Rotary District 7910 Newsletter - May 23, 2016

Upcoming Events

You 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.

Click here, for PDF version of May 23 issue of Rotary District 7910 Newsletter

RYLA: Volunteers Sought

Volunteers are being sought for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards on June 23.

Click here, to volunteer now

Club Visits

Invite District Governor Jim Fusco to your club's Installation and Special Events!

Just Ask!

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

jim.fusco2@gmail.com.

District Events: May 23-June 28

RI Convention

Sunday, May 29-Wednesday, June 1

Seoul, Korea

RYLA Sub-Committee Meeting- Volunteer RoundUp

Wednesday, June 8

6:00-9:30 p.m.

Holiday Inn, Boxborough

District Golf Fellowship League

Thursday, June 16

1:00-6:00 p.m.

Butter Brook Golf Club, Westford

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)

Friday, June 24-Sunday, June 26

Fitchburg State University

District AG Meeting Live

Tuesday, June 28

6:30-9:00 p.m.

Holiday Inn, Boxborough

View these plus more upcoming District Events

RI Spotlight

On the Road As An End Polio Now Coordinator

By Carol Toomey, Zone 32 End Polio Now Coordinator

This time of year— training season in Rotary — I am frequently invited to talk at various club and District events. Last week was no exception: I was at District 7910’s Assembly in Massachusetts. As I was preparing, I got to thinking about the many new Rotarians who joined recently and may never have been asked to give to PolioPlus. It is our job to ask them if they want to be part of history … and to help us get to zero. Yes, we have been “this close” for a long time. It is now time to think about getting to zero. Imagine telling your grandchildren that you were part of the polio eradication program and that they will never have to worry about the disease because people cared enough to support the eradication program. Read more, starting on page 10.

GLI: An Incredible Rotary Leadership Opportunity

Global Leadership Institute is an intense leadership opportunity to be held this July 26 to 31 at the luxurious Dolce Convention Center in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is for global change-makers between the ages of 19 and 35.

During that week, participants will be personally and professionally pushed to become the leaders they have the potential to be. In the past, our professional tract has brought in speakers from TedX, Coca-Cola, IBM, Linkedin, the U.S. military, the U.S. Congress and many more. Our personal tract focuses on personal-building skills such as communication, relationship building, networking, public speaking, confidence, personality training, and business etiquette.

GLI will be accepting only 54 participants. This is one of the greatest benefits of the program. GLI has absorbed the Rotary model of "service above self" and the participant are given one-on-one help and guidance to learn what it means to be a global change-maker and great future or current Rotarian.

GLI is partnered with the United Nations. During that week, participants will be in the UN building for various activities.

For more information, click here.

Annual per-capita dues to increase $4

Dear Council on Legislation delegates, District Governors, District Governors-elect, and regional Rotary leaders,

Congratulations! The 2016 Council on Legislation was by all accounts a great success, thanks to the strong commitment, diligence and hard work of its delegates in carrying out the Council’s critical role in Rotary's governance.

The Council took a number of forward looking decisions on membership and meeting flexibility and other items, including increasing annual per capita dues by $4.

Please find more information here about the dues increase, why it was needed, and the impact it will have in supporting our organization’s work at all levels in the years ahead. I encourage you to share this information with Rotarians in your club, district, and region. You can also read a wrap-up of the Council’s actions on rotary.org.

Sincerely,

John Hewko

General Secretary

Rotary International

A how-to membership leads video

Click here for a new video that helps district and club leaders make the most of the recently enhanced Membership Leads resource. It shows how to track a prospective member from the initial membership-leads submission all the way to connection with a local club. It also outlines the role of club and district leaders in the redesigned process, highlighting how their participation will help strengthen membership, and features the new Rotary resources available to support them. Join the conversation in the Membership Best Practices discussion group to tell us how you’re using the new Membership Leads resource to grow and diversify membership.

