Rotary District 7910 Newsletter - March 28, 2016


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.
2016 District Conference: Plymouth Rocks!

by District 7910 Conference Committee
May 20, 21 and 22
Hotel 1620 At Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth
Click here to Register Now!
Click here to download the 12-page, 'everything you need to know' District Conference Booklet, which contains:
- Schedule
- Pricing
- Hospitality 'Sweets' Request Form
- Cruise Registration Form
- Golf Registration Form
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Facebook 'Like' Contest

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

RYLA: Student online registration is now open

Student online registration for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards is now open.
Click here, for online registration.

If you have any special club events that you would like me to attend or any inductions or presentations that you would like me to make, please let me know.
DG Jim

Monday, March 28-Monday, April 25
Tuesday, March 29
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 31
Friday, April 8
4:00-8:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
Sunday, April 10
12:30-5:30 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
Monday, April 11
6:30-9:00 p.m.
DoubleTree Hotel, Leominster
Wednesday, April 13
6:00-9:30 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
Monday, April 18
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
Wednesday, April 20
6:30-9:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
Monday, April 25
6:30-9:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
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
New Tools For Membership Tool Belt
Looking to enhance your club membership experience? Do you want to find opportunities for growth in your club? Club and district leaders now have a set of updated Membership Assessment Tools (formerly Club Assessment Tools) to help them strengthen club membership and add value to your club membership experience, so that more people will join and fewer members will leave.
For your convenience, you can download the entire publication, or just the individual assessments that are most relevant to your club.
The individual assessments, which walk users through evaluation and development of an action plan, include:
- Representing Your Community’s Professions: A Classification Assessment
- Diversifying Your Club: A Member Diversity Assessment
- Finding New Club Members: A Prospective Member Exercise
- Improving Your Member Retention: A Retention Assessment and Analysis
- Enhancing the Club Experience: Member Satisfaction Survey
- Understanding Why Members Resign: Exit Survey
Historical trends show that there’s an increase in membership soon after the new year, so this is the perfect time to consider how you welcome new members into your club. Read how one club is using our New Member Welcome Kits to enhance their welcome and orientation.
Rotary Global Rewards: Sign Up Today!
Click here to learn more
Have you tried Rotary Global Rewards — Rotary International’s new member-benefit program that offers discounts on travel, hotels, dining, entertainment and more? Rotary Global Rewards will make your Rotary membership even more rewarding.
Rotary Global Rewards helps you share Rotary by:
- Doing more good work: Involve more members in Rotary projects with savings on truck rentals, airfare, and hotels.
- Building Rotary friendships: Forge richer friendships with fellow members with your dining and entertainment offers.
- Sharing our story with someone new: Tell people about Rotary’s work when you use discounts at coffee shops and restaurants.
Our rewards program is even more special now because members are invited to build it. This fall, Rotarians can add their company’s special offers to our growing portfolio of Rotary Global Rewards.
Where will Rotary Global Rewards take you? Sign in to My Rotary, go to the Member Center, and learn more. If you don’t have an account, create one now at www.rotary.org/myrotary.The good you do comes back to you!
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'
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.


Only three months more to accomplish my goals
By Jim Fusco

This Friday will mark the three-quarter mark of my year as district governor. So, far it has been an amazing experience and I now have only three more months to accomplish my goals. I promise you that I will continue to work hard for the remaining 13 weeks of my year. Remember that if you have a presentation you would like me to make or an event or fundraiser you would like me to attend, just ask!
Before I talk about what I did last week and what I plan to do this week, I want to discuss three very important items: Read more


