program alumni, and the people we partner and work with.
Governor's MessageI Still Have Plenty To Do
By Jim Fusco
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As I prepare to write my 37th newsletter, I realize how much I still have to do and how little time I have to do it. Before I talk about what I did last week and what I plan to do this week, I want to discuss the District Conference in Plymouth, which is only 60 days away!
District Conference: We will be celebrating your year on May 20-22 in Plymouth and there are a bunch of things that you should know to make this an unforgettable experience. So here you go:
- Package deals are available to save you money, so register now.
- Saturday afternoon will be free time: Either take a harbor cruise on the Pilgrim Belle and enjoy a lobster roll lunch or a deli lunch; or play a round of golf at Squirrel Run, click here to register.
- Business Meeting on Friday, and every club should send a delegate.
- House of Friendship on Friday and Saturday, and every club should have a display.
- Silent Auction on Friday and Saturday, and every club should donate an auction item.
- Hospitality “Sweets” on Friday and Saturday, and every attendee should enjoy the fellowship.
- Reception for New Members/Presidents/President-Elects on Saturday
- Reception for Past District Governors as well as Major Donors on Friday.
- Paul Harris Dinner on Friday, with keynote speakers from Plimouth Plantation.
- And much, much more!
Click here to download or print this newsletter, in PDF format.
Click here for past issues.
Download or print the meeting minutes for 2016 District Conference Committee(Rotary member login is required)
Welcome, New MembersPlease welcome the newest Rotarians in our district (alphabetical order by last name):
Rotarians In Memoriam
Robert A. Mosher Sr.District & Club Rounds2015-2016 Presidential Citations
This year’s Presidential Citation is somewhat different from previous ones.
"In de.jpg)
veloping this program," Rotary International President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran (shown, left) states, "I put a lot of 
thought into selecting goals that, if achieved, would be measurable by all of us and make Rotary demonstrably stronger, more effective at delivering service, and more widely known and respected by the general public."
veloping this program," Rotary International President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran (shown, left) states, "I put a lot of thought into selecting goals that, if achieved, would be measurable by all of us and make Rotary demonstrably stronger, more effective at delivering service, and more widely known and respected by the general public."Click here for Presidential Citation brochure (shown, right), in PDF format
Interact Clubs
How does your Interact club make a difference? Use the information, below, to make a plan for your club, and then report your accomplishments for the 2015-2016 Rotary year.
To qualify for the Presidential Citation, your Interact club must:1. Have an active status with Rotary International. Ask the president of your sponsor Rotary club to confirm this by checking the New Generations Clubs report in Rotary Club Central.
2. Carry out at least five of the activities listed, below, between last July 1 and this April 1.
3. Work with your sponsor Rotary club on your activities throughout the year. Ask the club president to verify, on Rotary.org, that your club has qualified for the Presidential Citation. They must report your qualification on Rotary.org by this April 15.
Click here for additional information on Interact Clubs citations, in PDF format
Rotaract Clubs
How does your Rotaract club make a difference in the world? To qualify for the 2015-2016 Presidential Citation, Rotaract clubs must complete two mandatory activities and at least three additional activities between last July 1 and this April 1 - unless otherwise specified.The clubs’ accomplishments will be verified by Rotary data after the deadline. No exceptions to the deadline will be granted, and no forms or reports should be submitted to Rotary International.
Rotaract club presidents will be able to track their clubs’ progress toward each of the citation’s goals by signing in to Rotary.org. They are responsible for regularly checking that progress and verifying the accuracy of RI’s data. Any discrepancies should immediately be brought to RI’s attention. Sponsor Rotary club presidents and district governors also will be able to track the progress of their Rotaract clubs on Rotary.org.
Click for additional information on Rotaract Clubs citations, in PDF format
District 7910 Celebrates Successful Guyana Playground Project
Every year, a group of Rotarians from District 7910 travel to a third-world country to accomplish a "hands-on" 
project with the resident Rotary club. This February, our district team traveled to Georgetown, Guyana to build a playground for special-needs students at a local school.Afterward, the Rotary members went to a local orphanage to visit the children and deliver stuffed toys, books and games. The Rotary Club of Georgetown coordinated the visit and participated in the activities. This is another good example of Rotary at work and Rotary international service.
For the trip highlights, click here to view a three-minute video.