RI Makes Changes in 'Brand Center' Online Tool

We hope that you've found Rotary International’s Brand Center a useful tool to create customized logos and brochures - and to tell Rotary's story in a consistent and engaging way.

We'd like to inform you of a recent change to the online tool. Starting today, April 4, any logos or brochures you create using one of our templates will be automatically deleted from your profile 30 days after your last change or edit. Logos and brochures created before April 4 will be deleted on May 2, unless you make a change or edit to the template.

We recommend that once you have finished your customized logo or brochure, you download the document in PDF, PNG, or JPEG format on your own computer.

Reminders of this change will be posted on Brand Center’s template and logo pages.

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

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:

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.

Click here to tell us your Rotary story. How has your life or your community been touched by Rotary? We’d like to hear about your experiences, your accomplishments, and your favorite moments. Add a photo, a video, or just a few sentences to share your Rotary Story.

2016-2017 Rotary Theme: 'Rotary Serving Humanity'

To download the image in JPEG format, click here.

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 Message

Wow! What A Great District Conference!

By Jim Fusco

WOW! What a GREAT District Conference! Thank you to Conference Chair Karin Gaffney and her committee for organizing this great event.

(Karin is shown, right, with her arms outstretched, posing with District Governor Nominee Designate Steve Sager on Saturday aboard the Pilgrim Belle in Plymouth Harbor - a la Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.) )

While I will now mention a few highlights of the conference, the real details, lots more photos plus videos will be included in next week’s newsletter.

First, a quick recap of last week. On Tuesday, I attended the joint awards banquet held by Fitchburg Rotary and Fitchburg East Rotary. On Wednesday I attended Littleton Rotary’s meeting. Then, I was off to the District Conference in Plymouth, which took place Friday through Sunday. This will be a quiet week for me as I close out the books for the DisCon ’16. READ MORE

Click here to download or print the May 23 issue, in PDF format.

Click here for past issues.

Welcome, New Members

Please welcome the newest Rotarians in our district (alphabetical order by last name):

Raoul Bruce, Brookline

District & Club Rounds

Westborough Rotary Scrapbooks Its Spring Festival

The 2016 Westborough Spring Festival, held May 6 to 8, was a time of fun, service and sometimes-uncooperative weather. Here’s a scrapbook of images from Westborough Rotary's photography team that hopefully speak for themselves.

Sit back and begin with our Red, White and Brew event at the Knights of Columbus hall. The festivities included music, beer tasting, great food and a fine rock band.

Click here to read and download the event booklet, in PDF format.

Auburn Rotary Hears From PRISMA-Bound Oboist

The Rotary Club of Auburn’s guest speaker on May 18 was Lydia Consilvio, who is shown, left, posing with club President Marcia Davis. Lydia, who attended RYLA, is an Auburn High graduate who earned her undergraduate degree at the Eastman School of Music and is now seeking a graduate degree at Yale University.

A highly talented professional oboist, she will attend the two-week Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy Festival & Academy this June 13 to 25 in Powell River, British Columbia, which is supported by the Rotary Club of Powell River through the Rotary Symphony Support Program.

Meanwhile, renovation work has begun on Goddard Memorial Park in Auburn center. On May 18, the Town of Auburn DPW excavated for the concrete pads and framed the forms (one of which is shown in the photo) for the park benches that Auburn Rotary is supplying.

The initial park-renovation work being funded by Auburn Rotary consists of the purchase and installation of six park benches and one American Disability Act-accessible picnic table. The club is funding 50 percent of that work with its $1,350 of its own money and the other 50 percent with a $1,350 matching grant from District 7910.

To learn more about Auburn Rotary, click here.

