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News from Around the District

 
 
 
 
 
May 2023
 
Dear Rotary members and friends,
 
My year as your governor has been special in so many ways. I am truly grateful for the friendships I have made and the warm welcome from all the clubs that I have visited. This year has made an impact on me. You have welcomed Georgeann, my family and me into your clubs. Your kind words and advice have made me a better leader and inspired me to fully embrace the meaning of “Service Above Self”.  As Rotary grows, so too does my family. In June, Georgeann and I will be expecting the birth of our first grandchild, our grandson Tate Jacob Jones. Thank you to all who wished my daughter Makenzie well at the District Conference. We truly are a family, a Rotary Family!
 
May has arrived!
Spring is in the air, and we are all getting excited to spend more time on our outdoor service projects. They say April showers bring May flowers. It sure looks like everything is in full bloom this year after all the rain we have endured. Can you believe we have only two more months left in our Rotary Year together? Let’s continue the excitement and finish the year off strong.
 
May is Youth Service Month. District 6630 definitely excels in this area. We may have lost the RYLA Camp during COVID, but the team rose to the occasion and was able to put on another very successful camp in June of 2022.  Marc West and the RYLA planning committee have planned for an even bigger event this June.  RYLA will be held at Baldwin Wallace University on June 11 – 15. If your club would like to sponsor a future leader, you can find additional information on our RYLA PAGE.
 
Our Interact Clubs throughout the District are thriving. We are teaching community service to these high schoolers and preparing them for a life of service. The Interact Clubs in our district selected to support the Akron Children's Hospital as their district-wide service project this year. They collected clothing, toiletries, board and card games, items for infants and toddlers, school age children, teens, craft supplies and blankets.  All supplies were delivered to the Akron Children’s Hospital after the District Conference. Reach out to your local interact clubs and congratulate them on a job well done.
 
Our Rotary Youth Exchange is back and the RYE committee has been keeping them busy.  As we come to the end of the school year the students will be returning to their home countries and our outbound students will be returning from their year abroad.  I would like to encourage the clubs to consider having one of these Young Adults speak at your club about their experience.
 
Our Rotaract Program has grown by expanding the Baldwin Wallace Club and working to open a couple of new ones. This program has been a challenge for our District, but this year we are making progress. Looking at all of our youth programs in the district, we are supporting the Rotary Action Plan by Increasing Our Impact, Enhancing Participant Engagement, Expanding Our Reach, & Increasing Our Ability to Adapt.
 
A Huge Thank You to the 2023 District Conference Planning Committee, your leadership and dedication made the 2023 “Celebrating our Community Service and Partners” Conference a success.
 
On April 28-29, 2023 we held our District 6630 Conference at the Cleveland Marriott East in Warrensville Hts.  This was a Great Conference to attend. Thank you to the over 300 Rotarians who attended and heard some great speakers.
 
Rotarians participated in our District Leadership Assembly, Presidents Elects training, Leadership 6630 class and our general sessions Mental Health, Empowering Women, Veteran Services, and club resources.
 
Keynote Speakers were, Rotary Peace Fellow, Wisdom Addo, , Executive Director of the West Africa Centre for Peace Foundation and Director of Africa  PeaceJam, spoke on "My Journey as a Rotary Peace Builder" and Dr. Kirsten M. Ellenbogen, Ph.D., CEO, of the Great Lakes Science Center spoke on “Empowering Girls in STEM: We All Have a Role”
 
On Saturday we honored our Youth Services with the Rotary Youth Exchange students presenting information about themselves and their country in the House of Friendship.  Interactors collected and sorted the items for their Akron Children’s Hospital project.  We also presented to Dinah Henderson, Interact advisor from Stow-Monroe Fall High School the Richard C. “Dick” Pitcher award for her service to the youth programs in our district.  John Laird was awarded the Gary Neuman Award, an award given to a spouse or partner, for his support of PDG Patricia Myers.
 
We honored our 50 and 60 year Rotarians for their dedication to Rotary. Together they have over 607 years of service in their communities.  Be sure to thank them for their service.
 
Our 50 year Rotarians were presented with a Crystal Service Award. 
 
