JUNE IS Rotary Fellowships Month
Those who can, do; those who volunteer do more.
- Author Unknown
Dear Family of Rotary:It is impossible to even know where to begin to be able to properly thank all who have served Rotary this year in so many different capacities – no job was too big or small - for your clubs or your district. The beneficiaries were those you served and you will forever have my utmost respect; I continue to be humbled by who you are and what you do and the lives that are better for it. One of the notable speakers at the RI Convention in Hamburg stated that “today’s inspiration is tomorrow’s motivation.” And that is what the Rotarians in this district have done…laid an excellent groundwork for the future.
Each of us owes an incredible debt of gratitude first and foremost to our Presidents of Action and their clubs, and to the hardworking District Committees, Assistant Governors, District Officers and the Advisory Council of Past District Governors. Thank you for your leadership and guidance.
You have turned the corner with your membership development efforts and a renewed commitment to engagement and retention, but our work has just begun. Membership extension is on the horizon with communities in the district already identified for new Rotary clubs, Satellite clubs are under consideration and we continue to move forward with our planning for our “District E-Club NEO.
There were countless opportunities for participation provided by our Rotary clubs this year…morning, noon and night. Excellent speakers; new club meetings structures; club assemblies; social events bringing together the Family of Rotary; humanitarian projects of every type and size; cluster meetings; and events to bring visibility to Rotary and to encourage “Rotarians doing business with Rotarians.” Fundraising events and/or projects to support your humanitarian efforts happened in every club throughout the district. There is no possible way to capture all that has happened but simply said, there is something for everyone in Rotary.
Throughout the year you set new levels of excellence with your support of and participation in the awards ceremony and banner exchange last July; the membership summit followed by the charter banquet for the Rotary Club of Green in August; the Tri-District Membership Seminar in October; PETS one in November and The Rotary Foundation Gala in December; All Ohio PETS in March and the District Conference of Clubs – Inspiring People off Action in April. Over 40 Rotarians and family members joined together earlier this month at the convention in Hamburg, Germany to celebrate Rotary and to renew old acquaintances and make new friends. And that is just the tip of the iceberg…
You embraced the “53,000 Points of Light” initiative to help End Polio Now and continued your support of The Rotary Foundation in so many other ways. Thank you for your contributions. Numerous clubs took advantage of the opportunities “your contributions have made possible” by applying for District and Global Grants to “Do Good in the World.” I know our own Arch C. Klumph, Father of The Rotary Foundation, looks down with heartfelt pride and appreciation. Many of you stepped up to support our Interactor’s dream to provide the youth in hurricane-ravaged St. Thomas with a new library or to provide Shoeboxes for the Children of the Dump in Nicaragua or support to ShelterBox USA. Only a brief look at the many lives you have helped or even saved.
You celebrated our youth through your support of our Rotary Youth Exchange program, Rotary Leadership Awards (RYLA), 4-Way Test Speech Contest, chartering of four new Interact Clubs with plans for more and the restructuring of some of our existing Rotaract clubs with initiatives well under way for new “community-based” Rotaract in 2019-2020. This is in addition to the numerous other youth initiatives within each of our clubs.
To my Presidents of Action
It has been an honor to serve with you this year and hopefully help you to reflect on and celebrate your many successes – and when needed, to share in your challenges. I have learned much from you and am privileged to have been given the opportunity to “look inside” your clubs at what makes this incredible giant called Rotary so successful. Each of your clubs are totally different as are your needs and passions and those you serve. That is one of the best parts of Rotary. Thank you for welcoming my husband David and I into your clubs with such warmth and friendship.