10 Reasons Why You Should Register Today For Thursday’s Free Social Media Seminar
By Laura Spear
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Here are 10 reasons why you should register today for this free event:
10. Free snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be served. (Cash bar, for those who indulge.)
9. It is open to the public.
8. We have lined up seven fabulous speakers, both Rotarians and non-Rotarians, including social media and marketing consultants from this area.
7. Registrations contribute to your Best Club points.
6. Learn all about creating integrated social media plans.
5. Learn how to create quick and easy videos. The single most important strategy in content marketing today is video.
4. Know the difference between a tweet and a hashtag.
3. Learn how to post to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. – and all, at the same time!
2. Learn how to create a Facebook page or, if you have one already, tips and tricks to help market you, your club, and your business.
1. It’s free! (Really, how much is it?) It’s free!
Even better, just send me an e-mail, and I can register you myself. It’s that easy. And, did I mention? It’s free!
Laura Spear, who chairs the District PR Committee, may be reached at laura@spear.net.
District Membership Webinar Set for April 27
By Satya Mitra

Increasing the number of members should be a top priority for your Rotary club. As we approach the beginning of the 2016-2017 Rotary year, every club should have a Membership Development Plan in place to increase and retain membership.
The webinar will include the process of creating a Membership Development Plan plus provides strategies and tools you can use to attract and engage new members.
Club-assessment tools will be shared that will enable you to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your club related to attracting and retaining members. There will be a review of best practices to be a vibrant club, which is essential to attracting new members.
The webinar is intended for club officers, club Membership chairs, Membership Committee members, assistant governors and anyone interest in learning how to increase membership in your club.
Satya Mitra, who chairs the District Membership Committee, may be reached at satya@thegurutax.com.
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 you strengthen club membership and add value to your club membership experience, so that more people will join and fewer members will leave.
RI Presidential Citation: Nomination deadline is March 31
This year’s Presidential Citation is somewhat different from previous ones.
"In de
veloping this program," Rotary International President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran (shown, left) states, "I put a lot of
thought into selecting goals that, if achieved, would be measurable by all of us and make Rotary demonstrably stronger, more effective at delivering service, and more widely known and respected by the general public."
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Click here for Presidential Citation brochure (shown, right) , in PDF format
Click here for Interact and Rotaract Presidential Citation nomination criteria
Nashoba Valley Rotary seeks volunteers for, offers experience Financial Reality Fair

We have the opportunity to provide a valuable life lesson to all 260-plus 10th graders at the high school - yes, you have to pay for electricity - and have fun at the same time! Volunteer materials will be provided in advance.
To sign up, or for more information, contact Nashoba Valley Rotarian Laura Spear at laura@spear.net.
Newton Rotary’s ‘Newton Has Talent’ Accepting Auditions
The Rotary Club of Newton’s “Newton Has Talent” is again accepting auditions for its 2016 competition. 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.
For more information, contact Newton Membership Chair Susan Peghiny at suef0503@gmail.com.
Dedham Rotary visits local nursing home

Shown, are: Irene Polito (left), mother of Past District Governor Tom Polito; and Dedham Rotarian Marie-Louise Kehoe (right).
On March 24, the Rotary Club of Franklin recognized 10 Paul Harris Fellows, including club President Frank Cusanno (shown, middle).
District Governor Jim Fusco (shown, right) helped Foundation Chair Jeff Morrill (shown, left) distribute the awards, and then District Foundation Chair Roy Balfour spoke about the Rotary Foundation and congratulated the Franklin Rotarians for their generous donations of over $180,00 to the Rotary Foundation.
Franklin Rotary Recognizes 10 Paul Harris Fellows

District Governor Jim Fusco (shown, right) helped Foundation Chair Jeff Morrill (shown, left) distribute the awards, and then District Foundation Chair Roy Balfour spoke about the Rotary Foundation and congratulated the Franklin Rotarians for their generous donations of over $180,00 to the Rotary Foundation.
Westborough Rotary Sponsors ‘Be Like Brit’ Child


District 7910 Celebrates Successful Guyana Playground Project


Afterward, the Rotary members went to a local orphanage to visit the children and deliver stuffed toys, books and games. The Rotary Club of Georgetown coordinated the visit and participated in the activities. This is another good example of Rotary at work and Rotary international service.
For the trip highlights, click here to view a three-minute video.
Rotary’s Dictionary Project Comes Full Circle in Massachusetts

