Rotary District 7910 Newsletter - May 9, 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 9 issue of Rotary District 7910 Newsletter

2016 District Conference: Plymouth Rocks!

by District 7910 Conference Committee

May 20, 21 and 22

Hotel 1620 At Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth

DISTRICT CONFERENCE NOTICE!

Sorry: All Package Deals That Include Hotel Rooms Are Sold Out. If You Want To Register & Need A Hotel Room, click here

Click here to download the 13-page, 'everything you need to know' District Conference Booklet, which contains:

Schedule
Prices (Hotel at 1620 rooms deadline has passed)
Taste of Rotary schedule
Hospitality 'Sweets' Request Form (deadline has passed)
House of Friendship registration form
Harbor Cruise registration form
Golf registration form
Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to watch the three-minute promo video, produced by Assistant Governor Richard Simon

RYLA: Volunteers Sought

Volunteers are being sought for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.

Click here, to volunteer now

Club Visits

Invite District Governor Jim Fusco to your club's 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 9-June 1

Tonight: Foundation Grants Qualification Seminar 2

Monday, May 9

5:30-9:00 p.m.

DoubleTree Hotel, Leominster

Membership Comittee Meeting

Tuesday, May 10

6:30-9:00 p.m.

Holiday Inn, Boxborough

District Conference Committee Meeting

Wednesday, May 11

6:30-9:00 p.m.

DoubleTree Hotel, Leominster

District Golf Fellowship League

Thursday, May 12

12:00 noon-5:00 p.m.

Sterling Country Club, Sterling

RYLA Committee Meeting

Thursday, May 12

6:00-9:30 p.m.

Holiday Inn, Boxborough

RYLA Group Leader (GF) Training Session #3

Saturday, May 15

12:30–5:30 p.m.

Holiday Inn, Boxborough

2016 District Conference - Registration Form

Friday, May 20–Sunday, May 22

Hotel 1620 at Plymouth Harbor (formerly Plymouth Radisson)

Plimouth Plantation: Discount Tickets

Friday, May 20–Sunday, May 22

Golfing at Squirrel Run Country Club

Saturday, May 21

12:00 noon–4:00 p.m.

Squirrel Run Country Club, Plymouth

Harbor Cruise: Lobster Roll Box Lunch, $40

Saturday, May 21

12:00 noon–4:00 p.m.

Plymouth Harbor

Harbor Cruise: Deli Box Lunch, $30

Saturday, May 21

1:00– 2:30 p.m.

Plymouth Harbor

Fellowship Event for New Members

Saturday, May 21

6:00-7:00 p.m.

Hotel 1620 at Plymouth Harbor (formerly Plymouth Radisson)

RI Convention

Sunday, May 29-Wednesday, June 1

Seoul, Korea

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.

On May 12, Learn How To Achieve Fundraising Success

The Rotary Foundation helps Rotarians do good in their communities and around the world. This Thursday, May 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon (ET), join Rotary staff as they share volunteer tips for fundraising, helping your club to do more good around the world in the coming year.

Space is limited to 500 attendees - reserve your spot today!

Please note, webinar times are shown in US Central Time. Use the World Clock Meeting Planner to determine the time the webinar will take place in your area, at timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html

If you can't attend, register anyway to receive a link to the recording after the webinar.

More information about The Rotary Foundation and the Annual Fund can be found at Rotary.org.

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.

Nine out of 10 Rotarians have asked Rotary to provide more services, and it was clear to the Council, based on the five-year financial forecast presented by the [Rotary International] Board, that without the dues increase, service to clubs and districts would have to be decreased. As a result of the Council’s action, dues to RI will increase by $4 per year in each of the years 2017-'18, 2018-'19, and 2019-'20. The increase will enable us to enhance Rotary’s website, improve online tools, add programs and services, and make other advancements to help clubs grow their membership and better serve communities.

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: 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:

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:

IMPORTANT DISTRICT CONFERENCE NOTICE

By Jim Fusco

Seven important things about the District Conference

For the Business Meeting on Friday, you need to present the signed Credentials that were sent to your club
For the Memorial Service on Sunday, we need name of your deceased members: send them to me
For the Paul Harris Dinner, send names of any Paul Harris Recognitions that you want presented
Dress code for the Paul Harris Dinner on Friday is ‘Black Tie Optional’
White sneakers are optional for the entire District Conference, including Friday’s Paul Harris Dinner
Register now For The District Conference
We had a GREAT YEAR and WE will CELEBRATE and have FUN!