This is just a little bit of what I have learned this year…
You have taken chances to effect change and energize your clubs and even though it may have not been as successful as you had wished…at least you tried and set the stage for the future;
It was a privilege to be part of your Rotary Unsung Hero presentations and witness how you surrounded those you were honoring with such love and respect and let them how important they are to you;
You are respectful of the old traditions, but have endeavored to create new ones – not an easy task;
You definitely know how to have fun…oh, yes indeed;
Some of you truly had to make some hard choices…and though you did it with some trepidation, you performed as true leaders all the while trying to be sensitive to the moment and never losing sight of what was best “for the whole;”
Some of you were “chief cook and bottle washer” and still did an incredible job of moving your club forward – and you did a better job than you give yourselves credit for;
I watched clubs “circle the wagons” for their presidents when it was needed and come together as only a Rotary family can when the sadness one of us was experiencing seemed insurmountable;
Lastly, everyone one of you made someone’s life better, gave others a reason to hope and some a reason to believe in a future and you did it through every Avenue of Service imaginable and even some that haven’t even been thought of yet! That is your legacy as Presidents of Action – those are your own “Rotary Defining Moments” and that is the gift you gave to Rotary this year. Well done.
District Committees
Your District Chairs and their committee members have worked hard to support us and our projects and activities this year with a level of dedication and commitment that helps to keep our district at the forefront of all we do. We are all in their debt. Their story – which is your story – needs to be told so my final project is to compile (with their help) a “Year in Review” for our district and capture some of our accomplishments and where the work must continue if the inroads we set out to achieve are to be realized. We were able to introduce some “new” committees this year to our structure and their work has only just begun!
Assistant Governors
Simply, no District Governor could have asked for a more professional, dedicated and supportive team of AG’s – EVER. They inspired and motivated one another (and me) and are the “eyes and ears” of the District Governor when they can’t be everywhere. For that reason, I am introducing a new district award entitled the “Outstanding Assistant Governor Award” which will be presented on July 20. “Thank you to each of them from the bottom of my heart.”
THANK YOU to District Newsletter Editor Mike Johns, Jr.
For the past 10 years Mike Johns, Jr., Past President of the Rotary Club of Hillcrest Sunrise, has spent countless hours helping all of us to share our individual messages of service as clubs and as individuals. This is one of the best ways to “Share Rotary” and let each other now what we are doing and find out “new ways” to be involved. Through the years he has assembled 1,000’s of articles and since this is his final publication, I want to take this opportunity to thank him on behalf of the nine Districts Governors who have proceeded me, and each of us in the Family of Rotary in District 6630. This 120th District Newsletter is his final endeavor…thank you, Mike, from a most grateful District Governor.
RI District 6630 Awards Celebration and Banner Exchange/Induction Ceremony
Please consider this your personal invitation to join my husband David and me and District Governor-Elect John and Linda Reyes at the 2018-2019 District Awards Celebration and 2019-2020 Banner Exchange/Induction Ceremonies to be held beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 20 at the Akron Camp for Children with Special Needs. We began a new tradition last year of combining these two events into one, bringing our Family of Rotary together to celebrate the successes of the concluding Rotary year while at the same time giving a proper send-off to our new club and district leadership. This year the host will be the Rotary Club of Akron, home to our incoming District Governor John Reyes. As I announced to my Presidents of Action last month, we are honored to be joined by a very special guest 2019-2021 Rotary International Director Stephanie Urchick to help us celebrate.
Looking to the Future
For over two years I have had the pleasure of working with John Reyes – I look forward to his leadership in the coming year and to supporting him however I can as our 2019-2020 District 6630 Governor. He brings his own style of leadership to this role which I have a great deal of respect for – consistent and forward-thinking, always with the best interests of the District and Rotary at the forefront in all that he does. Our future continues to be bright with the leadership that will be provided by both 2020-2021 District Governor Pat Myers and 2021-2022 District Governor Larry Lohman. DGE John, we are all looking forward to you guiding us as “Rotary Connects the World.”
In Closing
Volunteer service in this district is not just about doing what is expected of us, but it is a way of life…you can’t teach someone to care. Each club and its members deserve our appreciation; for the countless hours of unselfish service put forth by each of you – always supported by our families and friends – with no expectation of thanks or recognition. That is the real gift called Rotary.
Thank you,
Your grateful Governor
The world is hugged by the faithful arms of volunteers…
volunteers wear working boots, but leave a trail of angel footprints
- Terry Guillemets