William Manby Sr. - RC of AkronRonald Hamilton - RC of Chardon
Roger Read - RC of AkronDonald Burkholder – RC of Jefferson
Mike Meshginpoosh - RC of GenevaThomas Eble – RC of West Shore
Richard Kretschman – RC of Painesville 
 
 
Our 60 year Rotarians
Roger Edwards, 60 - RC of Northampton Cuyahoga ValleyLeonard Caminer, 60 – RC of Twinsburg
Jack Harig, 61 - RC of AkronRobert Marcy, 62 – RC of Conneaut
W. Stuver Parry, 64 - RC of Akron 
 
Our Special Honoree is Virginia Goodell from the RC of Mantua with over 70 years of service. Virginia became a Rotary Ann in the 1940s when her husband was a Rotarian. Virginia Joined Rotary as a Rotarian in June of 1991 and had her 100th birthday in January 2023.  Congratulations Virginia.
 
In addition to that we honored 4 Community Partners: Leadership Hudson, Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs, Community Partnership on Aging (CPA) and the Good Knights of Lorain County.  A big thank you to the clubs who sent in their support for these Community partners who make a difference in District 6630.  I encourage you to visit their website and learn more about their programs.
 
 
Polio Plus & Annual Fund Fundraising Efforts – We are nearing our goal of $100,000 in donations towards Polio Plus and the Annual Fund and look forward to sharing successful results with you in July.  To help us achieve our goal we have received an autographed Tie, Scarf and Theme Print from the First Woman President in Rotary International History.  We will have an Online Auction for these items. There will be a preview of the items on June 20th. The Live Auction will be held during the International Conference with bidding beginning on May 26th and ending on June 2nd.  All of the funds will go to support the POLIO PLUS FUND and all donations will be made in the name of the winning bidder.  Yes, you read it correctly, your donation will be sent to The Rotary Fund, and you will receive credit for the donation. 
 
Let’s Finish the Year Strong. 
 
Thank You for all of your support.
 
Dave
 
David E Jones
Rotary District 6630 District Governor 2022-2023
Cell Phone: 330.603.4107       
Email: DEJRotary@gmail.com

 
Bill LaPlace Memorial Golf Outing Scheduled for June 20
 
The Rotary Club of Cleveland has announced that it will host a golf outing in memory of PDG Bill LaPlace on Tuesday, June 2, 2023, at Coppertop Golf Course in Valley City, Ohio. Bill was a 50-plus year member of the Rotary Club of Cleveland, which he joined in 1968. He served the club as president in 1986-87, as president of the Cleveland Rotary Foundation in 1990-91, and as treasurer of the Foundation for more than 30 years. Bill was District 6630 Governor in 1992-93, and he continued for many years as treasurer of the district.
 
A proud graduate of The Ohio State University, Bill not only earned an undergraduate degree in accounting and an MBA at OSU, but he interrupted his studies for a total of five years to serve as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following graduate school, Bill passed the CPA exam and began a lifelong career at the accounting firm of Haskins & Sells (now Deloitte) in Cleveland, where he retired after many years as a partner. Bill was active in many professional, civic, and social organizations. Bill passed away on January 31, 2023, in Columbus, OH, at the age of 95.
 
All District 6630 Rotarians are invited to honor PDG Bill LaPlace by participating in the golf outing. The price is $95 per person, which covers greens fee, cart, lunch, and a buffet dinner. The shotgun-start scramble will begin at 9:00 a.m. Bag lunches will be served at the turn, and dinner will begin at about 3:00 p.m. For those who only want to attend the dinner, the price will be $30. Beer and soft drinks are included with both meals.
 
To register for the outing (for golf or dinner or both) or to get more information, email Cleveland Rotarian Ed Thomas at edthomascsu@gmail.com.
 
For more details, see the flyer below or download it by clicking here.
The Rotary Club of Hudson has begun the year with new members, engaging speakers, major community projects, charitable activities and plans for an enhanced Annual Gala. A combination of new and veteran leaders is strategically implementing the Club’s Long-Range Plan approved in early 2022.
 
