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News from Around the District

AUGUST 2024 DISTRICT GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE
 
The Rotary year is off to a busy start!  It is a great coincidence that August is Membership and New Club Development Month in Rotary.  If you have heard or talked to me, you know that growing and retaining members is my highest priority for this Rotary year.  All service projects and fundraising flows from our members!
 
We need to continue to attract and invite others with a heart for service and high ethics to join us.  Just as important though is the need to retain new and experienced members!  We must help our new members find their passion in Rotary.  New members were very motivated when they joined - we need to build on that motivation by understanding and meeting their expectations of their Rotary experience.
 
Is everyone in your area able to attend your meetings?  Does a busy professional and family life limit their availability?  Consider starting satellite clubs - groups of people who are members of your club but meet at a time and place that fits their busy lives. 
 
Many who would like to serve with us lack the time or flexibility for regular meetings.  Consider IMPACT memberships and IMPACT satellite clubs (view PDF) for those potential members who want to serve our community and the world but do not have the time in their schedule for meetings.
 
On October 19th, we will have a Club Experience Summit at Paradigm at Mentor High School to share experiences from Rotarians to make our meetings more engaging, listen to our growing clubs on how they became more attractive and engaging to new members, and hear from brand new members on why they were attracted, why they joined and what will keep them in Rotary.
 
A highlight of this will be to hear from a handful of clubs in District 6630 which have had a net growth of 25-50% in the last couple years.  Overall our district adds roughly 170 new members each year.  We also lose about that same number or slightly more.  These clubs not only added a great number of new members but also retained the new and experienced members!  We all need to learn from their experiences!   Join us on Oct. 19.  Registration will open at 9:30 AM.  The first session will start at 10 AM.  We will wrap by 1 PM.  Hopefully most of you will then be able to join us to celebrate the learnings and our success in eradicating polio at Collision Bend in Euclid immediately after the summit at our Pints to End Polio there!
 
 
Dale Smith
District Governor 2024/2025
Rotary International District 6630
Past-President
Rotary Club of Mentor
The Magic of Rotary
 
330-968-7683m
PINTS AND POURS TO END POLIO
Thanks to all who have attended our events to date. 
Members and guests were at Hoppin' Frog to support the event September 12th.
 
Our next Pints to End Polio social events are listed below.
 
It's a perfect time and place to join us and invite your friends to learn more about Rotary.
 
ALL ARE WELCOME!
 
DG SMITH PRESENTS TO CLEVELAND CLUB
The Rotary Club of Cleveland had District 6630 Governor Dale Smith present at their Club meeting on September 12, 2024.  
 
Annually, the Club also invites all of the Past District Governors to hear the Governor's presentation at this luncheon.
 
DG Smith focused on our need to grow membership but also to be more aware of  the need to engage new members. Pulling on his history of being a new member in a few clubs, he shared experiences that can help clubs.  
 
THROUGH SEPT 30TH - UNIQUE PHOTO DOCUMENTARY PRESENTED BY CLEVELAND ROTARY CLUB AND CLEVELAND PHOTO FEST
 
Rotary Club of Cleveland and non profit Cleveland Photo Fest presents a unique photo documentary exhibit running through the end of September:. "Mayors, Managers and Trustees", at Bostwick Design Initiative in Cleveland.  This unique photo event took seven months to complete and captured all 62 mayors and managers of Cuyahoga County in portraiture, photographed by local Cleveland photographers.
 
Led by renown Cleveland photographer Herb Ascherman Jr, a long time friend of Rotary Club of Cleveland.
 
The opening night reception saw more than 200 people and 35 of the 62 mayors who participated, including Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne.  After the exhibit closes, a copy will be given to the Cleveland History Center.
 
Rotarians in other District 6630 clubs attended to view the complete exhibit and support their local representatives.
 
The exhibit is open to the public Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2731 Prospect Avenue, now through September 30.
 