Brookline Rotary Signs Up Candidates To Launch Interact Club
By Bob Anthony
During District 7910 training, District Interact Chair Ron Bott suggested community events are an opportunity to sign-up candidates to launch an Interact club. That is exactly what Marina Brodskaya of the Rotary Club of Brookline did on February 28. She helped community leaders, Urban Improv, and Wellesley Interact teens schedule a Teen Wellness Workshop, which identified teens interested in creating an Interact club in Brookline to perform community service focused on mental health and wellness promotion. Shown right, standing, left to right, are Merle Perkins of Urban Improv and Nicole Frontero of Wellesley Interact (Photo: Bob Anthony)
Urban Improv included the audience in skits on problem-solving and coping with life's worries, including awareness of suicidal ideation in oneself or a friend. Peer leaders showed an excerpt from the documentary Break Free From Depression and facilitated small group discussions. After the workshop, age 12-18 participants were invited to sign-up for training as Interact peer leaders. The event was hosted by United Parish with volunteers from other congregations, health-care providers, Brookline Rotary, Brookline High School, the Teen Center, and Adolescent Wellness.
Shown, above, are Wellesley Interact teens introducing teen leaders from Brookline (Photo: Bob Anthony)
The content used in the event was the Break Free From Depression documentary and manual from Boston Children’s Hospital. It is included in a kit called “Wellness in a Box” (shown, right), which any Rotary club may order from the Rotary Club of Wellesley. It provides the resources to create an Interact club with a Mental Health & Wellness Promotion project.
Bob Anthony, Brookline Rotary’s Interact chair, may be reached at bobanthony@adolescent-wellness.org.
Rotary’s Dictionary Project Comes Full Circle in Massachusetts
After learning about The Dictionary Project in the late ‘90s, the Rotary Club of Acton-Boxborough decided to visit several local elementary schools and hand out personalized dictionaries. Little did they know, one third-grade student from their 1998 project in an Acton-Boxborough school would become a teacher. And, not just any teacher – a third-grade teacher!Today, Mairin Gulliver teaches at Luther Conant School in Acton. This year, when Rotarians came to her class to hand out the dictionaries, she told them that she received her personal dictionary from the Rotary club when she was in third grade and still has it! She remembers the day when Rotarians came to her class and gave each student their own book. “I remember taking my book home and flipping through the pages to find new information,” Mairin says. Today, she uses the donated dictionaries in her classroom to teach basic dictionary skills through a treasure hunt activity. After the strategy-based lesson, the students get to take their books home to use for their spelling and language-arts practice worksheets.
When asked why paperback dictionaries are important, Mairin explains that having a personal dictionary puts each child on the same playing field. Although resources and learning materials can be monitored in the classroom environment, teachers such as her recognize that not every child has access to a computer – or even books at home. “Like our motto here at Luther Conant School, the whole child is the whole idea, we want our students to have every resource available to be successful,” Mairin says.
To learn more about The Dictionary Project, click here.
Bedford Rotary To Pack Meals For Stop Hunger Now On May 14
The Rotary Club of Bedford will attempt to feed 250,000 children with their fourth annual Meals for Kids food packaging event in partnership with Stop Hunger Now on May 14 at the Bedford campus of Middlesex Community College.
The Rotary Club, composed of just a few dozen business professionals from Bedford and its surrounding communities, began feeding hungry children in 2013. That first year they established their relationship with Stop Hunger Now, they raised enough money and gathered enough volunteer packagers to put together enough packaged meals to feed 15,000 hungry children. Read more
Wesford Rotary Donates To Two Local Causes
Westford Rotary recently presented SummerFest Checks to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell (shown, left) and 
Westford Education Foundation (shown, right).NEPETS Album: Photo highlights of 2016 Northeast Presidents Elect Training Seminar
Click here to view and download JPEG-format photos of the 2016 Northeast Presidents Elect Training Seminar, which took place on March 10, 11 and 12 at the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham.
The photos were taken by District Archivist Cheryl Rosen and District Webmaster Steve Jones-D'Agostino.
Note: Make sure to hit the "i" icon in the upper-right corner each photo page, which will reveal information about that photo.
Shown, left to right: Co-Governors-Elect Skip and Pat Doyle; Rotary International President Rick King, who was the keynote speaker during NEPETS' March 10 dinner; Karen Fusco of the Fitchburg Rotary club, and District Governor Jim Fusco. They posed together following that dinner.
District Conference: Things I want you to know
By Jim Fusco
I will run “Things you should know” in every Newsletter until the 2016 District Conference on May 20 through 22 in Plymouth - and I will highlight different items each week. This week, I am presenting “Saturday afternoon free time.”
We have two prepaid options for you to celebrate your free time on the afternoon of Saturday, May 21. Free time will be from 12 noon to 4 pm. Register for only one of these options because they will be occurring at the same time.
- Harbor Cruise aboard the Pilgrim Belle: click here. Five-minute walk from the hotel. 1-1/12-hour cruise of Plymouth Harbor. You must register and pay for this event in advance because space is limited. Your price includes a box lunch: for Deli Box lunch $30, click here; and for Lobster Roll, $40, click here.
