February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month – Rotary’s goal today is to create environments where peace can be built and maintained through sustainable and measurable activities in communities worldwide. Peacebuilding remains a cornerstone of our mission as a humanitarian service organization.
*How can we put this theme into action?
*Applications for Rotary’s Peace Fellowship are now open! More information later in this newsletter.
*Volunteer at your local high school in their Model United Nations program.
*Install a Peace pole and plant a Peace Garden in your community. Invite the community to a Peace Day.
*Invite opportunities to gather to offer conversation, presentations on conflict management.
*What are social determinants of health? How do those set the foundation for societal conflict? How can Rotarians help?
Looking forward to getting out to a few newly scheduled club visits in Cuyahoga Falls, Mantua, Wadsworth, Garrettsville-Hiram, and North Ridgeville. Still a few remaining to complete our year together. I can't wait to get out to spend time with you and cheer on all that you are doing in your communities.
And lastly... PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE mark your calendars for the District Conference April 26 and 27th in Cuyahoga Falls at the Sheraton Suites. We have some fun plans underway as well as some traditions we know are meaningful for all. Come for a meal, a breakout, a day, or the entire conference! Let's connect!
Over 1,700 Rotary Peace Centers alumni are working in 140+ countries in roles ranging from leaders of grass-roots organizations to high-level positions with national governments.
In recognition of upcoming World Rotary Day February 23rd – a perfect time for clubs and members to share their story, recognize the good work being done in your communities and beyond, and even encourage new membership.
• Share a photo daily leading up to World Rotary Day February 23rd on individual member social media, as well as club pages, from a recent project or having Rotary fun and add “Ask Me About Rotary.”
• Take it further and post 7 days in a row with different images of projects or events to celebrate “One Week of Rotary.”
• Create a new post or image that uses your club logo with a line of text that recognizes World Rotary Day February 23rd.
Clubs who post for World Rotary Day and tag the District 6630 page will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Amazon Gift Card from the Public Image Committee! I will personally match this with a second $50 gift card for an individual member who posts and will be entered into a separate drawing. Individual members and clubs who post at least 4 times prior to World Rotary Day February 23rd will receive an extra entry into their respective drawing giving them an extra chance to win! Be sure to #6630 and #askmeaboutrotary!
Questions? Send a DM on the District 6630 FB or LinkedIn! Or email DG Julie Brandle.
Special thanks to our District PI Committee for their work on these graphics and helping create the plan for the Ask Me About Rotary campaign! I'm excited to hear your success stories and celebrate with you on World Rotary Day February 23rd!
In Rotary Service,
Julie Brandle, District Governor 6630 Past President, Rotary Club of Akron, Ohio Cell 330.858.6672 | jbrandle@metisconstruction.com
The District 6630 Youth Protection Committee has been working to assist Club Youth Protection Officers in their efforts to assist club planning and execution of safe youth related activities. The District Website already contains detailed video presentations, as well as power point downloads of the September 18, 2021 youth protection training seminar.The actual policy and procedures manual is also contained on the District website.
I would like to thank Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski and her subcommittee for their efforts in preparing this document.
On a different topic, District Youth Protection Officer Carrie Malotte and her team of Assistant District Youth Protection Officers have been working diligently to implement the District’s Youth Volunteer Management System, including the Youth Protection Course which is part of the system. If your club is one of the dozen or so clubs who have not responded to District Youth Protection Officers attempted contacts please do so (Carrie can be reached at CarrieMalotte@Westfield-bank.com)
Sincerely,
John L. Reyes
Rotary International District 6630 Youth Protection Committee Chair
As I visit clubs around our district, I'm often asked about how to participate in projects to empower women and girls, one of our focuses this year. Now More Than Ever - As the world has changed, the needs of girls and the pressures they face have intensified. Numerous reports have shown the decline in girls’ mental health and physical activity levels over the last decade. Girls on the Run helps to address these mental and physical health concerns. Now more than ever, girls need the skills to build their confidence, develop meaningful relationships, and discovery the joy of movement. This is where Girls on the Run comes in! Maybe you or your club would like to get involved as a organization/corporate sponsor or volunteer individually or as a group. If you have questions or need more information please contact Director of Development, Jen Riess at jen.riess@girlsontherun.org.