Thanks to our Baldwin Wallace Rotaract Member for their enthusiasm and help the night of the event!
 
For details and hours, visit Cleveland Photo Fest on Facebook.
 
  
DISTRICT PUBLIC IMAGE REPORT
Hello Rotarians! It’s Tina Ingraham, your friendly neighborhood District Public Image Chair, just back from Zone 30-31 Institute in Huntsville, Alabama. I participated in two Public Image training sessions that gave me some great ideas to share with our clubs. It was a fabulous few days of inspiring speakers and breakout sessions, plus that overall exciting Rotary exchange of ideas while enjoying fellowship with friends new and old. And of course we had some fun too. I can tell the District Governor line also picked up impactful information and training to help our clubs flourish in the coming years. Stay tuned for a lot of great things to come!
 
ROTARY LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH GIFT of LIFE  AGAIN
On Wednesday, August 28th. I had the honor of travelling to Ronald McDonald House in Akron with Gift of Life – Northeast Ohio president Ken Fogle and his wife Janet. 
 
Six year old Nash from Haiti had just received open heart surgery.  Prior to last Friday when the surgery took place Nash was unable to walk but a few steps before he had to sit and catch his breath.  His damaged heart was getting weaker by the day and his mother and brothers were forced to watch him face a short and painful life with no medical relief available in Haiti. 
 
Thanks to Gift of Life International and GoL-NEO Nash was able to travel with his mother, at no cost to his family, to Akron Children’s Hospital for his life saving surgery.  Five days after the procedure when we visited Nash he was riding a big wheel bike (which he had never seen before) and playing like a normal six year old boy on the Ronald McDonald house playground. 
 
Since Haiti is a Creole French speaking country, through an interpreter, we were able to hear the overwhelming gratitude of his mother for the gift of her son’s life and Nash’s first English words; “Thank you very much”. 
 
This experience brought back my fond memories of my trip to Haiti in 2019 with Ken when we visited the GoL surgical team in the new pediatric intensive care unit at St. Damien’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince where the first Haiti pediatric surgeries were being done.  Since that time hundreds of life saving surgeries have been performed at St. Damien’s.
 
Unfortunately with the current instability of the Haitian government surgeries at St. Damien’s have been restricted which is why Nash had to come to Akron Children’s for his procedure. In 2017, Rotary and the Burton-Middlefield Club with the help of 19 partners established a $110,000 grant for the purchase of equipment to set up the GoL pediatric intensive care unit at St. Damien’s.  My trip to Haiti continues to be one of the most impactful moments of my life as I viewed young preschool children who months prior to our visit had basically no future being treated and released as normal kids.  Their parents who spoke no English showed how they felt through smiles, hugs and tears of joy, a universal language.  Haiti was just one of the places in the world where GoL has set up clinics and sent teams of specialist doctors to do surgeries.  They are currently very active in Egypt with a larger surgical unit.  
 
Future plans are underway to establish an intensive care facility in Ghana.  This effort will coordinate with the work The Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield has been doing at the Bill Barnes Pharmacy at a hospital in rural Ghana.  Our club has supported this facility since the 1970’s and allowed it to grow and serve its rural community. 
 
We look forward to working with Gift of Life and Gift of Life-Northeast Ohio on this project.  Rotary continues to be a worldwide leader in humanitarian work around the globe and collaborates often with like-minded groups like Gift of Life.  Rotary is also in the final phases of their efforts to eradicate Polio in the world in conjunction with UNICEF and the World Health Organization.  How great it feels to be even a small part of these efforts.
 