- Golfing at the Squirrel Run Golf Course: click here. 14 minute drive from the hotel. Tee time is 12 noon. A great opportunity to golf at the beautiful Squirrel Run Golf Course. Price is only $40 person and includes your golf cart. Space is limited so make your reservations early: click here.
Many other things to do
There are also many other things in the Plymouth area you can do. Here are a few suggestions. Registration is not required for these activities:
Ukraine Rotary Clubs Need Our Help With Recent Polio Outbreaks
Twenty-five years ago, the Rotary Club of Shrewsbury co-sponsored the first Rotary club in Ukraine, 
which was the Rotary Club of Kiev. Now, a quarter-century later, Ukraine needs our help with recent polio outbreaks in that eastern European nation.
which was the Rotary Club of Kiev. Now, a quarter-century later, Ukraine needs our help with recent polio outbreaks in that eastern European nation.Rotary in Ukraine has now has grown to more 43 clubs. Click here to watch a video posted by our fellow Rotarians in Ukraine regarding the recent outbreak of polio. It demonstrates that with low awareness and low vaccination rates, one plane ride can cause this disease reappear again overnight and anywhere - even in America. Ukraine Rotary clubs are looking for help. The best way is to make a donation of any size. To make a donation, click here.
Every donation gets amplified by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which donates $2 for every $1 donated by Rotarians. That causes each donation of $1 to triple to $3. Click here to learn more about that match.
Major District & Club Happenings: Spring 2016Tuesday, March 22: Hudson Rotary - Author Bob J.S. Ross Talk
Click here for seminar details, in PDF format
Friday, April 1: Shrewsbury - Taste of Shrewsbury
Click here for sponsorship opportunities, in PDF format
Click here for food-vendor application, in PDF format
Wednesday, April 6: Tewksbury - Taste of the Town
Click here for taste details, in PDF format
Friday, April 8: District 7910: Ad Deadline for District Conference Souvenir Book
Click here for the order form, in PDF format
Saturday, April 9: Uxbridge - Wine and Chocolate Tasting
Friday, April 15: District 7910 - Deadline for Facebook Contest
Click here for contest details, in PDF format
Wednesday, April 20: District 7910 - Deadline for District Conference Hospitality 'Sweets'
Click here for request form, in PDF format
Sunday, May 1: Northborough Rotary - 5 & 10K Road/Trail Run
Click here for run flyer, in PDF format
Friday, April 29: Wachusett Area - Roaring 20s Dinner Dance
Click here for dinner-dance flyer, in PDF format
Thursday, May 5: District 7910 - Sign-Up Deadline for District Conference Golf Outing
Click here for golf flyer, in PDF format
Saturday, May 21 or First 90 People to Sign Up: District 7910 - Sign-Up Deadline for District Conference Harbor Cruise
Click here for cruise flyer, in PDF format
Saturday, June 4: Worcester - Celebrate Community Gala
Submit Major Club Happenings
Send flyers of your club's major events and activities, in either JPEG or PDF format, to Jim Fusco at jim.fusco2@gmail.com.
Committee Spotlight.jpg)
Post-PETS Team Training (formerly District Assembly)
By Pat and Skip Doyle
April 8, 2016
4:00-8:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
District Governors-Elect Pat and Skip Doyle invite you to attend Post-PETS Team Training 2016-2017.
Who attends?
- Presidents-Elect, Presidents-Nominee, and Board Members
- 2016-2017 Treasurers
- 2016-2017 Secretaries
- 2016-2017 Public Image Chairs
- 2016-2017 Membership Chairs
- Members new to Rotary
- And all other interested Rotarians!
Post-Pets Training registration starts at 3:30. Opening session begins at 4:00 sharp - and ends at 8:00. At 5:00, we break for hors d'oeuvres, and resume with breakout sessions at 6:00.
The cost is $20 per person and may be reimbursed by your club.
Register now, and pay with credit card or check.
To register, contact District Governors-Elect Pat and Skip Doyle at pwdoyle2@ verizon.net and skipdoyle2@verizon.net, respectively.
RYLA Reminder: Online student registration is now open
By Christine Pinney
Check out our online student registration for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.
Registration is open!
Click here, for online registration.
Please inform selected students and alternates that they must:
1. Fill out the online registration
2. Print out the signature page
3. Sign it along with their parents/guardians
4. Deliver the form to their RYLA contact ASAP
Complete
d paperwork must be sent to our RYLA registrar and postmarked by this May 1.
d paperwork must be sent to our RYLA registrar and postmarked by this May 1.If you have any questions, visit www.ryla7910.org.
