Governor's Message - January 25, 2016

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Governor's Message: We are making great progress
 
By Jim Fusco
 
Last week, there was plenty to do. I had the honor to induct Nancy Maynard into the Rotary Club of Fitchburg and to induct Sarah Proctor in the Rotary Club of Montachusett Area. And, 2016 District Conference Chair Karin Gaffney of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley and I continued to meet with the chairs of the event’s Paul Harris Dinner, Program Book and Promotions subcommittees.
 
We are making great progress. I want to ensure that you are kept up-to-date on the District Conference. So starting with next week’s newsletter, Karin will be reporting weekly, under “Committee Spotlight.”
 
Last Tuesday, my wife Karen Fusco of the Rotary Club of Fitchburg, and I attended the Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship Wine-Dinner at the Heritage at Sherborn. On Wednesday, the district’s Foundation Committee met and we introduced Sanjay Deshpande of the Rotary Club of Wachusett Area as the committee’s chair for 2016-2019.  We had a great victory on Saturday night as the blizzard affected only part of our district. On Sunday, we had a big loss as the New England Patriots were defeated by the Denver Broncos for the NFL’s AFC Championship.
 
I have a great week in store as I start with the District Trustees Meeting this evening. I am looking forward to tomorrow as I travel to the Rotary Club of Southbridge for the Charter Ceremony of their new Interact Club. Unfortunately, I have been invited to three events on Tuesday, so my wife, Karen Fusco, will cover for me at the Rotary Clubs of Leominster and Fitchburg’s Breakfast for the Bands check-presentation dinner. On Wednesday, we will have our quarterly Live Assistant Governors Meeting. 
 
No changes to our grant system
 
There has been much talk around the district about changes to the grant process. There has been no change to our grant system other than Past District Governor Ralph Hammond of the Rotary Club Bedford stepping down as chair of that committee’s Grant Subcommittee. What is a fact is that the Grant Subcommittee will be changing from a committee of one – Ralph - to an expanded committee in order to continue the subcommittee grant work that Ralph has singularly done. The workload is simply too great and too important to our clubs for one person to carry this burden as done by Ralph for nearly 20 years. This new structure will allow us to quickly approve grants, monitor grants, review final reports, and quickly disburse funds when grant applications have been approved.
 
As with every other committee in the district, I have insisted on total transparency and clarity and the very first mission of the new Grant Subcommittee will be to publish guidelines so that every club knows how to apply for grants, what is needed to do to qualify, how much money is available, and the allocation for each year as set by the district governor elect. The goal is to publish these guidelines before our presidents elects go to PETS (Presidents Elect Training Seminar) so that planning can immediately begin on grants for the 2016-2017 Rotary year, which begins this July 1. The Grant Subcommittee will be there as a resource to help clubs apply, qualify for grants and obtain a fair allocation of The Rotary Foundation’s resources.
 
Also, the end of the current Rotary year this June 30 will mark the end of the three-year term for Roy Balfour of the Rotary Club of Shrewsbury as chair of our district’s Foundation Committee. Much has been accomplished in recent years, such as increasing donations from $90 per Rotarian to last year’s $142 per Rotarian. We have mobilized clubs in the district to fully utilize all global and district grant funds available for doing good in the world, which consists of their own communities as well as some communities abroad. District 7910’s “open” grant applications reached a historical milestone this year with a community/world-projects impact of $1 million. Plus, for two years in a row our district was the first in the world to get our spending plans approved by Rotary International, enabling clubs in our district to start their projects in April, if they so chose.
 
Closing reminders
 
RI Semi-Annual Dues & District Semi-Annual Dues: You should have received your semi-annual dues invoice from Rotary International and your District invoices from District Treasurer Lee Ouellette. These bills are based upon the membership numbers that were listed for your club as of January 1 and the amounts billed are fixed and cannot be adjusted. If for some reason your club did not receive an RI invoice, please contact me ASAP.
 
Club-Planning Worksheet: Last week, I reported that I would be sending each club president and president elect a request to forward your worksheet so I can see your progress at the halfway point. This notice went out yesterday. If you have not been filling out your worksheets please do so now so you can forward them to me. If you have been filling out your worksheet, please send it to me ASAP. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter. (Click here to download it in Excel format.)
 
State of The District: In the December 21/28 issue of the newsletter, I provided my “State of the District Report,” and part two ran in the January 4 issue. Please read them and see what you have accomplished in the first six months. There is, as the saying goes, “so much to do and so little time to do it.” I just want to remind you that if you have a club event, a club meeting, a presentation or a new member induction and you would like me to attend, just ask.
 
District Conference 2016 in Plymouth: It is hard to imagine, but your annual District Conference to celebrate your Rotary year is only 115 days away and registration is open. To register, click here. Please check out the fun in the informative "Plymouth Rocks" video that Assistant Governor Richard Simon has produced to promote our District Conference. To watch, click here or on image at left.
 
District Banners: All of you have seen our district PR banners being displayed at club and district events. To reserve one of those banners, contact Laura Spear, who chairs our district's Public Image Committee, at laura@spear.net.
 
Rotaract Advisor Training Seminar: I feel that training is extremely important. With this in mind, we will be holding this informational event on Monday, February 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Framingham State University. For additional details, which are being arranged by District Rotaract Chair Carl Gomes of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, click here.
 
Thank you for being part of a great organization and for being a Gift to the World.
 
We will have a great year!