Rotary District 7910 Newsletter - May 30, 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 30 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 30-June 28

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

Wednesday, June 29

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.

RI Council on Legislation 'Report Of Action' Now Available

By Sarah Christensen

With the conclusion of the 2016 Council on Legislation, I am pleased to provide you with the Report of Action. In this report, you will find:

A letter from General Secretary Hewko
Legislation that was adopted at the Council, including amended legislation
Vote tallies for the adopted items
An Opposition to Legislation Report Form

Clubs may use the opposition form to voice their disagreement to an adopted enactment or resolution. Completed forms must reach Council Services by 15 August 2016. More information about this form can be found in General Secretary Hewko’s letter.

In addition to the Report of Action, I would like to give you an update on the Manual of Procedure (MOP). The 2016 MOP will consist of Rotary’s governance documents, which were included as the yellow pages in previous versions. Since the MOP is published once every three years, the reference information found in the former white pages quickly became out of date and inconsistent with the Rotary Code of Policies, thus it has been decided to no longer include it.

In order to help transition to a shorter MOP, Rotary will provide a list of resources and will also translate the Rotary Code of Policies into key languages, which will allow Rotarians to reference the current policies. The Rotary Code can be found on rotary.org. Additional information on the new MOP will be sent to club presidents and district governors in the next few months.

If you have any questions about the report or the Council on Legislation or the 2016 MOP, please let us know.

Sarah Christensen is supervisor of Council Services for 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

More On A Great District Conference!

By 'Pilgrim' Jim Fusco

As I told you last week, I am highlighting the District Conference in more detail in this newsletter. But first I want to mention two of my highlights from last week. On Wednesday, I visited Acton-Boxborough Rotary because I wanted congratulate them for a great year and recognize them for the awards they received at the District Conference. Acton-Boxborough received four awards: Presidential Citation-Gold; Youth Service Award; PR Make Your Mark; and PR Digital Marketing. While there I also had the honor of presenting a Paul Harris Award to club member Maryanne Fleckner.

Below, I’m shown (photo, left) posing with Acton-Boxborough President Diana Nestorova, and along with Diane (photo, right) with Maryanne Fleckner.

On Thursday, I attended my club meeting (Montachusett Area Rotary) and had the privilege of presenting a Paul Harris Award to John Rossman and to Douglas Larson, who were instrumental in the work on our Global Grant in Gbanga. This was a joint grant with Ayer Rotary, whose president, Michael Phelan, was instrumental in the grant for his club. Michael has a great relationship with the Montachusett Area club and gave me the honor of presenting him with his Paul Harris +8 pin. Thank you and congratulations, Michael.

Now, on to the District Conference. WOW! What a GREAT event! Here is a recap of what we did: READ MORE

Click here to download or print the May 30 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):

Charles Battersby, Sturbridge
Stephanie Luz, Shrewsbury

Rotarians In Memoriam

Please remember this Rotarian, who recently passed away (alphabetical order by last name):

R oger Belhumeur, Auburn

George Gould, Hudson

District & Club Rounds

Klaus Hachfeld of Sturbridge Rotary Receives RI's Highest Honor

During the District 7910’s recent District Conference in Plymouth, Klaus Hachfeld of the Rotary Club of Sturbridge received Rotary’s highest honor: RI's Service Above Self Award. This award is internationally competitive and granted to a maximum of 150 Rotarians per year throughout the world who exemplify continuing humanitarian service to others through Rotary.

Klaus has been a member of Sturbridge Rotary since 1982 and has served in many capacities, including as president of the club in 1987-1988, as governor of District 7910 in '08-09 and on many committees and projects on both the club and district levels.

In 2010, Klaus was awarded The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service. Of the 51 clubs in District 7910, only five Rotarians have achieved this recognition during the award’s 25-year history.

Sturbridge Rotary proudly congratulates Klaus on this well-deserved honor.