Christine Pinney, vice chair of District 79810's RYLA Committee, may be reached at christine@christinepinney.com
Mark Your Interact and Rotaract Calendars!
District 7910 will hold a joint Interact and Rotaract Training Seminar on Tuesday, September 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at place to be determined. This event is a follow-up to the separate Interact and Rotaract Training Seminars that were held last fall and this winter, respectively.
Membership Corner: A challenge to incoming presidents
By Tom Sturiale
Congratulations to all the incoming presidents in District 7910. You have completed your PETS training and are prepared for what will be an exciting and challenging year. You still have three months to develop your plans. There are so many items to consider that you may get bogged down in details.
It may be useful to focus on the important few items and to rely on your organization of committee chairs to take care of the many details. Of course, it is critical that you do have a slate of officers and committee chairs to carry on the work of the club. Your club asked you to take on the role of president and is incumbent on them to support you by assuming the responsibilities of committee chairs. But, assuming you have that structure in place, what might be considered the important few items? Read more
PR Tips: Register today for District 7910 Social Media Seminar
By Laura Spear
To Register Now, click here
Are you ready to get social? Mark your calendars for March 31! It's time for our District 7910 Social Media Seminar. The content for this seminar resulted from our third-quarter District PR Meeting and is designed for new and not-so-new users of social media.
Attendees can mix and match - attend a Facebook Tips and Tricks session, a LinkedIn 101 session, and a Videos session, for example. To get the most out of the event, have several members of your club attend. The best part ... it's free!
Laura Spear, chair of District 7910's Public Image Committee, may be reached at laura@spear.net.
Foundation Notice: Qualification status for 2016-’17 grants
By Sanjay Deshpande
During the 2016-2017 Rotary year, which begins this July 1, one qualifying criterion for participation in District 7910’s District Grants and Global Grants is per-capita contributions to The Rotary Foundation during the 2015-’16 year. These contributions can be made to the Annual Fund - Share, all other Annual Fund designations, and Polio Eradication-approved or Foundation-approved grants. That is, all Global Grants.As of this March 7, here is the qualification status on the per-capita Foundation Giving criterion: Read more
Foundation Grants: 2016-2017 and Beyond
During the Foundation Transition meeting on February 22, I, as incoming District Foundation chair, made a presentation titled "Foundation Grants in 2016-2017 and Beyond." To view and download the presentation, in PDF format, click here.
Sanjay Deshpande may be reached at sanjdesh51@aol.com.
Polio Plus Report: District contributions status; New RI funding; New vaccine type
Status of District 7910 club contributions
By Carl Good III
To review and download the District 7910 polio-contributions report compiled by Rotary International, click here. Only four clubs have contributed more than $500 each, and only four have exceed our district's goal of $1,500 per club. The good news: Our district is 58 percent ahead of this time last year.Carl Good, chair of District 7910's Polio Plus Committee, may be reached at carlgood@yahoo.com.
RI provides $35 million in new funding
Rotary International has released $35 million in new grants to support the global effort to eradicate polio. The funds will build on last year’s historic achievement of stopping transmission of the wild poliovirus in Nigeria and all of Africa. Just two countries reported wild polio cases in 2015, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rotary’s funds will go toward efforts to end the disease in those countries and seven others. Read more
Rotary International has released $35 million in new grants to support the global effort to eradicate polio. The funds will build on last year’s historic achievement of stopping transmission of the wild poliovirus in Nigeria and all of Africa. Just two countries reported wild polio cases in 2015, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rotary’s funds will go toward efforts to end the disease in those countries and seven others. Read moreNew type of polio vaccine
A new type of polio vaccine has been produced that can provide a better injectable to people in Third World countries. Click here to watch a recent Australian TV news report on the Vaxxas Nanopatch.Bandey-Hefler Reflections: Farewell photos and promo video
Click here to view photo highlights of the 2015 Rotary Bandey-Hefler Fellowship Exchange between District 7910 and Districts 1110 and 1145 in England.
Click here to view the promotional video for 2015-2016 Bandey-Hefler program in District 7910Peace Fellowships: Application Deadline Is May 31
By Terry Parker
Each year, Rotary International selects up to 100 individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of RI’s Peace Centers. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses. Read more2015-2016 District DirectoryView and Download (requires member login)
Submit Content
To submit content for consideration for the Monday, March 28 issue of Rotary District 7910 Newsletter, please e-mail it to District Governor Jim Fusco at jim.fusco2@gmail.com. The submission deadline is Friday, March 25. All text must be in Word format. All images must be in either JPEG or PDF format.
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© Copyright 2015-2016
Rotary District 7910, Central Massachusetts, USA
2015-2016 District Governor Jim Fusco
Rotary District 7910 Newsletter Editor Steve Jones-D'Agostino