Meanwhile, we added two new members last week, but we also lost one. So we were net plus-one for the week. We need to do better than that, so make sure you are engaging your current members to improve your retention rate and continue to attract new members. Let’s continue to do great things in our communities and get these stories published in the local media. Then, we will continue the upward trend in membership. Remember that all you need to do is identify a person who you believe would make a Great Rotarian and ASK. READ MORE

Click here to download or print the May 9 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):

Brian Christensen, Natick
Gary Kelley, Westborough

District & Club Rounds

Acton-Boxborough Rotary Hosts PDG From India

In an extremely well-attended meeting by Acton-Boxborough Rotary members and visitors on May 2, the speaker was UB Bhat - all the way from Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India. He is a past governor (2008-2009) of District 3190. He is also a past president of Bangalore South Parade Rotary (1996-1997), an elected representative to Rotary International’s Council on Legislation that was held last month in Illinois. In ’08-‘09, when UB was a governor of District 3190, they received The Rotary Foundation’s recognition for having the “Highest Per Capita Contribution” – as No.1 in Zones 4,5 and 6A - and also for being “The Only District in the World with 100% Rotarian Contribution to TRF.” (Shown, is UB Bhat presenting his book, Terror on Board, to Acton-Boxborough President Diana Nestorova.)

After sharing his Rotary experience of more than 25 years and the difference between Rotary clubs in the U.S. and India, UB talked about his 1999 flight from Kathmandu, Nepal to Delhi. Indian Airlines Flight 814, an Airbus A300, was hijacked that December 24 by Mujaheddin terrorists, who subjected the hostages to horrifying atrocities. After touching down in several locations over a period of several days, the terrorists finally forced the plane to land in Kandahar, Afghanistan. One of the passengers was killed and 17 were injured. The passengers were without food, drink and access to sanitary facilities before they were rescued. UB Bhat presented the Acton-Boxborough club the book he authored on that experience, Terror On Board.

Brookline Rotary Canvasses For Special Olympics At Boston Marathon

On Marathon Monday on April 18, Brookline Rotary was again be outside the Brookline Marriott Hotel on Beacon Street. Club members canvassed for Special Olympics and sold hot dogs, hamburgers, Greek salad from Vanessa’s Kitchen and beverages for other local charities.

Many of the volunteers wore the yellow Special Olympics hats/jackets. Your patronage supported local organizations such as Brookline Food Pantry, Senior Center van, Brookline Teen Awards, After Prom Party, and many more.

Northborough Rotary Presents 'Pride In Workmanship' Award

The Rotary Club of Northborough recently presented its annual "Pride in Workmanship Award" to Northborough

Town Planner Kathy Joubert in her honor. Pride in Workmanship Chair George Pember presented the award.

District Governor Jim Fusco is shown, right, presenting Kathy with a Paul Harris Fellow award from the club.

Authentic Italian Dinner At Marlborough Rotary’s ‘Italian Night’ This Wednesday

The Rotary Club of Marlborough invites friends and family to join them for an authentic Italian dinner this

Wednesday, May 11. It will be held at Hellenic Hall at the Greek Church on Cashman Street in Marlborough. Rotarians will serve dinner from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Chefs Domenic Valarioti and Doug Palino will serve pasta, meatballs, Italian bread, snacks and desserts. A cash bar will be available for those who like wine or beer with their dinner.

“This is our third annual Italian Night,” Marlborough President Michael Lashua notes, “Its popularity has kept it growing, and so I believe that we can now call it an annual event.”

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for those under age 10 and over age 62. \You can buy tickets in advance at Marlborough Savings Bank’s main office (corner Maple Street and Granger Boulevard), Kofos Family Optometry (180 Bolton St.), or from any Marlborough Rotarian. You can also purchase tickets at the door.

To round out the evening, there will be Italian music, raffles and a silent auction. In all, a great family night out!

