February - World Understanding Month

Posted by Martin Ward 
on Feb 07, 2014
 

In honor of the first Rotary meeting that occurred on February 23, 1905, Rotary International has designated this day as "World Understanding and Peace Day" and has selected February as "World Understanding Month."

What will your club do to celebrate World Understanding and Peace and February 23?

Here's some ideas from Penny Offer - taken from the Zone 24 & 32 blog.

 

On February 23rd Rotary celebrates the 109th anniversary of the first Rotary club meeting. This is an opportunity for Rotary clubs and districts to promote Rotary’s public image. 

There are a variety of tools at the media center (www.rotary.org/en/public-relations) on the RI website and in the new Rotary Brand Center www.Rotary.org/BrandCenter.

Here are 10 ideas to celebrate Rotary Day. 

  1. Create a Rotary history speakers bureau. Have Rotary club members in the community speak at the library, chamber of commerce, and schools on the value of volunteerism, using project examples from Rotary’s century of service.
  2. Have the members of your Rotary club commit to a total of 109 hours of volunteer service during the week of Feb 16 to 22.  Announce the total on Feb. 23
  3. Write a newspaper article or letter to the editor to highlight what Rotary has accomplished locally and globally in the past and why it remains relevant today. Place it in community or school newspapers. A template for a Rotary Day news release is available at: Rotary Day Press Release Template https://www.rotary.org/en/document/858.  This should be updated and personalized for the local media.
  4. Request your community’s mayor to proclaim February 23 “Rotary Day” in your town. A sample proclamation is available at: https://www.rotary.org/en/document/859. This also needs to be updated for 2014 and for your community.
  5. Write an article on the history of Rotary in your community. Focus on vocational, community, youth and international service. Submit it to your local newspaper for possible publication.
  6. Coordinate with a local television station or radio station to have Rotarians appear on a morning talk show or evening news segment in honour of Rotary Day. They can highlight Rotary history and local and international service efforts.
  7. Collect items for distribution to those in need, such as shoes, school supplies, coats, gloves, and eyeglasses, and distribute them during a Rotary Day event.
  8. Create a human Rotary gearwheel by having Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, and others lie down in a field, sports stadium, or park to create the design of the emblem. Invite the media to this photo opportunity.
  9. Purchase a full-page or half-page advertisement in your local newspaper, encouraging your community to celebrate Rotary Day. Use a print public service announcement (PSA) from the RI Website.
  10. Create a giant birthday cake in the shape of a Rotary gearwheel to mark Rotary’s birthday, and invite the community or media to share it.

These are just 10 ideas to celebrate Rotary Day on February 23rd and promote Rotary and your club in your community.  The anniversary is a great opportunity to tell the Rotary story and engage others in our vision of doing good in the world.