Westford Rotarian Nicole Hamel Among Lowell Sun's 'True Achievers'

Congratulations to Westford Rotarian Nicole Hamel (shown, top-left, in image) who graduated on May 14 from UMass-Lowell, for being named one of eight “True Achievers” by the Lowell Sun. As that daily newspaper reported on May 14:

“A talented singer and actress, Hamel, from Methuen, toured the world for a year with Up with People after graduating from high school. While on a stop in the Philippines, a chance encounter with a child living in poverty opened her eyes to the realization that the lack of proper health care would create barriers to that child living a healthy and fulfilling life. That experience led Hamel to an entirely different career path than her original plan of becoming a professional actress. With the hope of one day working to eradicate those barriers, Hamel returned home, determined to improve the quality of life for people in the Merrimack Valley.

“She soon put her time with Up With People to good use toward her goal: The summer before she enrolled in UMass Lowell's School of Nursing, she raised $25,000 to bring the cast of Up With People to Lowell to perform 1,200 hours of community service and present a show that raised $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell.

“While pursuing her nursing degree, Hamel has served as a resident adviser, a "Healthy Hawk" peer educator, a member of Nursing Students Without Borders and, owing to her love of performing, as a member of UMass Lowell's Glee Club.

“Her off-campus endeavors have complemented these pursuits. Through a family connection, she joined the Westford Rotary Club, where she's believed to be one of the group's youngest-ever members. As a Rotarian, she has raised money to build a water-treatment facility in Honduras, among other projects.

“In 2014, Hamel, a Methuen native, sought to put the skills she was learning in the classroom to the test. Looking for work as a nursing assistant, she landed a position at the first hospital to which she applied: Lahey Hospital and Medical Center. This weekend, UMass Lowell will honor her with a Chancellor's Medal for Community Service. After Commencement, she will continue to work as a nursing assistant at Lahey as she prepares to take her state nursing board exam.”

Framingham Rotary Awards Scholarships, Grants And A/C Units

The Rotary Club Education Foundation of Framingham has awarded $45,000 in scholarships for 2016. Congratulations to the 10 scholarship recipients from local high schools who each received a $4,500 scholarship.

There were more than 70 applications for the scholarships this year. The recipients, who were notified in May, are:

Ashland High School: Zachary Schiffman
Framingham High School: Kate O’Callaghan and Hodan Gudal
Hopkinton High School: Sabrina Martin, Jonathan Petani, and Juliette Davi
Holliston High School: Trevor Pennypacker
Joseph P. Keefe Technical School: Erin Dowdy, Valeria Arauz, and Angela Grant

On May 16, the recipients, their parent/guardians and Rotary Club of Framingham members celebrated at a luncheon at Ken's Steakhouse in Framingham.

The Education Foundation was formed via a large donation by Framingham Rotarian Fred Turenne in 1954 and aimed to create an organization able to grant scholarships to worthy high school seniors in the coverage area of Framingham Rotary: Framingham, Ashland, Hopkinton and Holliston. His wife continues to support the foundation. Scholarships are awarded each year and are worth $4,500 each. Over the last decade, 100 students have been recipients, and that’s a total of $450,000 in scholarships by the Education Foundation.

Donations to the fund are always welcomed. Checks should be made out to “Rotary Club Education Fund of Framingham” and mailed to PO Box 2173, Framingham, MA 01701.

Framingham Rotary has also awarded $15,000 in community Service Grants for 2016. The grants were awarded to the organizations in May. The club’s key fundraiser to support service grants is the annual Online Auction that runs mid-November to mid-December each year, finishing off with live broadcast of final hours on Access Framingham cable TV.

For 2016, the following organizations received grants from $500 to $1,500 to support one or more of their key projects: A Place To Turn Food Pantry; Bethany Hill Place; Boys & Girls Clubs of Metrowest; Daniel's Table; Hoops & Homework; HOPE Worldwide Framingham Food Pantry; Knox Trail Council, Boy Scouts of America; Family Promise Metrowest, Framingham Police Association; Friends of Callahan; Jewish Family Services; Mazi Foundation; MetroWest YMCA; Programs for People; and St. Bridget School. Framingham Rotary congratulates to all the grant recipients and thanks them for all they do in the club’s communities!