Framigham Rotary's 'Spring Carnival' This Thursday Through Sunday

The Rotary Club of Framingham holds its annual Spring Carnival this Thursday, May 12 through next Sunday, May 15. The hours are: Thursday and Friday, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.; Saturday, 1:00 to 10:00 p.m.; and Sunday, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Framingham Rotary is sponsoring the Spring Carnival for families and children, with rides and games. Come and enjoy! No admission charge! Cost per ride varies from three or four tickets to six. Food are games are separate. A portion of the proceeds will help fund Rotary community-service projects.

Nashoba Valley Rotary and Bolton Local's Next Bolton Repair Café This Saturday

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, May 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will be held in the cafeteria at the Florence Sawyer School, 100 Mechanic St. in Bolton. The school is located behind the Emerson School, which is on the same driveway/street. Residents of Bolton and surrounding towns are invited to come and find out what a Repair Café is all about.

Two other upcoming events:

Ayer Town Hall, located at 1 Main St. in Ayer, on Saturday, June 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Westborough Public Library, located at 55 West Main St. in Westborough, on Saturday, June 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

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.

Repair Cafés are springing up in the local area. The Westborough Public Library and the Westborough Rotary Club held their first Repair Café on March 19. The Stow Council on Aging held their second Repair Café on April 16. The Ayer Recycling Committee and the Littleton Common Makers will be holding their first Repair Café in Ayer on June 18.

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

Newton Rotary Seeks Sponsors For Two May Events

The Rotary Club of Newton is gearing up for its two spring fund-raising events: the Craft Beer Festival on Thursday, May 12; and Newton Has Talent on Saturday, May 21. The club is hoping that you will support them by being a sponsor. Here are some of the great reasons to do that:

Rotary Newton continues to grow and make more of an impact. They have welcomed 10 new members this year, and have done a variety of great things such as a lawn cleanup at a domestic-violence shelter, collected toiletries for the food pantry, donated books to the library, given dictionaries to third-graders, and more! They’re about to give grants to local community-service organizations plus scholarships to graduating seniors. The grants and scholarship are directly affected by the financial success of these two fund-raisers. Your support counts!

Internationally, Newton Rotary is spearheading a project to tackle the trash problem around the Taj Mahal. The goal is to help the neighborhoods around the Taj (which are desperately poor) benefit economically from tourism. The Netwon club is working with clubs throughout the U.S. and India to make this happen.

Boston comedian Jimmy Tingle, who performs nationally, is hosting Newton Has Talent this year, which Newton Rotary expect to generate great attendance and lots of buzz (read "visits to the website where your ad will appear"). The Craft Beer Festival established itself last year as a great event – especially, for young professionals. The club expect its success to only increase going forward. Both events are part of the Newton "Festival of the Arts," so whatever the club does is amplified through that publicity apparatus.

By supporting both events, your business is exposed to a huge cross-section of the Newton and surrounding communities. And when you support one event, you get a 50-percent discount when you add the second event. Click here, for Combo Sponsorship details, in PDF format.

Newton Rotary Accepting Auditions for May 21 'Newton Has Talent'

Newton Rotary's Newton Has Talent is again accepting auditions for its 2016 competition, which takes

place on May 21. More than $1,500 in prize money is available,and anyone who is over 13 and lives, works or goes to school in Newton can compete.

“Newton Has Talent” is a major fundraiser for Newton Rotary. Each year, the club gives out scholarships to graduating seniors and grants to local organizations. The club also recognizes a "Student of the Month" each month, collects food and toiletries for local food pantries, provides camperships for kids who need some help with their summer plans, and does a variety of hands-on service projects that help the Newton community.

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!"

Bedford Rotary To Pack Meals on May 14 For Stop Hunger Now

Bedford Rotary 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.