Shown, left to right, posing at the recent District Conference are: Klaus Hachfeld; District Governor Jim Fusco; and Glenys Hachfeld, Klaus' wife, who is also am Sturbridge Rotarian.

Framingham Rotary Awards $45,000 in Scholarships

The Rotary Club of Framingham’s Education Foundation has awarded $45,000 in scholarships, of $4,500 each, to 10 graduating seniors from area high schools. Recipients are: from Joseph P. Keefe Technical School, Erin Dowdy, Valeria Arauz, and Angela Grant; from Hopkinton High School, Sabrina Martin, Jonathan Petani and Juliette Davis; from Holliston High School, Trevor Pennypacker; from Ashland High School, Zachary Schiffman; and from Framingham High School, Kate O’Callaghan and Hodan Gudal.

In addition, Framingham State University has provided Framingham Rotary a matching scholarship to be given to a local senior to attend FSU in the fall. The students received their awards at a special luncheon, attended by parents and guardians, that was sponsored by Framingham Rotary on May 16 at Ken’s Steakhouse in Framingham.

Shown, are the scholarship winners and members of Framingham Rotary's Scholarship Committee.

Marlborough Rotary, Three Other Groups Tackle Human-Services Issue Together

In answer to a pressing problem for many deserving families, the Rotary Club of Marlborough, Marlborough Lions Club, Marlborough Junior Women’s Club, and Marlborough Community Development Corp. (MCDC) have joined forces. Families want to be clean. They want to get or keep a decent job. Teens want the other kids in school to like them. However, they cannot afford shampoo or deodorant – or even soap. Alas, they cannot purchase toiletries or cleaning supplies with Food Stamps.

During June, the four organizations are working together to collect toiletries and cleaning products for families in need of these products that are so much a part of our basic human dignity. When there is a sale on toiletries or cleaning products, the organizations urge their members to buy a few extra.

Marilyn Perry, chair of MCDC and a Marlborough Rotarian, says, “I am delighted that these local organizations are seeking to fulfill this need, and I am equally delighted to see these groups join together to tackle an important problem.”

Members of the public who may wish to help should contact a member of one of these service clubs or bring them to the MCDC office at 40 Mechanic St., Suite 300, Marlborough (the old Post Office Building off Monument Square).

Marlborough Rotary announced this multi-organization project at last weekend's District Conference and asked attendees to donate any of their unused hotel toiletries. That club were gratified to see the number of Rotarians who responded to this appeal.

Click here for the event flyer, in PDF format

Marlborough Rotary Past President Honored As 2016 Senior of the Year

On May 4, Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant (shown on left) presented the 2016 “Senior of the Year Award” to George Whapham (shown on right), a past president of the Rotary Club of Marlborough and a Paul Harris Fellow.

Whapham is best known for serving as Marlborough Labor Day Parade director for 28 years. His management transformed the parade from a one-hour show with few attractions to a three-hour extravaganza featuring a host of well-known entrants, such as the Philadelphia Mummers. The annual event is now one of the premier parades in the state.

George’s past honors include:

Volunteer of the Year in 2000 by the Girl Scouts
Humanitarian of the Year in 2002
Heritage Hero in 2008
Labor Day Parade Grand Marshal in 2009
And, Veteran of the Year in 2013

In addition, George is a longtime member of the Marlborough Eagles and a member of American Legion Post 132, and was involved in erecting the John Brown Bell. He is also a longtime member of the Marlborough Public Schools Music Association, a member of the Marlborough High School Council, and chair of the Special Education Advisory Council.

The members of Marlborough Rotary congratulate George on this honor and for all his efforts over the years.

Auburn Rotary-Donated Telescope Is Focus Of 'Backyard Astronomy' Program

About three dozen sp

ace-focused kids of all ages, including several members of the Rotary Club of Auburn, got to explore planets and other celestial bodies by telescope last Thursday evening at Auburn Public Library. "Backyard Astronomy," a family program of the Library, was held both indoors and outdoors - and pizza was served.