On March 28, Framingham Rotary delivered another round of air-conditioning units to the elderly. This year’s batch went to the Hastings House Elderly Housing complex. It’s the fourth year in a row that the club has raised funds through a Pancake Breakfast, and a matching grant from District 7910, to work with the Framingham Housing Authority to purchase A/C units and have them installed. Through the efforts of Framingham Rotary more than 140 housing units for the elderly now have new A/C units.

Shown, far right, is a resident of the Hastings House Elderly Housing Complex in Framingham, who received one of the air conditioners, standing with Framingham Rotary members who helped deliver the units.

To learn more about Framingham Rotary, visit FraminghamRotary.org.

Fitchburg Rotary, Fitchburg East Rotary Celebrate Community Employees

The Rotary Clubs of Fitchburg and Fitchburg East sponsored their 15^th Annual Rotary Awards Dinner on May 17 at Fitchburg High School. This dinner is held to honor Community Employees for their service.

District Governor Jim Fusco was given the opportunity to talk. He shared the great things that Rotary does - especially the clubs in Fitchburg and Leominster.

Awards went to the following:

Employee of the Year: Juanita Sullivan, Fitchburg City Hall
Employee of the Year: Timothy DeCarolis, Fitchburg Department of Public Works
Firefighters of the Year: Lt. Jack Gilmartin, Lt. Patrick Roy, and Firefighter Tim O'Kane
Policeman of the Year: Officer Jude Chabot
Teacher of the Year: Nicholas Pierce, St. Bernard's High School:
Teacher of the Year: Christina Walen, Fitchburg High School
Teacher of the Year: Elizabeth Flanagan, Montachusett Regional Vocational School
Teacher of the Year: Meredith Weiss, Reingold School
Teacher of the Year: Rebecca St. Jean, McKay Arts Academy
Teacher of the Year: Sister Pauline LeBlanc, St. Bernard's Elementary School
Teacher of the Year: Tammy Tony-Beaulac, Crocker School

Nashoba Valley, Acton-Boxborough And Maynard Rotary's 'Wings & Wheels' Headed Our Way

Mark your calendar: Thursday evenings are Cruise-in/Fly-in Nights this summer in Stow.

If it’s summer in Stow, it must be Wings & Wheels season! In cooperation with EAA #196, Friends of Minute Man Air Field, and Nancy’s at the Airfield café, the Rotary Clubs of Nashoba Valley, Acton-Boxborough, and Maynard are holding their fourth annual Wings & Wheels program, a summer-long cruise-in/fly-in event at the Minute Man Air Field (302 Boxboro Rd.) in Stow. The event runs on Thursday nights from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., starting June 2 and ending August 25 (no event on July 7).

Each week features different makes of cars. However, all cars are welcome to cruise to the airfield every week. The event also features a fly-in for

airplanes. Fun for the whole family, the public is invited to attend to see the cars and airplanes on display. Leashed pets are allowed. The event also features great food, including wood-fired pizza, burgers, and hot dogs from the award-winning Nancy’s at the Airfield, as well as popcorn, lemonade, and libations. News this year: an online ordering system with a credit-card payment option!

Admission is free with donations requested. Proceeds will benefit local and international Rotary service projects, such as local scholarships and high school programs, senior citizen projects, and international health and relief programs.

Sponsors include Action Unlimited, Active Communications, Acton Ford, AlphaCars & Ural New England, Avidia Bank, Boston Bijoux, Burke's Dog Care & Walkers, Clinton Offset Printing, Colonial Automotive Group, Colonial Spirits Acton, Cruises Inc., Dentistry by Dr. David, Domino Veterinary Hospital, Enterprise Bank, ET&L, Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Home, Global Fitness Stow, Holiday Inn Boxborough, Infinite Automotive, Keller Williams Realty, Kotlarz Realty, Maynard Motors, National Aviation Academy, Nikopoulos Insurance, Patterson’s Auto Body, Russell’s Convenience Store, Visiting Angels, and Westford Regency.

