Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski
2018-19 District Governor
District 6630 Family of Rotary:
After just a little over two months into this Rotary year it is YOU, the Presidents and your Rotary clubs, that keeps me energized and focused. The Rotarians and their families are People of Action of the first order and each of you have hit the ground running in your projects and activities. I have been welcomed with such warmth at each of my club visits – it is absolutely the best part of being your District Governor.
The plans that many of the clubs have shared with me for membership development and engagement are outstanding (please see the September message that appeared on Facebook from President Barry on page 13 of the newsletter). I have watched with interest and pride at the new member inductions that are already taking place in this new Rotary year - some of which I have been honored to take part in. The next step of course is engagement and leading them to their own “Rotary Defining Moment” (see page 2 for this month’s example).
Mark your calendars for the afternoon of October 21ST as details are currently being finalized for a “joint” Membership Seminar with Districts 6600 and 6650 for our Club Membership Chairs, Presidents and Presidents-elect. You will be hearing directly from our District Membership Team on this important “next step.” 
September is “Basic Education and Literacy” month. More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. That’s 17 percent of the world’s population. Rotary’s stated goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education and increase adult literacy. Every club in this district is engaged in some way in this important Area of Focus. Every time you mentor one of our youth…work with advocates to offer a community literacy program for adults…provide a scholarship….sponsor a 4-Way Test Speech Contest….put a dictionary into the hands of a young child…host a Free Little Library…or read to a senior whose eyes can no longer see…that is the Gift of Rotary.
The initiative launched last month to seek out our Rotary Alumni within our clubs is taking form and an important part of my Governor’s message as I make my visits. Please see the article on page 7 that talks about “Rotary Reconnect Week” scheduled for October 1-7 that ties directly into our efforts. Find these young people who were the beneficiaries of your club’s programs and see if Rotary is still a part of their lives and if not, find out why! Our Interactors, Rotaractors, Youth Exchange Students and former GSE and Ambassadorial Scholars, for example, are ALL critical to the future of Rotary and integral to world understanding and peace.
Thank you for Being the Inspiration to me.