During this stellar event, the Town of Auburn officially dedicated a 4.5-inch Orion StarBlast Telescope. The reflector telescope was donated to the Library by Auburn Rotary, which purchased it from the Aldrich Astronomical Society as part of the Society's Library Telescope Program.

This exciting and informative event included a Society presentation on how to use the Library's new 4.5-inch Orion StarBlast Telecope, which is available for use to all Auburn residents for home use in exploring the stars and universe. Other activities included awarding spacey door prizes, and observing the night sky with Society members Jim Zebrowski and John Root.

Click here to view more event photos.

Sturbridge Rotary Honors 14 Of Its Past Presidents

The Sturbridge Rotary Club recently honored 14 of its past presidents. In recognition of the club’s many accomplishments locally and internationally, the club saw a presentation covering its 43-year history.

Prior to 1972, Rotarians who lived in Sturbridge were members of the Southbridge Rotary Club but the Southbridge club was becoming too large - with more than 80 members at that time. Several Rotarians from Sturbridge decided to start their own club in Sturbridge that would meet as an evening club so as not to conflict with the Southbridge club, which met at noon. After seven months of completing paperwork and pre-club tasks, a club charter signed on June 30, 1972 was granted for The Sturbridge Rotary Club. The club named itself “The Yankee Spirit Club.” At the time, it was the 50^th club chartered in District 7910.

The history was presented by Honorary Sturbridge Rotarian Pauline White, who spent two years researching and writing it. Documented statistics reinforced the successes of club members under the leadership of the various presidents. The presentation, memorabilia and photos from the past were a fitting way to acknowledge PEs and members for their hard work and brought back many fond memories.

Shown, is current President Austin Jenkins (center) joined by the 14 past presidents.

Wellesely Interact Art Installation At Newton Wellesley Hospital

The Interact Club of Wellesley has been acting to normalize the conversation around mental health and wellness. One of their actions is an art installation at Newton Wellesley Hospital.

Using poetry and visual art, two seniors from Wellesley High School, Alexa Marcasciano (shown on left) and Matthew Tom (shown on right), have put together a compelling exhibit to display in the hospital. In the summer of 2015, they posted questions about mental health at the hospital and patients and visitors were encouraged to answer. The anonymous responses were collected and used as inspiration for their visual art and creative-writing senior project. The resulting series ultimately had the goal of presenting mental health in a unique light and spark a discussion about wellness.

Their exhibit can be found in the South Hallway. After graduation, Alexa will be continuing her education at Cornell University and Matthew, at Hamilton University.

Photo: Lauren Lele

Worcester Rotary's Celebrate Community Gala Set For This Saturday

The Rotary Club of Worcester is pleased to announce that it is holding its third annual Celebrate Community Gala this Saturday, June 4 from 5:00 to 11:00 p.m. at the DCU Center. The event will feature dinner, a cash bar, silent and live auctions, live music and dancing, and the club’s annual Service Above Self Community Service Awards.

Tickets for the fundraiser gala are $100 per person, and can be purchased by visiting worcrotaryusa.org and clicking on the link to “Celebrate Community Gala” or by mailing a check to Rotary Club of Worcester, P.O. Box 3413, Worcester, MA 01613.

Sponsorships for the event are also available. For sponsorship information and/or to donate an item to the auction, please call Barbara Guthrie at 978-464-2929.

This year, Worcester Rotary is working with the City of Worcester and the Central Mass. Regional Public Health Alliance (which includes the towns of Grafton, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, Shrewsbury and West Boylston) to raise funds to support education and prevention efforts in fighting the opioid epidemic in the Greater Worcester community. In addition, funds raised also support a variety of education, hunger, health and community-service projects, civic engagement and beautification projects.