For more information, weather-cancellation information, and “rules of the runway,” visit WingsgsandWheelsMA.com. "Like" the event on Facebook at Facebook.com/WingsandWheelsMA.

DG Jim Fusco Addresses Littleton Rotary

District Governor Jim Fusco (shown in photo, on right) was the speaker at the Littleton Rotary meeting on May 11 and, of course, Rotarian Gino Frattalone was also at the meeting.

Jim began the talk about growing up in Leominster, working as an industrial engineer for General Electric's Naval Ordnance Division, and then changing careers to participate in a family food-and-beverage business. He discussed his Rotary career and stated that as of July 1 he will be assume the position as chair of the NEPETS (Northeast Presidents Elect Training Seminar) Committee and also take on the role of Rotary Zone 32's Area Rotary Coordinator (ARC). This introduction was followed by Jim's mini State of the District, which segued into a Q&A period.

Jim is shown posing with Leominster President Lehel Reeves.

Next Nashoba Valley Rotary, Bolton Local Repair Café On June 18

What do you do with a broken toaster or lamp? Or with a shirt or blouse with a seam that is ripped out? Toss it? No way! Bring them to the Bolton Repair Café. The Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, with help from Bolton Local, is hosting the next Bolton Repair Café on Saturday, June 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.at Ayer Town Hall, located at 1 Main St. in Ayer. Residents of Bolton and surrounding towns are invited to come and find out what a Repair Café is all about.

Upcoming Bolton Repair Cafe:

Saturday, June 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Westborough Public Library, located at 55 West Main St. in Westborough

At the Repair Café, sponsored by Nashoba Valley Rotary, everything centers on making repairs. Knowledgeable volunteers will help repair items such as clean, mendable clothing, lamps, small appliances, computers and other electronics, bikes, toys, outdoor power equipment, and jewelry. They can also sharpen knives, scissors, and garden tools. You only pay for needed parts. If you know what parts are needed, please get them ahead of time and bring them to the Repair Café to save time.

Volunteers at the Repair Café will look at all items brought in and try to repair them. If the volunteers cannot repair something, they will offer suggestions about where you could go for repairs.

Unlike a “fix-it” shop, where people drop off items to be repaired and continue about their day, the Repair Café is meant to get people involved with the repair process and create connections with others in the community. People bringing in items for repair are asked to stay while your items are being fixed. You can just watch, help with the repair, fix the item yourself with help from volunteers, or just have a snack and visit with neighbors.

Promoting repairs will help reduce mountains of waste. According to organizer Ray Pfau, a Nashoba Valley Rotarian, “We throw away lots of things that often have

almost nothing wrong with them, things that could easily be used again after a simple repair. Unfortunately, many people have forgotten that they can fix things. Repair Café wants to change all that.” (Shown, right, is Ray Pfau addressing a recent Worcester Rotary meeting. Click here to view additional photos of that event by Worcester Rotarian Rich Prager.)

Repair Café is also meant to put neighbors in touch with each other in a new way. Neighbors may discover that a lot of know-how and practical skills can be found close to home. Pfau added, “If you repair a bike, a CD player, or a pair of trousers with previously unfamiliar neighbors, you look at them in a different light the next time you see them. Jointly making repairs can lead to connections in the community.” Making repairs can also save money and resources.

The Bolton Repair Café is sponsored by Nashoba Valley Rotary with support from Bolton Local and the Repair Café Foundation. The Foundation has been organizing Repair Cafés since 2010 in the Netherlands and has provided support since January 2011 to local groups in and outside the Netherlands wanting to start their own Repair Cafés.

For more information, contact Ray Pfau at 978-779-5545 or ray.pfau@alum.mit.edu, or visit www.nashobarotary.org.