Today, Mairin Gulliver teaches at Luther Conant School in Acton. This year, when Rotarians came to her class to hand out the dictionaries, she told them that she received her personal dictionary from the Rotary club when she was in third grade and still has it! She remembers the day when Rotarians came to her class and gave each student their own book. “I remember taking my book home and flipping through the pages to find new information,” Mairin says. Today, she uses the donated dictionaries in her classroom to teach basic dictionary skills through a treasure hunt activity. After the strategy-based lesson, the students get to take their books home to use for their spelling and language-arts practice worksheets.
When asked why paperback dictionaries are important, Mairin explains that having a personal dictionary puts each child on the same playing field. Although resources and learning materials can be monitored in the classroom environment, teachers such as her recognize that not every child has access to a computer – or even books at home. “Like our motto here at Luther Conant School, the whole child is the whole idea, we want our students to have every resource available to be successful,” Mairin says.
To learn more about The Dictionary Project, click here.
During District 7910 training, District Interact Chair Ron Bott suggested community events are an opportunity to sign-up candidates to launch an Interact club. That is exactly what Marina Brodskaya of the Rotary Club of Brookline did on February 28. She helped community leaders, Urban Improv, and Wellesley Interact teens schedule a Teen Wellness Workshop, which identified teens interested in creating an Interact club in Brookline to perform community service focused on mental health and wellness promotion.
Urban Improv included the audience in skits on problem-solving and coping with life's worries, including awareness of
Brookline Rotary Signs Up Candidates To Launch Interact Club
By Bob Anthony

Shown right, standing, left to right, are Merle Perkins of Urban Improv andNicole Frontero of Wellesley Interact (Photo: Bob Anthony)

suicidal ideation in oneself or a friend. Peer leaders showed an excerpt from the documentaryBreak Free From Depression and facilitated small group discussions. After the workshop, age 12-18 participants were invited to sign-up for training as Interact peer leaders. The event was hosted by United Parishwith volunteers from other congregations, health-care providers, Brookline Rotary, Brookline High School, the Teen Center, and Adolescent Wellness.
Shown, above, are Wellesley Interact teens introducing teen leaders from Brookline (Photo: Bob Anthony)

The content used in the event was theBreak Free From Depressiondocumentary and manual from Boston Children’s Hospital. It is included in a kit called “Wellness in a Box” (shown, right), which any Rotary club may order from the Rotary Club of Wellesley. It provides the resources to create an Interact club with a Mental Health & Wellness Promotion project.
Bob Anthony, Brookline Rotary’s Interact chair, may be reached at bobanthony@adolescent-wellness.org.
Bedford Rotary To Pack Meals For Stop Hunger Now On May 14

The Rotary Club of Bedford will attempt to feed 250,000 children with their fourth annual Meals for Kids food packaging event in partnership with Stop Hunger Now on May 14 at the Bedford campus of Middlesex Community College.
The Rotary Club, composed of just a few dozen business professionals from Bedford and its surrounding communities, began feeding hungry children in 2013. That first year they established their relationship with Stop Hunger Now, they raised enough money and gathered enough volunteer packagers to put together enough packaged meals to feed 15,000 hungry children. Read more
NEPETS Album: Photo highlights of 2016 Northeast Presidents Elect Training Seminar