Weekly speakers have addressed the topics of Health and Wellness and community Youth Activities in the first two months of 2023. Upcoming months will be devoted to the Environment, Youth Education, Summer Fun, Public Safety and Northeast Ohio History. These professional presentations are typically complimented by Club member questions after the speech.
 
New Club members in the past year represent a cross section of the Hudson community, including lawyers, business entrepreneurs, school administrators, a financial director and a bar association administrator. These new members have eagerly taken the opportunities to get involved in Rotary projects that suit their interests and abilities to contribute ideas.
 
Major community projects as set forth in the Long-Range Plan are well underway with over $250,000 raised for restoration of the historic log cabin on Main Street and the establishment of two pollinator gardens at Hudson elementary schools. In both cases, Rotary members are working with school and scouting members on projects that will enhance our community. Watch for the log cabin renovation and the pollinator garden sites to become active in the Spring. The dedication of the cabin is scheduled for August.
 
Fun events involving Rotary members will be coming up in the next six months including a Camp Manatoc service day, an Octoberfest Biergarten, the Gala auction and a community parade. These annual events allow Rotary members to participate, side by side, with other Club members and with the public to serve the community. Best of all is the annual Santa-on-the-Green event which became Santa-in-the-Cabin this past Christmas much to the delight of parents and kids alike who enjoyed the warm fireplace and log cabin ambience.
 
The Annual Gala will take place on May 19 at the Twinsburg Hilton Garden Inn, featuring both a silent auction during the cocktail hour and a live auction after dinner. Beneficiaries this year will be Hudson High School college scholarships, Hudson EMS and The Gift of Life Northeast Ohio. Kaulig Giving will once again be the lead sponsor and an exciting gift for the live auction has already been received from Gervasi’s for an overnight stay and dinner. A raffle will again offer a “monthly out-to-dinner date night” package to include many local upscale restaurants.
 
If you are interested in joining the Hudson Rotary, you can check out our speakers, projects and fun activities at www.rotaryhudson.org. You might also contact any of our Committee Chairs listed on the website to explore your specific community interests. We look forward to talking with you or having you join us for a future breakfast meeting.
 
Rotary is a worldwide network of 1.4 million people of action who tackle the most persistent problems in our communities while building professional and leadership skills through meaningful connections.
 
Photos  
  1. New member introduction
  2. Santa-in-the-cabin
  3. Gala date night for a year poster
  4. Scout cabin restoration banner
 
 
 
The Rotary Club of Nordonia Hills along with the Nordonia Hills High School and staff, presented a program on March 9th at Nordonia High School for 9th and 10th graders on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Focus).   This program was made possible through a District 6630 grant that was received in 2022.     The goal of the grant was to increase awareness and generate excitement in students for the endless possibilities of careers in the STEM field.  
 
The day consisted of three parts.  The first was a vendor show with over 58 businesses and organizations setting up a table with information about what they do and demonstrating one or two hands-on activities on how STEM is used in their business.    The students were allowed to pursue the vendor tables independently during their time at the event.  They were free to talk to all vendors and experience the active display that each of them brought.    Over 800 students were able to participate in this part of the program.  
 
The second part consisted of brief talks from professionals in various science and math fields such as NASA. Summit Metro Parks, Oakwood Labs, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Akron Zoo, Peak Nano, University Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Radiology Department, University of Akron Esports Department, Ohio State University Biomedical Research Department, Stella Nutrition, Rock the House, and AECOM.  These professionals were able to talk to all the students together about the challenges and rewards of a STEM career.    Several colleges and universities such as Lakeland Community College, Cleveland State University, and Youngstown State University were also present to explain the programs they offer at their respective schools. 
 
The third part of the day was a “Robotics Competition” between the students.   There were four groups of five students each that competed against each other with a “robotics” kit from LEGO.  Each group was given two hours to build a robot that could accomplish a task.   The students received instructions from the kit and had the use of a laptop computer that allow them to program it accordingly.    After about 2 hours, each group presented their robot.   Judges then awarded each group a prize based on the functionality and efficiency of the robot.    Each of the four place finishers were awarded a cash prize provided by two business members in the Nordonia Hills Club.    It was very exciting and interesting to watch the students compete and built a robot in about two hours.   The students were very focused on their activity throughout the competition. 
 