WPI Rotaract Promotes Ecuadorian Earthquake Relief Effort

Through WPI Rotaract, Ecuadorian students at WPI have issued the following request for assistance in the wake of the recent devastating earthquake that struck their country:

"On Saturday, April 16, a 7.8 earthquake stuck our country, Ecuador. People lost family members, their homes, their sources of income and much more, leaving them homeless heartbroken. It is going to be a long journey for them to rebuild their homes and reestablish peace and serenity in them. However, you can help us raise awareness by donating to this fundraiser.

"Working side-by-side with the Ecuadorian Scouts Association, we have created a GoFundMe campaign where all the funds raised in the next days will be directly donated to the “Grupo Scout Liceo Internacional” (Boys Scouts of the International School), which will use the money to build emergency shelters for the survivors who lost their houses.

"If you would like to donate any other time, the link to our GoFundMe campaign is: https://www.gofundme.com/AidEcuador

"We are reaching out to you and to the wonderful WPI community because we were lucky enough not to lose any family members, but more than 500 (until now) people did. State officials have said that the expected victim count will surpass the 1,000 mark. This is why we feel in the obligation and the necessity to reach out to as many people as possible in order to help these families out.

"More information about the earthquake can be obtained in the CNN article (http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/18/americas/ecuador-earthquake/index.html), directly to our GoFundMe page, or by searching with the hashtags #ecuadorearthquake #AllEcuadorNeedsIsYou #prayforecuador. If you would like more information about the emergency shelters, you can visit: http://www.cd-ec.org/vivienda-emergente/

"Please, if you can share the GoFundMe link, above, with your family, friends and relatives, the people of Ecuador and us will thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for your support and generosity. Even a modest contribution helps and your support is greatly appreciated!"

Major District & Club Happenings: Spring & Summer

May-September: District 7910 - 'Golf Fellowship'

Click here for golf flyer, in PDF format

June 2-August 25: Nashoba Valley Rotary - 'Wings & Wheels'

Click here for event flyer, in PDF format

Thursday, June 2: Montachusett Area Rotary - 'Paint Night'

Click here for event flyer, in PDF format

Friday, June 3: Sturbridge Rotary - 'Dinner Dance'

Click here for event flyer, in PDF format

Saturday, June 4: Worcester - 'Celebrate Community Gala'

Click here for event flyer, in PDF format

Click here for sponsorship opportunities, in PDF format

Sunday, June 12: Tyngsboro-Dunstable Rotary - 'Fishing Day'

Click here for fishing flyer (see below), in PDF format

Click here for permission slip, in PDF format

Saturday, June 18: Brookfields Rotary - 'Music & Raffles Scholarship Fundraiser'

Click here for fundraiser flyer, in PDF format

Sunday, June 26: District 7910 - District Governors Installation & RYLA

Click here, for event flyer, in PDF format

Monday, July 18: Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship - 'Wine-Dinner at La Morra'

Click here to register for this event

Click here to download event flyer, in PDF format

Thursday, July 21: Westborough Rotary - 'Rotary Night with the Worcester Bravehearts'

Click here for event flyer, in PDF format

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

DGE Report: RYLA has 188 sophomore from 43 clubs

By Pat and Skip Doyle

The registration phase for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards has now ended and we can confirm that 188 sophomores from 43 clubs in District 7910 will be attending our RYLA leadership training event from June 24 to June 26 at Fitchburg State University.

These 43 clubs have offered scholarships worth $275 per student to deserving sophomores from the schools in their area. RYLA chairs from most of these clubs interviewed candidates looking for qualifications such as leadership potential, strong communication skills, and a dedication to community service. Ideally, clubs are the primary contact point for most student participants throughout their RYLA experience.