Yours in Service, 
Robert Johnson – Secretary – RC of Burton-Middlefield
 
PDG Bob Johnson, Nash, Dr. Jeff Kempf, Akron Children's Hospital
 
Nash gets a Rotary pin from PDG Bob Johnson shown with his mother and Dr. Kempf 
 
Cheering on Nash are Janet Fogle - wife of Ken Fogle from Gol-NEO and
 Ellen Kempf (back to camera) - wife of Dr. Jeff Kempf
AURORA HOSTS CLUBRUNNER PRESENTATION
The Aurora has embraced using the ClubRunner platform for its website, events and much more! Thanks to member, Charlie Fink, the Club is already embracing the new ClubRunner Nova roll out. by signing up for early access (click here if your club is interested).
 
here are many new innovations being rolled out this year called ClubRunner Nova, it will be a brand new version built on modern architecture.  Learn more here.
 
Recently District webmaster, PDG Cheryl Warren presented at the Aurora Club about the current and future capabilities of ClubRunner and what's coming.
 
Thank you to the Aurora Club for being part of this journey with ClubRunner!
 
 
 
 
GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES BID TO HOST SPECIAL OLYMPICS USA GAMES 2030
GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES BID TO HOST
SPECIAL OLYMPICS USA GAMES 2030
Ohioans are encouraged to pledge their support to back the bid for Cleveland
 
 
 
Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Special Olympics Ohio, Destination Cleveland and key partners from around the state announced a bid to host the 2030 Special Olympics USA Games. Held every 4 years, these Games would welcome 5,500+ athletes and coaches, 100,000+ fans, and require 10,000+ volunteers for 8 days of 16+ sports, opening and closing ceremonies, and more. The economic impact is estimated $70M+, and we know the legacy of hosting this event will leave behind much more.
 
We are thrilled to be a finalist through this highly competitive bid process. We need your help to leave no doubt that Cleveland has the community involvement, support, and desire to host these athletes and welcome their families and fans.
 
We are requesting you sign & share the pledge page below with your networks. Our goal is to get tens of thousands of pledges to not only blow the selection committee (and our competition) away – but show Special Olympics Athletes, their families, coaches, supporters and more that Cleveland is a premiere destination, inclusive, and ready to host the best USA Games yet.
 
A few things that could help you spread the word are below. OR you can repost from the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission &/or Destination Cleveland social media pages.
 
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLPARK TO END POLIO
Albert Tien and Stew Buchanan
Present and Past District 6630 Polio Plus Chairs
 
What a great night at Progressive Field with the Rotary Clubs from District 6600, 6650 and 6630.  Did you see the Orioles miss the double play against the Guardians? Did you see Richard Leskovec from the Chagrin Valley Rotary throw out one of the first pitches? Did you see the group of Rotarians selected to hold the O-H-I-O signs on the big screen? Did you see the Guardians beat the Orioles 8:4? Did you see Machine Gun Kelley at the game? Did you see the incredible fireworks display at the end of the game? And what about the fantastic Paul Davis Pennant District? The T-shirts, the endless food and drinks including cash bar, and lastly the incredible auction items.
 
 
All in all we sold nearly $6000 of raffle and silent auction tickets plus 299 baseball tickets sold with a portion of the proceeds going to the RI End Polio Plus campaign.
 
The winners of the raffles were:             
  • First Pitch- Jim Redmond, Akron
  • Box Seats- Kevin Chiu, Canfield
  • Autographed Baseball - Rich Luschin, Chardon
So don’t miss next year’s 2025 End Polio Campaign with the Guardians.  We will keep you informed as events develop.  If you still want to help support Rotary’s End Polio Campaign, you can participate in the ongoing “Pints and Pours to End Polio” where we gather at local breweries and wineries - click to view the schedule and locations. Rotary has worked with the World Health Organization to supply and distribute 1.2 million doses of the vaccine to the children of Gaza after the virus was recently detected.
 
