February Message from District Governor
(taken from the February issue of "The Bridge" District 6330's monthly newsletter - read the complete newsletter here)
February is already here and this month we celebrate World Understanding Month in Rotary. It is time for us to reflect on what our clubs have been doing in World Community Service projects and to feel good about helping others less fortunate. Our Presidents-Elect are starting their planning process for their Rotary year starting in July! Has your club given any thought as to how you will split your service projects between local and international projects? Recognizing that while we are blessed in Canada and America and we should share our wealth with those less fortunate, I feel that in order to grow and attract new members to our club, we have to build a stronger presence in our own community. Many smaller clubs believe that in order to survive, they have to do only local projects.
If we use Rotary to build a better local community, we should be able to attract more Rotarians. If we attract more Rotarians and increase interest in Rotary we will have more Rotarians, more energy and funds to complete international works. It’s a win-win for all of us! We should always be looking to attract new people to our clubs! I hope you are all R.E.D.! Our younger members want to make a difference in the world, be heard, and feel like they are contributing. We know they live in a fast world, moving at a fast pace and they wonder why everyone is not moving like they are. While our senior members talk about their latest cruise, these younger members are talking career and family issues. There is a disconnect between generations and it should not be occurring in the Rotary club. Part of this disconnect is easy to solve. You did it when you changed from a print newsletter to a digital one. You are doing it by changing from a social hour at the local pub to a family-night activity at the local pizza house. You do it by changing from projects relating to the local senior centre to working at a crisis centre for moms. Don’t get me wrong, all the projects taken on by your Rotary club are important, but you need to think about a variety of age-related projects.
Have you completed your District Governor’s Challenge? Be sure to fill it out and give to your club president. Your name will be entered into our next two draws in February and March. A copy of the DG Challenge can be downloaded from www.rotary6330.org.
I hope everyone has created your account on www.rotary.org. It is quite simple to do. If you have not, your club secretary should be able to assist you. Contact your Assistant Governor if you still need help! By visiting Rotary Showcase you can see what kinds of things are being done in the Rotary world by clubs everywhere. I hope you will visit this website often.
Have you thought about attending the Rotary International Convention in Sydney, Australia? At a convention, for about four days, we see the world of Rotary as Paul Harris imagined it. It is a world where men and women from all over the globe come together to build peace, to serve others, and to enjoy the fellowship of Rotary. Rotarian George Gordon from Hepworth-Shallow Lake is our District RI Convention Chair. If you have questions, contact George at ggordon@bmts.com
I received word last week that our RI President’s Representative for our District Conference in June will be PDG Elizabeth Usovicz from District 6040 in Kansas. We are looking forward to showing PDG Elizabeth our hospitality and what it is like to belong to an international district in Rotary!
Don’t forget. If you have items to contribute to The Bridge, send them to Editor John Hill at vesitrix@gmail.com. If you have members in your club who do not have an email address, print a copy for them so they don’t miss out on what is happening in District 6330!