Each year, more than 10,000 students are sponsored in RYLA programs by Rotary clubs in more than 25 countries. Our program here in District 7910 emphasizes the development of leadership skills, citizenship and community service, and personal growth

and development. Thirty-three returning RYLAns serve as student leaders throughout the weekend. These students, who were chosen in January, have been training for months to facilitate the upcoming weekend.

A program such as this needs many hands to make it a success. And so, we now enter the volunteer phase of RYLA. Rotarians from across our district are invited to share their time and talent with these young people. Please click here and indicate the times that you have available, between 8:00 a.m. on Friday, June 24 and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 26.

To learn more about RYLA, click here.

District Governors-Elect Pat and Skip Doyle may be reached at pwdoyle2@ verizon.net and skipdoyle2@verizon.net, respectively.

Foundation Update: Timeline for 2016-’17 District Grants

By Sanjay Deshpande

The District Foundation Committee is pleased to update the timeline for the 2016-2017 District Grants. Club qualification is well underway and must be completed before a club can apply for either a district or a global grant in the ’16-’17 Rotary year. Qualification is completed when three eligibility criteria are met:

Per-capita Foundation contributions of $100 by this June 30. As of May 17, 27 clubs had qualified, four are very close and 20 others (see list, below) have until this June 30 to achieve the $100 per-capita level.
Grant-management training: Two training sessions have been completed and as a result 26 Clubs have qualified under this criterion.
‘16-‘17 Memorandum of Understanding must be executed. As of May 18, only five clubs have signed the MOU. The other clubs will be required to execute the MOU before being able to submit grant applications. To download the MOU in PDF format, click here.

The Master District Grant for ‘16-‘17 was submitted to The Rotary Foundation on May 5 – and was approved on May 19! District 7910 now has approved funding of $46,436 to spend on district grants to clubs, administrative expenses (about 3 percent) and contingency expenses (up to 20 percent). READ MORE

Membership Corner: An optimistic approach to membership

By Tom Sturiale

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill.

Do you see any parallels in your Rotary club? How often have you discussed the possibility of changes in club venues, membership approaches, meeting times, meals, speakers, projects, objectives and/or many other subjects, only to be told, “We tried that before and it didn’t work, it won’t work, it is too risky, it will take too long, it costs too much, why change, we’ve done it this way too long and no one wants to change.” Or, any variation thereof indicating the suggestion is a negative, problem-ridden approach to change.

The person with the idea gets the message in a hurry: “Shut up and mind your own business!” It will be a long time before you get any more suggestions from them. READ MORE

PR Tips: Wear your Rotary pin

By Laura Spear

Rotary pins are instantly recognized by Rotarians around the world as a symbol of membership. Rotary International's new branding guidelines make no change to the pin design or color.

To learn more about PR for your club, click on the "Public Relations" section of the navigation bar of District 7910 website.

Laura Spear, chair of District 7910's Public Image Committee, may be reached at laura@spear.net.

RYLA Reminder: Volunteers sought

By Christine Pinney

Volunteer

s are being sought for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. Click here, to volunteer now. Add your name to your sessions and favorite slots.

If you have any questions, visit www.ryla7910 .org.

Christine Pinney, vice chair of District 7910'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.

Read more about the Rotaract Advisor Training Seminar held on February 29 at Framingham State University, including video and slide presentations.

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.

Boston Globe highlights Rotary role in polio fight

Click here to read a recent front-page article in The Boston Globe this week is about the change in polio vaccines, and mentions the role of Rotary in the fight to end polio.

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

New 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 7910

Peace 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 MORE

Click here, for PDF version of May 23 issue

Submit Content

To submit content for consideration for the Monday, May 30 issue of Rotary District 7910 Newsletter, please e-mail it to District Governor Jim Fusco at jim.fusco2@gmail.com.

The submission deadline for the May 30 issue is Friday, May 27. All text must be in Word format. All images must be in either JPEG or PDF format. Please identify the people, left to right, who are shown in your photos, including their first and last name as well as their club or other title.

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