Dear fellow Rotarians:
As we enter a new year and reflect on the last year, we are filled with hope of a “new” year – even though January 1 is just the day after December 31. My reflections are of sitting in a third-grade classroom learning about Orwell’s book “1984” and wondering if I would live to see the year 2000. Now here we are in 2021.
This last year we each shared life-changing events in lives all over the world, in our communities and in ourselves. We realize how precious life itself is, and true to our shared values, I see Rotary members reaching out and lending a hand to others, protecting each other by being safe and careful, and sharing our resources.
Every Rotary meeting I attend, I feel such a sense of pride and gratefulness for being a Rotary member with each of you. To quote an Assistant Governor “Covid did not stop our clubs.” Everywhere in the district, clubs have found ways to assist people in their communities with needs that the pandemic brought, whether it is food, PPE, school supplies, protection for front line workers in hospitals, fire departments, or in nursing homes. Everyone learned new tech skills to facilitate meetings and fundraisers and found opportunities to meet the challenges. Fellowship is so important to us. We like to be with our friends, but we put safety first and learned to depend on our health departments’ guidance while we wait for vaccines.
Many of you have asked if I have had further guidance from Rotary International regarding in-person meetings. I have not received an update since the one stating that as a representative of R.I. I was to not attend club meetings or hold any district events until December 31, 2020, and to suspend Youth exchange programs until June 30, 2021. We were notified that the International Assembly of District Governor’s elect will be held virtually From February 1-11. The District has held virtual meetings for all Presidents-Elect training and Interaction. Moving forward we will continue to hold virtual meetings for:
• Grants management seminars Feb. 9, 2021 and Feb. 20, 2021
• PETS-2 February 18, 2021
• All Ohio Presidents-Elect Training March 11-13, 2021
• Four-Way Test Speech Contest April 10, 2021
• District Conference of Clubs April 22-24, 2021
• District Leadership Assembly (dates to be announced)
R.I. President Holger Knaack informed the District Governors last week that an announcement will be forthcoming regarding whether the International Conference scheduled for Taipei in June will be held in person or virtually.
As District Governor, my strong recommendation is that you continue to work with your local health departments and your club legal advisors as you consider events and meetings.
Check out all of the exciting things happening in our clubs in the newsletter this month and contact those of us volunteering this year in positions, such as Assistant Governor, public image and membership committees, for support and ideas for your clubs. We are all here to serve and we love to celebrate and share good news and creative ways each of you are staying connected.
And yes – have a healthy, and happy year.
Pat Myers
