Good afternoon, my Rotary friends.
This is my final newsletter for the Rotary year. As I was told by many, the year would fly by, and it certainly did! I look at my calendar over the last year, and it is amazing all the places, events, clubs, and people I have visited. I was told that June is not a very busy month, as clubs are installing their new officers and the District begins its changeover. But it is not over yet! I am honored to attend the Rotary International Convention in Taipei, Tiawan from June 9–20. The RYLA picnic and banquet are the following week, and after that, we have the Banner Exchange and Awards Ceremony on June 29. After all that, the year officially ends, so stay tuned for the last chapter.
June is Rotary Fellowship Month
What a coincidence that June is Rotary Fellowship Month. Our annual International Convention is this month, where we will have the opportunity to meet Rotarians from all over the world. I cannot stress enough how much you would all enjoy attending an International Convention. I know this one is halfway around the world, but in 2028, it will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If there is any way you can attend that one—or any other convention—please do. The fellowship is fantastic. We also celebrate fellowship with our RYLA candidates at Camp RYLA and end the month by coming together to celebrate the people who made this year happen and to welcome Terri Speck as our new District Governor. She has an impactful year planned, and I am excited to see how we grow and expand our reach.
Camp Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)
One of our District’s premier events, Camp RYLA, begins June 21 at Hiram College. District 6630 Camp RYLA is a five-day leadership training camp held each June that focuses on the personal and professional development of high school students. Rotary clubs throughout the world are committed to helping shape the leadership skills of today’s youth. Camp RYLA is one way Rotarians achieve this goal. Through Camp RYLA, participants—the “leaders of tomorrow”—have the unique opportunity to be exposed to many facets of leadership by individuals who have already learned to be leaders in their professions or fields. Camp RYLA is an enjoyable and valuable experience for those who can meet the challenge.
We encourage all Rotarians to support our RYLA participants by attending a cookout on Tuesday, June 23, at 6:00 p.m. at Hinsdale Hall at Hiram College. Information and registration can be found here: Register Here. It is a great event that gives Rotarians the chance to get to know our future leaders and provide encouragement for the program. The second way to support our future leaders is to attend the banquet celebrating their graduation from the program. The students are the stars of this program, and without giving away details, it is a great night full of fun and laughter. This event will be held on June 25 at 6:00 p.m. at the Coleman Center at Hiram College. Event details and tickets can be found here: Details & Tickets. Please join us for an experience you will not soon forget.
District Awards & Governor Induction/Banner Exchange
Please join us on Monday, June 29, at 6:00 p.m. at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club, where we will hold our 2025–2026 District Awards and 2026–2027 Governor’s Induction & Banner Exchange. This is the night we celebrate the movers and shakers for this Rotary year and mark the transition from one District Governor to the next. The work our members have done over the past year has been amazing, and this is a great opportunity to celebrate our District’s achievements.
We will also witness the induction of District Governor Terri Speck as our new District Governor. Terri has worked tirelessly over the past three years preparing for her year as Governor. She brings an energy and enthusiasm to the position that I am sure will help us continue to grow and increase our impact on our District and the world. I am excited to work with Terri in any way that will help our clubs and District. Registration is filling up fast. Please Register Here and join us for a great celebration.
250 Acts of Kindness Initiative
Since launching this program at our District Conference in April, it has continued to grow. This program celebrates our country’s 250th anniversary by encouraging our clubs, families, and communities to perform 250 acts of kindness, fostering compassion, connection, and unity nationwide. Each day, we are bombarded with negativity, divisiveness, and struggles around the world. This initiative gives all of us a chance to say or do something good for others. Such a small effort can produce such a large result. We hope to be part of the nationwide goal of achieving 250 million acts of kindness this year. More importantly, we hope it creates a culture change so our families and friends continue to see the value of positivity and compassion in our daily lives going forward. There are many ways you can join the movement as a club, individual, or business. See below for information on how to register and share your acts on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. For convenience, I have included a link where you can submit your information, and the District will share it with US of Kindness on a regular basis.
Register Your Club: Visit usofkindness.org/get-involved. Under the “Businesses and Organizations” section, click Sign Up. Designate one member to register the club; this person will receive updates and help track your club's collective impact.
Optional Individual Sign-Up: Members are also encouraged to sign up individually on the same site to receive personal kindness prompts and resources.
Do & Share: Perform acts of kindness—large or small. Share them on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to spread "good news."
o Hashtag: #USK250
o Tag: @usofkindness
Follow: @usofkindness on Instagram and UsOfKindness on Facebook.
Report the Impact: After performing an act, log it via our District’s official Google Form (link below).
Google Form: Enter acts of kindness here
By documenting our acts, we show the true scale of Rotary’s service. We will use these numbers to celebrate our achievements at the District level and inspire other organizations to join the movement. I hope to have the number of Acts of Kindness completed by our District to share this month. I will continue to work with District Governor Terri on this program once her year begins.
250 Trees to be Planted in Our District
We have had a very positive response to our other initiative of planting 250 trees in our District as a gift for our nation’s 250th anniversary. Several clubs have already submitted information forms for our arborists to work with them on sourcing and purchasing trees. We also have several clubs that have submitted grant applications to use grant funding for tree purchases.
We are meeting with the arborists this week to formalize our plan and establish a timeline for clubs to follow. Ideally, an arborist will work with each interested club to identify the proper tree for its planting location. They will also assist the club with sourcing, purchasing, delivering, and planting the trees. We are targeting a September or October planting date. I hope to have a complete information sheet and timeline sent to all clubs sometime in early July. I would like to thank the four arborists who have volunteered their time and talents to help with this very important project. Thank you for all your help—we could not do this correctly without you:
Tina Graver – Rotary Club of Akron
Mike Emrich – Rotary Club of Mentor
Tom Mugridge – Rotary Club of Hillcrest Sunrise
Ben Askren – Rotary Club of Aurora
End Polio Now Baseball Game at Progressive Field
Please join your Rotary family and friends at the 2026 End Polio Now Guardians game against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, August 19. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and first pitch is at 6:40 p.m. This is District 6630 joining neighboring Districts 6600 and 6650 for an evening of fun in the Pennant District of the ballpark. We hope to have 150 fans there by 6:00 p.m. so we can walk the field together in celebration of ending polio in our lifetime. Tickets are available for purchase now. Purchase Tickets Here. All tickets will be sent through the MLB Ballpark App and will not be mailed.
Disaster Response Committee
After several months of behind-the-scenes organization and clarification, the Disaster Response Committee is now preparing to roll out the program to clubs. Unfortunately, we scheduled a meeting for this last Saturday, and no one showed up. Committee Chair Mike Dunton and I think that there has been too much time since our first committee meeting and now. We think the bast course of action is to ask members to commit or re-commit to being on the committee. Anyone that is a member of a club that is interested in forming a disaster recovery team and who would also like to be on the committee, please email Mike Dunton at madunton@gmail.com. We apologize for the wait, but think the background work will enable us to form, start, and sustain these programs in our clubs. Please email Mike now with your interest.
Thank You
In closing, thank you for allowing me to serve as your District Governor this past year. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to lead you during this time. I hope I have made some positive changes that will make our District more inviting, more dynamic, and more fun. I have made so many new friends this year, and I am truly grateful. There are still one or two projects that I need to finish, and I will get them done. Rotary International District 6630 is the best, and we certainly have the best members and fellowship. Take care, and I hope to see you all throughout the coming year at the many great events ahead.
Yours in Rotary,
Bob Oborn
District Governor Rotary International District 6630
Stow-Munroe Falls Rotary Club
Tel: 330-801-0159
Email: rorotary20252026@gmail.com