Again, thanks to the Rotary Leadership for helping promote and sell raffle and auction tickets, our sponsors, donors, and all of your who attended and brought friends to see that …We are people of Action!
OCT 5th - FAIRLAWN ROTARY SPEAKEASY FUNDRAISER
Rotary Club of Fairlawn’s 13th Speakeasy Fundraiser
Is October 5th, 2024
 
FAIRLAWN, OHIO – The Rotary Club of Fairlawn will host its 13th annual Speakeasy Fundraiser on October 5, 2024, from 5:30 -10:30, at the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn.  The Rotary Club of Fairlawn joins forces with Akron Children’s Hospital, The Blick Center, Crown Point Ecology Center, and The Fairlawn Rotary Foundation to make this a very special event. This year’s Community Service Award will be presented to Dr. Jeffrey Kempf, for his service and dedication to our community. Dr. Kempf was an attending physician in Akron Children’s Hospital emergency room for over 30 years along with his work in the Office of Pediatric Global Health. At this event Dr. Kempf will also be presented with Rotary’s distinguished Paul Harris Award.
 
The Rotary Club of Fairlawn has raised over $1.5 million for children in this community and around the world since 1964.  The Speakeasy event is the club’s major fundraiser. Its purpose is to help fund special projects for local charities. Through the Fairlawn Rotary Foundation, this year’s proceeds will help local organizations that support children’s education, health, and welfare.  As this year’s recipients, Akron Children’s Hospital, The Blick Center, Crown Point Ecology Center, and the Fairlawn Rotary Foundation will receive proceeds from this event.  At our last event, the Rotary Club of Fairlawn raised over $50,000 for local organizations.
 
The Speakeasy fundraiser will be a fun-filled evening of dining and dancing in a nostalgic speakeasy atmosphere. Michelle Charles from The Summit FM 91.3 will be emceeing the event. The ticket price of $150 per person includes a sit-down dinner, an oral and silent auction, an open bar, and a “best-dressed” costume contest. Raffle tickets for many wonderful gifts are also available for purchase. Of course, the real winners will be the children of our community.
The Rotary Club’s efforts to support local charities and build goodwill throughout the community stem from Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self.”  Rotary’s compassion stretches well beyond Akron as it works to combat polio, poverty, and illiteracy on national and international levels. Rotary was started in Chicago in 1905 by Paul Harris bringing together professionals with diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas and to form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Now it is an international organization spanning the globe. Rotary focuses on service projects encompassing peace and conflict prevention and resolution, disease prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, and economic and community development.
 
To purchase event/raffle tickets or to donate to the Speakeasy fundraiser, visit www.speakeasy.fairlawnrotary.com. 
 
For additional information, please contact Mark Whitlam at 330-321-8141 or at mark@jcwhitlam.com.
 
Corporate sponsorships start at $395, and program advertising starts at $75.  If you are unable to attend, but would like to help, please send your check to the Fairlawn Rotary Foundation, Inc, at P.O. Box 13063, Fairlawn, Ohio 44334.  The Fairlawn Rotary Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3).   
 
OCT 12th - MENTOR CLUB FORWARD REVERSE RAFFLE
On Saturday, October 12th, Mentor Rotary Club will be holding their First Annual Forward Reverse Raffle to benefit the City of Mentor Police. 
 
Proceeds from the event will be used to purchase AED - Defibrillators for the Police patrol cars. 
 
This exciting event will be held at Lamalfa Centre Hotel and Suites on Saturday evening from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm.   Outstanding food selection. 
 
We will have a live band "RISK FACTOR” playing.  Lamalfa Centre Hotel is part of the Wingate by Wyndham Hotel chain, The owner is a past president of the Mentor Rotary Club.  There will be approximately 7 themed raffle prizes from Outdoor: Backpack Leaf Blower, rakes, outdoor gear, Auto Truck Accessories, Holiday,   Gift cards valued at more than $500, and a few others.  We will have a 50/50 raffle and many side boards.
 
Come out and support Rotary and our police while having a great time with friends. 
 
 
Ticket prices are $125 for individual and $200 for couple.  For additional information contact Neil Sawicki, 440-339-8585.  
 
