Happy New Year – We are halfway through a very busy Rotary year and it has been very exciting for both my wife Jill and myself. In the first six months we have visited all 65 Rotary Clubs in our district and have driven over 9,000 miles. All very worthwhile as we have met great Rotarians who are energetic and excited, doing great projects, performing thousands of hours of service and helping many people in their communities and around the world.
We have heard about so many great projects and unique fundraising ideas that we plan on sharing with everybody in the future. One of my plans is also to have facilitated breakout sessions on service projects and fundraising at our district conference in May so all of you can share your great ideas and possibly network on future service projects and fundraising.
Membership in our clubs has been a major focus for me this year and although we are doing a good job so far, the results I was hoping for have not materialized yet. As of December 1, 2019, we had a net growth of only 2 members in our district. It’s positive, but we all know what June 30th can do to our membership numbers as we work to clean up our rosters.
It’s so important to continuously focus on membership, to have a dedicated membership chairperson, an active membership committee and to get all our members involved in growing our clubs. The more Rotarians we have, the greater our ability to do good in our communities and around the world.
January is Vocational Service Month – Vocational Service focuses on:
- Adherence to and promotion of the highest ethical standards in all occupations, including fair treatment of employers, employees, associates, customers, competitors and the public.
- The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, not just those pursued by Rotarians.
- The contribution of your vocational talents to solving the problems if society and meeting the needs of the community.
Here are a few activities your club might consider to advance the cause of Vocational Service:
- Introduce a “mini classification talk” series in which each member gives a five-minute talk on his or her vocation. Schedule one speaker for the beginning of each meeting until everyone has made a presentation. This will promote vocational awareness, build cohesion among Rotarians and help them recognize the worthiness of all useful occupations.
- Present a vocational award to someone in the community who has exemplified outstanding professional achievement while maintaining very high ethical standards. Promote the presentation within the community, and consider making it an annual event.
- Invite experts to speak on the vocational needs of the community and develop a project in response to those needs. Possible projects could focus on developing character, providing career information to youths, mentoring small businesses, or organizing workshops that provides employees with new skills.
- Encourage club members to put their vocational skills to work as a Rotary Volunteer. Volunteer opportunities are available on ProjectLINK, a valuable resource that lists many vocational service projects that Rotary clubs can model as they plan their own activities.
President/President-Elect Training Event
The annual mid-year training event is scheduled for Saturday, February 8, 2020, at White’s of Westport. Training will be included for all Presidents, President Elects and any other Rotarian that wants to learn more about Rotary or become more involved with their clubs. In addition, a Grants Training Seminar will be conducted which will qualify clubs for 2020/2021 District and Global Grants.
Our keynote speaker is former New England Patriot (and current Providence Rotarian) Pete Brock, who will entertain and inspire you with “Making a Difference – One Play at a Time”.
Register at www.Rotary7950.com. Cost is only $24 per person and includes a continental breakfast and box lunch.
District Conference
Our annual District Conference is set for May 1-3 at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis MA. A fantastic conference for all is being planned by the conference committee with great speakers, great breakouts, great fellowship. So I hope you’ll mark your calendars and plan on being a part of it.
Online registration is OPEN with an early bird registration for the entire conference at $269 per person until February 28. After February 28 the price increases to $309 per person. In addition, a la carte registration is offered for various programs and conference days. Register at
www.rotary7950.com.
A special hotel room rate of $125 per night plus taxes has been negotiated for the event, only guaranteed until March 31, 2020. You must make your own room reservations by calling the resort directly at 855-861-4370. Please mention Rotary District 7950 when making your reservations.
NEW THIS YEAR: The District Assembly usually held in April will be combined with the District Conference. The Assembly will be held on Saturday from 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM and includes lunch. The District Assembly will include six breakout sessions, training for secretaries and treasurers along with a general session at lunch. The district business meeting will follow at 3:45 – 4:45 PM.