A box Lunch was provided by the local Jimmy John’s shop for all the student participants and vendors who attended the show.    Nordonia Hills Rotarian and Organizer, Dr.  Lateef Saffore felt the day and entire program was a huge success, and we are looking forward to planning for next year’s event. 
Crestwood High School Leadership Students Engage with Eighty World Heroes of Peace
 
Thanks to the Rotary Club of Mantua, seventy-five leadership students from Crestwood High School in Mantua, Ohio, will receive a copy of the new book In the Hearts of Peaceful Heroes: Their Shared and Inspiring Values. The book is the result of a fifteen-year research project conducted by Roger Cram at Hiram College which identifies the shared values and similar methodologies utilized by eighty, handpicked, world heroes of peace.
 
The Rotary Club of Mantua purchased seventy-five of these books and donated them to Crestwood High School for presentation to students with leadership qualities at several scheduled events. Rotarian Helen Hazlett introduced the idea, and the Club agreed that the leadership qualities and values presented in this book align well with Rotary’s mission and will enhance students’ chances for success. By embracing these qualities, students will inspire positive change, not through criticism, but through use of peaceful problem-solving skills and continuous achievements of excellence. They will learn how heroes of peace always maintain the dignity of their enemies and that their behaviors must be conscious choices based on their values; on the kind of person they want to be, never on how others behave toward them. As the heroes in the book have demonstrated, such behavior is the only sure way to lasting peace.
 
It is encouraged that other Rotary Clubs reward their high school leadership students with these books.
 
This project was made possible through a joint effort by Superintendent of Crestwood Schools David Toth, Crestwood High School Principal David McMahon, and the Rotary Club of Mantua.
 
Pictured (left to right) are Principal David McMahon, author of  “In the Hearts of Peaceful Heroes” Roger F. Cram, Rotary Club of Mantua President David Becker, and Superintendent David Toth.
 
David Becker, President
Rotary Club of Mantua          
12068 Abbott Rd.                  
Hiram, Ohio 44234
330-606-3299                         
dabecker60@gmail.com        
                      
David McMahon, Principal
Crestwood High School
10919 Main St.
Mantua, Ohio 44255
330-357-8205
dmcmahon@crestwoodschools.org
 
Roger F. Cram
6752 Bancroft St. Box 642
Hiram, Ohio 44234-0642
330-569-4912
rogerfcram@gmail.com
Geauga West Rotary recently had it's 32nd annual "Hearts for Service" fundraiser at the EOUV Austrian Club.  The event included appetizers, family style dinner, open bar, desserts, main raffle, silent auction, Chinese auction, sideboards,  and dancing.  This year's primary recipient was Next Step Geauga, who  is a nonprofit community-based case management and stabilization program for young adults.   In addition to the many programs GW does throughout the year , they were able to provide Next Step with a much needed Buick Envision made possible thru the generous  sponsorship of GMC/Junction Auto , along with UH Hospitals and the loyal support of the West Geauga community in general.
  
 
Pictured above are GW Rotarians John Zachariah, Terry Palermo, Fred Nevar, and Bob Voss along with Next Step Geauga director Andrea Pollock in the driver's seat. 
Preparing to demonstrate the traditional Austrian "ShotSki" are Next Step advisory board president Scott Wayt, GW Rotary President Lisa Luoma,  Junction Auto rep Katelyn Misich, and UH Hospital rep Bill Rice.
 
R. Gordon R. McInally in front of the 2023-24 presidential theme
2023-24 presidential theme announced
Rotary International President-elect R. Gordon R. McInally revealed the 2023-24 presidential theme, Create Hope in the World, during the International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, USA, 9 January. McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland, asked members to restore hope by helping the world heal from destructive conflicts and create lasting change within ourselves. McInally told attendees he plans to make mental health a focus and emphasized continuity in advancing the goals of previous leaders, including empowering girls and eradicating polio. Read more about the presidential theme
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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.

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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.

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