Dear District 6630, Rotarians, and Friends:
It is difficult to comprehend how fast the past 28 months have gone since I became District Governor Nominee Designate, and we now find ourselves in a new Rotary year. As we move from “Be The Inspiration” to “Rotary Connects The World,” we find ourselves in an exciting time.
Both of these themes were selected after considerable thought. While each was arrived at independently, they coordinate well and help us to continue moving the District forward as seamlessly as possible from one year to the next and from one District Governor to the next. Rotary as an institution is clearly inspiring, and much of that inspiration comes from the actions of our individual clubs and their respective activities. It is my hope and goal to use that inspiration as a motivating foundation to move forward to connect the world.
We have all seen the manifestation of both being the inspiration and Rotary connecting the world in the many projects that our clubs undertake. While our Shoe Box campaign begins locally, it connects us with children halfway around the world. It was only a few years ago that the Barberton Club initiated its long-running micro-lending project in Togo. More recently, the Kent Club has been continuing its good work with water projects in Latin America.
Our attempts to inspire and connect also involve local projects. Many clubs such as Strongsville and Green actively work with their local food banks. Others, such as Akron, work extensively with children with special needs. All of these actions speak loudly to both inspire and connect. This inspiration and connection works not only between our Rotarians, but also with our friends and neighbors locally and worldwide.
I was recently privileged to attend the first Grants Committee meeting of the new Rotary year. Exciting prospective grant-based projects continue to work their way through that committee and we should all extend our thanks to both the committee members and clubs for their exciting ideas and the hard work necessary to make them a reality.
The existence of both inspiration and desire to connect the world has been apparent in the multiple clubs I have visited as they install new officers and directors. The enthusiasm, energy, and planning have all been impressive.
As we move forward in 2019-2020 Rotary year, I both encourage you and stand ready to assist you as we build upon the superb accomplishments of Past District Governor Beverly and our entire team. As you know, we are moving forward from a successful District Conference, an energetic year in building membership and a remarkably successful year in advancing our many youth-oriented activities, including Rotaract, Interact, the Four-Way Test Speech Contest, and Youth Exchange programs. We have every right to be confident that we can build upon these successes and add new areas of endeavor.
I look forward to visiting all of the clubs in the coming weeks. In the interim, we will continue to move forward with planning for our second regionalized Membership Summit by joining together with our neighboring districts. We are also excited to explore opportunities to work in our new Rotary Zones 30-31, as DGE Pat Myers and DGN Larry Lohman recently did at the Leadership Seminar in Columbus on July 12-13.
Special thanks to all of those who came to the Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs in Rex Lake to celebrate the Awards and Banner Exchange on Saturday, July 20, 2019. While it is impossible to thank everyone individually, special thanks to Rotary International Director Stephanie Urchick for coming to the event and adding a very special contribution. Special thanks are also due to Julie Brandle, Dan Reynolds, Mella Castner, and Amanda Warner for all of their work in planning and implementing the event. Finally, special thanks to Past District Governor Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski and her designated driver for providing the official District Governor’s Survival Kit for the 2019/2020 Rotary Year! Click to view all Banner Exchange Photos
In closing, my best wishes for an exciting and successful year to come. I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you.
Sincerely,
John Reyes
Rotary District 6630 Governor 2019-2020
Tel: 330.258.6469
Email: jreyes@bdblaw.com
Rotary District 6630 Governor 2019-2020
Tel: 330.258.6469
Email: jreyes@bdblaw.com