"Service above self" is the motto of Rotary. To that end, Worcester Rotary has undertaken many projects to serve its local community, including the Myra Hiatt Kraft footbridge project in Elm Park, HD cameras for the NIC Unit at UMass Memorial Medical Center, planting trees on Shrewsbury Street, and sponsoring an electronic library at Seven Hills Charter Public School

In addition, proceeds from the gala also support on-going projects, including feeding hungry children at the Kids Café at the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, providing winter coats for disadvantaged children, offering scholarships to students at three Worcester colleges, and supporting the African Community Education’s food program and Red Cross disaster relief.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Worcester, visit www.worcrotaryusa.org.

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 theLowell 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.”

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 onThursday 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.

Next Nashoba Valley Rotary, Bolton Local Repair Café On June 25

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 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Westborough Public Library, located at 55 West Main St. in Westborough. Residents of Bolton and surrounding towns are invited to come and find out what a Repair Café is all about.

(Note: the June 18 event at Ayer Town Hall has been canceled.)

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.

Click here for a recent Boston Globe profile of the Bolton Repair Cafe.

For more information, contact Ray Pfau at 978-779-5545 orray.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

Through September: District 7910 - 'Golf Fellowship'

Click here for golf flyer, in PDF format

June 1-30: Marlborough Rotary - 'Toiletry and Cleaning Products Collection'

Click here for event 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: In Seoul For RI Conference

Pat and Skip Doyle are in Seoul, South Korea for the 2016 Rotary International Conference. Upon their return, they will share their experience with us.

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

Bandey-Hefler Prepares For Trip To England

By Victor Tom

The Bandey-Hefler Fellowship Exchange chairpersons on both sides of the Atlantic are hard at work planning the District 7910 group’s return trip to England. Geoff Philpot and Hugh Barnard, in England, are making presentations and recruiting hosts. Patsy Lloyd and I, in Central Mass., are making the travelers list and getting information on flights to Heathrow in London.

This week, once the chairs have a confirmed current number of hosts, they will send e-mails to all of the travelers and to those still on a waiting list. There will be a mandatory organizational meeting this summer in Bedford, hosted by Patsy Lloyd to go over travel details, hand out badges, etc.

The travel dates for the trip to England are:

Monday, September 19: Flight to Heathrow in London
Tuesday, October 4: Flight back to Logan in Boston

Victor Tom, co-chair of District 7910's Bandey-Hefler Fellowship Exchange, may be reached at vtom0@yahoo.com.

Membership Corner: Membership – A Call to Action!

By Tom Sturiale

Have you observed how meetings with high purpose sometimes devolve into unfocused discussions leading nowhere? A group of well-meaning Rotarians will meet to discuss the objective of seeking new members. The objective seems clear but the issues are significant and the discussion begins to devolve into many different areas.

What is happening? Members begin to voice concerns about meeting times, locations, meal quality, interesting speakers, attendance, lack of interest, exciting meetings, costs, lack of time, money or interest by younger folks, engagement of members, and on and on. At the end of the meeting, everyone leaves but no action is identified, proposed or taken.

Why does this happen? It may be easier to talk about all reasons why we can’t do something than it is to talk about what we will do. The issues seem to be so overwhelming that that the purpose of the meeting is lost. How can we avoid this waste of time? A few words come to mind – leadership, focus, problem identification, clear meeting objectives, action plan, minutes, dates, responsibilities and follow-up. READ MORE

PR Tips: Get to know Rotary Brand Center

By Laura Spear

The Brand Center, available at rotary.org/brandcenter, contains online tools and templates to make it easy for you to apply the new Rotary look to your club's brochures, PowerPoint presentations and other print and digital communications. You can also find sample materials from our district at rotary7910.org/sitepage/public-relations/sample-pr-promotional-materials/.

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.

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

RYLA Reminder: Volunteers sought

By Christine Pinney

Volunteer

s are being sought for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. Click here, tovolunteer 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. To read the May 2016 edition of End Polio Now Newsletter, click here.

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 about the change in polio vaccines, which 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 This Tuesday, 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 the May 30 issue

Submit Content

To submit content for consideration for the Monday, June 6 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 June 6 issue is Friday, June 3. 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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