Bedford Rotary, 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

District Conference: Things I want you to know

By Jim Fusco

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:

Major District & Club Happenings: Spring & Summer 20

May-September: District 7910 - 'Golf Fellowship'

Click here for golf flyer, in PDF format

Wednesday, May 11: Marlborough Rotary - 'Italian Night Fundraiser Dinner'

Click here for dinner flyer, in PDF format

Thursday, May 12: Newton Rotary - 'Craft Beer Festival'

Click here for festival flyer, in PDF format

Friday, May 13: Leominster Rotary - 'Wine Pairing'

Click here for pairing flyer, in PDF format

Extended Deadline - Friday, May 13: 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, May 21: Newton Rotary - 'Newton Has Talent'

Click here for talent flyer, in PDF format

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

Click here for event details, 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

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

RI Council on Legislation Report

By Thomas Polito

It was my honor to represent our District at Rotary International's Council on Legislation last month in Chicago. There were 534 other district governors from around the world voting on the items.

Here are some of the changes that will take place effective this July 1. The updated MOP (Manual of Procedures) will be updated soon. Read more

DGE Report: Emphasis is now on goal-setting by presidents-elect

By Pat and Skip Doyle

For the past few months, we have stressed our goal of training. The time has now come to measure the success of that goal.

One of the two key signs that we look for is the number of presidents-elect who have registered on My Rotary and entered their club-leadership data. At this point, 80 percent of clubs have reported their presidents-elect to Rotary International, while 75 percent have reported their most important officers. This is an improvement over last week, and we are now moving in the right direction. Please help us to make this at least 90 percent by next Sunday, May 8.

Now, our emphasis will be on monitoring the second key sign: goal-setting by presidents-elect. All goals should be set before this July 1. At this point, the percentage of clubs with goals entered is too low to even mention. Our specific goal is 90 percent of club goals set by July 1. Now is the time to put your training to work. Remember the Goal Listing Worksheet that we passed out at Post-PETS? Click here, to download it in Word format. Use it to begin setting your club goals and registering the data on Club Central. There will be a Club Central Workshop at the District Conference on Friday May 20 so if you need assistance just bring your computer and we will show you how to set your goals.

The best thing for presidents-elect to focus on is that this is all for the good of the club. Not District 7910. Not Rotary International. Not even us. The more you plan ahead, the better your year will be.

Please always feel free to reach out to either your assistant governor or us for help.

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

Foundation Update: District Grant Application Template for ’16-‘17

By Sanjay Deshpande

Starting this June 1, District 7910 will be processing District Grant Applications online through the Grand Management Module on the district’s website. The application process has two steps. Clubs first submit a proposal using the 2016-17 District Grant Proposal Form. So far, 31 clubs have already done so.

The District Grants Subcommittee, chaired by Jorge Yarzebski of Westborough Rotary, is reviewing the submitted proposals this month May and advising clubs of whether their submitted proposals can proceed to the application stage starting June 1, using the online tool. Clubs wanting to submit proposals in June or later will be able to do so online. Read more

Membership Corner: Status of Rotary membership in District 7910

By Tom Sturiale

Thanks to the diligent efforts of many clubs, we have managed to offset the effects of attrition and stabilized our membership at the same level as last year. While this is no small effort, there is still much work to do. A question remains as to what extent clubs accept the premise that an increase in membership is a desirable and necessary objective.

Notwithstanding the fact that Rotary International has declared membership as the No. 1 priority of all clubs and that clubs with more members are better prepared to serve their communities, there are still many clubs with low memberships. As discussed in several other “Membership Corner” articles, there are many reasons for this: demographics, venues, history, leadership, attitudes, costs, public relations, etc. However, except for will and determination, all these negatives can be overcome with careful planning and execution.

It seems clear that a reasonably sized club, albeit an arbitrary number, will be more effective from many points of view. Larger clubs are better able to serve their communities through more effective fund-raising, by having more folks available to share in the work of projects, by having a larger population of members to serve as leaders and officers, by increasing their chances of long-term survival and by promoting the idea of Rotary throughout their areas. Read more

PR Tips: Create and use your club logo

By Laura Spear

Use the logo template on Rotary.org/brandcenter to create a club logo. The preferred configuration is "Rotary Club of [Location]," with the word "Rotary" coming first. Two acceptable alternatives are also provided to cover variations of club names.

To watch a District 7910 Rotary PR Workshop video on creating club logos, click here.

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.

Check out our online student registration for RYLA. 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

Completed 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 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 9 issue

Submit Content

To submit content for consideration for the Monday, May 16 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, May 13. 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.

Past Issues