WANTED: Rotarians who have an interest in Youth Exchange from a District perspective
WHY:To maintain a successful and sustainable Program, we need to have bench strength.
WHAT: District Youth Exchange Committee Roles
Summary of duties for each District Youth Exchange Role:
Outbound (OB) Long Term Chair – First point of contact for all Current and Future Outbounds to manage any Student, Parent or Host Club issues.
Talk with prospective outbound students to explain program. Handle all application paperwork, from registration through country assignment
Be familiar with what is required of a student applicant
Promote interest in OB Exchange
Process completed applications by November or early December
Conduct interviews of the OBs and their parents, to satisfy yourself that the student and parents are fully committed to a successful exchange
Collect from the applicants the application processing fee
Help prepare the OB student for departure to their Host country
Review the OB student’s monthly reports while they are abroad
Maintain communication with the OB’s family while the student is abroad
Participate in a debrief session when the OB student returns
Encourage their participation in subsequent Youth Exchange events
Attend District Conference of Clubs to assist with OB Investiture Ceremony and assist with the Parade of Flags Ceremony, as needed
Short Term (STEP) Chair - First point of contact for all Current and Future STEP OBs to manage any Student or Parent issues
Talk with prospective STEP students to explain program. Handle all application paperwork, from registration through country assignment
Be familiar with what is required of a student STEP applicant
Promote interest in STEP Exchange
Conduct extensive interviews of interested students and all family members at their homes
After the match by O-E, notify OB students of their assignments. After matches are confirmed on both sides, the families can be in contact with each other and can decide on the dates of Exchange and can make travel arrangements.
Collect from the applicants the application processing fee
Conduct STEP OB Orientation prior to departure
Conduct STEP Inbound Orientation upon the Inbound STEP student’s arrival
Encourage STEP student participation in subsequent Youth Exchange events
Attend District Conference of Clubs to assist with OB Investiture Ceremony and assist with the Parade of Flags Ceremony, as needed
Inbound (IB) Chair - First point of contact for all Current and Future Inbounds to manage any Student or Host Parent issues
Encourage clubs to Host IB students
Ensure the willing club has an approved Youth Protection Officer in place
Ensure the willing club meets Hosting requirements by identifying a Youth Exchange Officer and a Counselor (RYE Volunteers)
Review and confirm approval and vetting of each RYE Volunteer and Host Family application prior to IB student placement
Prior to an IB’s arrival, receive from the hosting club, the completed required documents in order for the IB to obtain their DS-2019 Form
Provide, timely, the required documents referenced above to the Country Contact for the IB student
Provide additional training to RYE Volunteers prior to IB Student arrival
Confirm arrival of IB student and that the arrival is documented in the system of record for RYE (YEAH Database)
Ensure IB Orientation is conducted and documented
Ensure RYE Volunteer and Host Family additional training is conducted and documented during IB Orientation
Confirm that the IB has a valid visa and full return airline ticket to their home country with complete flight details documented in YEAH
Confirm all post arrival tasks have been completed and documented by the RYE Volunteers
Ensure YEAH Database is up to date and contains accurate information
Ensure trailing Host families are approved and vetted prior to IB Student move
Ensure required reporting is completed by the RYE Volunteers throughout the Exchange Year
Promote interest in the Program
Coordinate and plan RYE Group Events that are sponsored by the District and/or clubs
Attend District Conference of Clubs to coordinate the Parade of Flags Ceremony for all Youth Exchange students and assist with OB Investiture Ceremony, as needed
General Chair- Overall program coordination with Committee members to meet the goals of the program
Be familiar with the duties of the other Chairs, as you are to oversee their actions, and circumstances may dictate that you take charge of some issue
This role is the District’s liaison with the O-E Multi District
Coordinate the response (documentation) needed to the Department of State Audit (bi-annual)
Attend the spring and fall O-E Multi District meetings, as well as the July meeting at Otterbein University
Attend District Conference of Clubs to facilitate Investiture Ceremony for OBs
Develop ways to recruit OB, IB and STEP applicants
Enlist clubs to sponsor OB and STEP students and host IB students
Advise Sponsoring and Host clubs of their respective obligation and commitment
Participate in training provided to RYE Volunteers, Host families and Students throughout the Exchange year
Provide guidance, as needed, to IB Chair and/or RYE Volunteers throughout the Exchange year
Clear early returns through the O-E Chair and Country Contact and report early returns as required to RI
Provide periodic reporting, as requested, to District Board of Directors
District Youth Exchange Trainer - Coordinate with General, Inbound and Outbound Chairs to plan all training.