 
BEST PRACTICES FOR ORGANIZING EVENTS INVOLVING CHILDREN AND YOUTH (A Supplemental to the RI District 6630 Youth Protection Policies and Procedures Manual)
The District 6630 Youth Protection Committee has been working to assist Club Youth Protection Officers in their efforts to assist club planning and execution of safe youth related activities. The District Website already contains detailed video presentations, as well as power point downloads of the September 18, 2021 youth protection training seminar. The actual policy and procedures manual is also contained on the District website.
 
In an endeavor to assist in using the policies and procedures manual a subcommittee of the District Youth Protection Committee has created the Best Practices for Organizing Events Involving Children & Youth (click here) for your review, study and use.
 
I would like to thank Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski and her subcommittee for their efforts in preparing this document.
 
On a different topic, District Youth Protection Officer Carrie Malotte and her team of Assistant District Youth Protection Officers have been working diligently to implement the District’s Youth Volunteer Management System, including the Youth Protection Course which is part of the system. If your club is one of the dozen or so clubs who have not responded to District Youth Protection Officers attempted contacts please do so (Carrie can be reached at CarrieMalotte@Westfield-bank.com)
 
Sincerely,
 
John L. Reyes
Rotary International District 6630 Youth Protection Committee Chair
2024-2025 ROTARY PRESIDENTIAL THEME

Have you updated your Club web and social media sites with the new theme?

Need help building a logo for your Club to include the theme?
For assistance, Email or call Cheryl Warren 330-495-9814. 

2024-25: The Magic of Rotary

2024-2025 Theme logo - EN

RI President-elect Stephanie Urchick celebrates the magic of Rotary. She says members create that magic with every project completed, every dollar donated, and every new member of Rotary.

Download 2024-25 theme logo materials (.zip)

2024-25 presidential theme branding guidelines (PDF)

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Mark Your Calendars for These Events!
2024-2025 District Leadership
2025 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

OUR CAUSES

The collective leadership and expertise of our 1.2 million members helps us tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges, locally and globally. We are united by common values and vision for the future as we sharpen our focus with targeted specific causes that will reach communities most in need.

We have identified specific causes to target to maximize our local and global impact. At the same time, we understand that each community has its own unique needs and concerns.
Through  and other resources, we help clubs focus their service efforts in the following areas.

PEACEBUILDING AND CONFLICT PREVENTION

Today, 42 million people are displaced by armed conflict or persecution. Through our partnerships with several leading universities, Rotary Peace Fellows develop the skills to strengthen peace efforts, train local leaders to prevent and mediate conflict, and support long-term peace building in areas affected by conflict. We provide up to 100 peace fellowships per year at Rotary Peace Centers.

DISEASE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

More than 100 million people are pushed into poverty each year because of medical costs. We aim to improve and expand access to low-cost and free health care in underdeveloped areas. Our members educate and mobilize communities to help prevent the spread of major diseases such as polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Many of our projects ensure that medical training facilities are located where the workforce lives.

WATER. SANITATION, AND HYGIENE

More than 2.5 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. At least 3,000 children die each day from diarrheal diseases caused by unsafe water. Our projects give communities the ability to develop and maintain sustainable water and sanitation systems and support studies related to water and sanitation.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

At least 7 million children under the age of five die each year due to malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. To help reduce this rate, we provide immunizations and antibiotics to babies, improve access to essential medical services, and support trained health care providers for mothers and their children. Our projects ensure sustainability by empowering the local community to take ownership of health care training programs.

BASIC EDUCATION AND LITERACY

Sixty-seven million children worldwide have no access to education and more than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Nearly 1.4 billion employed people live on less than $1.25 a day. We carry out service projects that enhance economic and community development and develop opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old. We also help strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.

SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENT

Providing our members more ways to bring about positive change in the world.

Community Minded People Like You and Me
If you like talking and tweeting about issues that matter
in both your local community and communities abroad,
come and see how you can join the conversation at Rotary
and do something to make a real difference in the lives of others.