Click here to view and download JPEG-format photos of the 2016 Northeast Presidents Elect Training Seminar, which took place on March 10, 11 and 12 at the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham.
The photos were taken by District Archivist Cheryl Rosen and District Webmaster Steve Jones-D'Agostino.
Note: Make sure to hit the "i" icon in the upper-right corner each photo page, which will reveal information about that photo.
Shown, left to right: Co-Governors-Elect Skip and Pat Doyle; Rotary International President Rick King, who was the keynote speaker during NEPETS' March 10 dinner; Karen Fusco of the Fitchburg Rotary club, and District Governor Jim Fusco. They posed together following that dinner.
District Conference: Things I want you to know
By Jim Fusco
I will run “Things you should know” in every Newsletter until the 2016 District Conference on May 20 through 22 in Plymouth - and I will highlight different items each week. This week, I am presenting “Saturday afternoon free time.”
We have two prepaid options for you to celebrate your free time on the afternoon of Saturday, May 21. Free time will be from 12 noon to 4 pm. Register for only one of these options because they will be occurring at the same time.
- Harbor Cruise aboard the Pilgrim Belle: click here. Five-minute walk from the hotel. 1-1/12-hour cruise of Plymouth Harbor. You must register and pay for this event in advance because space is limited. Your price includes a box lunch: for Deli Box lunch $30, click here; and for Lobster Roll, $40, click here.
- Golfing at the Squirrel Run Golf Course: click here. 14 minute drive from the hotel. Tee time is 12 noon. A great opportunity to golf at the beautiful Squirrel Run Golf Course. Price is only $40 person and includes your golf cart. Space is limited so make your reservations early: click here.
Many other things to do
There are also many other things in the Plymouth area you can do. Here are a few suggestions. Registration is not required for these activities:
Ukraine Rotary Clubs Need Our Help With Recent Polio Outbreaks
Twenty-five years ago, the Rotary Club of Shrewsbury co-sponsored the first Rotary club in Ukraine,
which was the Rotary Club of Kiev. Now, a quarter-century later, Ukraine needs our help with recent polio outbreaks in that eastern European nation.

Rotary in Ukraine has now has grown to more 43 clubs. Click here to watch a video posted by our fellow Rotarians in Ukraine regarding the recent outbreak of polio. It demonstrates that with low awareness and low vaccination rates, one plane ride can cause this disease reappear again overnight and anywhere - even in America. Ukraine Rotary clubs are looking for help. The best way is to make a donation of any size. To make a donation, click here.
Every donation gets amplified by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which donates $2 for every $1 donated by Rotarians. That causes each donation of $1 to triple to $3. Click here to learn more about that match.

Thursday, March 31: District 7910 'Social Media Seminar'
Click here for seminar details, in PDF format
Friday, April 1: Shrewsbury - 'Taste of Shrewsbury'
Click here for sponsorship opportunities, in PDF format
Click here for food-vendor application, in PDF format
Wednesday, April 6: Tewksbury - 'Taste of the Town'
Click here for taste details, in PDF format
Friday, April 8: District 7910: Ad Deadline for District Conference 'Souvenir Book'
Cl'ick here for the order form, in PDF format
Saturday, April 9: Uxbridge - 'Wine and Chocolate Tasting'
Friday, April 15: District 7910 - Deadline for 'Facebook "Like" Contest'
Click here for contest details, in PDF format
Wednesday, April 20: District 7910 - Deadline for District Conference 'Hospitality "Sweets"'
Click here for request form, in PDF format
Sunday, May 1: Northborough Rotary - '5 & 10K Road/Trail Run'
Click here for run flyer, in PDF format
Friday, April 29: Wachusett Area - 'Roaring '20s Dinner Dance'
Click here for dinner-dance flyer, in PDF format
Thursday, May 5: District 7910 - Sign-Up Deadline for District Conference 'House of Friendship'
Click here for friendship flyer, in PDF format

Thursday, May 5: District 7910 - Sign-Up Deadline for District Conference 'Golf Outing'
Click here for golf flyer, in PDF format
Saturday, May 21 or First 90 People to Sign Up: District 7910 - Sign-Up Deadline for District Conference 'Harbor Cruise'
Click here for cruise flyer, in PDF format
Saturday, June 4: Worcester - 'Celebrate Community Gala'

Send flyers of your club's major events and activities, in either JPEG or PDF format, to Jim Fusco at jim.fusco2@gmail.com.
Post-PETS Team Training (formerly District Assembly)
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\By Pat and Skip Doyle
April 8, 2016
4:00-8:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn, Boxborough

District Governors-Elect Pat and Skip Doyle invite you to attend Post-PETS Team Training 2016-2017.
Who attends?
- Presidents-Elect, Presidents-Nominee, and Board Members
- 2016-2017 Treasurers
- 2016-2017 Secretaries
- 2016-2017 Public Image Chairs
- 2016-2017 Membership Chairs
- Members new to Rotary
- And all other interested Rotarians!
Post-Pets Training registration starts at 3:30. Opening session begins at 4:00 sharp - and ends at 8:00. At 5:00, we break for hors d'oeuvres, and resume with breakout sessions at 6:00.
The cost is $20 per person and may be reimbursed by your club.
Click here to register now, and pay with credit card or check.
For more information, contact District Governors-Elect Pat and Skip Doyle at pwdoyle2@ verizon.netand skipdoyle2@verizon.net, respectively.
The District Foundation Committee has received several requests for a timeline for the 2016-2017 District Grants. The timeline is explained, below. Club qualification has started 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 all three eligibility criteria are met:
Foundation Notice: Timeline for 2016-’17 District Grants
By Sanjay Deshpande

RYLA Reminder: Online student registration is now open
By Christine Pinney
Check out our online student registration forRotary Youth Leadership Awards.
Registration is open!
Click here, foronline 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
If you have any questions, visitwww.ryla7910.org.
Christine Pinney, vice chair of District 79810's RYLA Committee, may be reached at christine@christinepinney.com
Mark Your Interact and Rotaract Calendars!


District 7910 will hold a joint Interact and Rotaract Training Seminar on Tuesday, September 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at place to be determined. This event is a follow-up to the separate Interact and Rotaract Training Seminars that were held last fall and this winter, respectively.
Membership Corner: A review of membership issues
By Tom Sturiale

The Membership Corner notes have been issued weekly for the past eight months for your review. Hopefully, we have covered most of the aspects of membership as a key part of every club’s strategy. It may be useful to pause for a few moments to review the notes and to elicit your response.
Have the membership tips been relevant, useful and effective? Have you been able to implement effectively the membership strategies in your club? What other membership information would be helpful as you pursue membership objectives in your club?
PR Tips: Submit effective press releases about your projects and activities
By Laura Spear
Press releases are a simple and cost-effective way to get your message out - particularly, in local and community newspapers. To learn more about how to create one and distribute it, click here.
Laura Spear, chair of District 7910's Public Image Committee, may be reached at laura@spear.net.
Register today for District 7910 Social Media Seminar
To Register Now, click here
Are you ready to get social? Mark your calendars for March 31! It's time for our District 7910 Social Media Seminar. The content for this seminar resulted from our third-quarter District PR Meeting and is designed for new and not-so-new users of social media.
Attendees can mix and match - attend a Facebook Tips and Tricks session, a LinkedIn 101 session, and a Videos session, for example. To get the most out of the event, have several members of your club attend. The best part ... it's free!
Polio Plus Report: District contributions status; New RI funding; New vaccine type
Status of District 7910 club contributions
By Carl Good III

Carl Good, chair of District 7910's Polio Plus Committee, may be reached at carlgood@yahoo.com.
RI provides $35 million in new funding
Rotary International has released $35 million in new grants to support the global effort to eradicate polio. The funds will build on last year’s historic achievement of stopping transmission of the wild poliovirus in Nigeria and all of Africa. Just two countries reported wild polio cases in 2015, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rotary’s funds will go toward efforts to end the disease in those countries and seven others. Read more

New type of polio vaccine

Bandey-Hefler Reflections: Farewell photos and promo video


Peace Fellowships: Application Deadline Is May 31
By Terry Parker

View and Download (requires member login)

The submission deadline is Friday, April 1. All text must be in Word format. All images must be in either JPEG or PDF format.
Watch our videos on YouTube

© Copyright 2015-2016
Rotary District 7910, Central Massachusetts, USA
2015-2016 District Governor Jim Fusco
Rotary District 7910 Newsletter Editor Steve Jones-D'Agostino