Prepare, plan and conduct IB Student Orientation Weekend Training (Annual)
Prepare, plan and Conduct 3 additional weekend training sessions for IB, OB and ROTEX students
Attend District Conference of Clubs to conduct training session for IB, OB and ROTEX students and assist with students
Be familiar with what is required of Hosting and Sponsoring clubs
Be familiar with OB (long Term and STEP) application requirements
Promote interest in the Program
If any of the above roles sound interesting to you and/or you would like more information, please reach out to any one of the current District Exchange Committee Members below:
The five Rotary International Ohio District Governors, 2024-2025are pleased to announce that we’re partnering with On Our Sleeves, the movement for children’s mental health – a nonprofit organization committed to breaking stigmas and helping families talk about mental health with their children.
At a time of high stress, children need community and social relationships to help. We can encourage connection by teaching them positive social skills, such as kindness. And it’s important to mental health. That’s why On Our Sleeves designed a custom kindness kit for teachers to use in their classrooms. Thanks to generous donors, these kits are free to teachers who request them.
For a gift of just $25, you can provide resources for one classroom to encourage our children to build a kinder world together.
There is a link midway down the page with which you can nominate a school to receive Kindness Kits. Please note that you will need to provide the name of the school, contact at the school (teacher, school administrator, counselor, etc.), and the school address in order for the kits to be shipped. As a reminder, these kits are best suited for elementary-age students.
Lastly, there is a link at the bottom of the page with which teachers can request Kindness Kits for their classrooms.
The primary purpose of Rotary's International Assembly is to train incoming District Governors to prepare them for the coming year. About 530 District Governor-Elects from around the world gather for 4 days of intense training and fellowship. It is an amazing mix of Rotarians from around the world and past, present and future Rotary leaders. It was very fun to share a meal with a Rotary International leader and find that they are Rotarians just like you - but they have said "yes" to repeated requests for their help and involvement until they find themselves as a Rotary President, director, trustee, etc. Anywhere and anytime Rotarians gather - even for the first time - they meet as family. I have found that true at every Rotary event I have attended.
The days were busy and tiring. The schedule at first glance does not look intimidating. Most days have a general session and a breakout each in the morning and afternoon. The sessions and breakout are both intense mentally and, in some cases, emotionally. All of them are inspiring and motivating. At meals you are seated with DGE's from around the world. Sometimes language is a barrier; Google Translate can be a great help!
Beyond the training, motivation and inspiration are the bonds of friendship and fellowship that you build with Rotarians around the world. You find that you have over 500 new sisters and brothers! My Zone 30/31 classmates are some of the dearest friends I will probably ever make. Cultural night - when each zone around the world sets up a booth to represent their culture (we did college football complete with cornhole) - is simply amazing. The vast array of dress, culture and food all meeting within Rotary was an evening I will never forget.
The simplest way to sum up the International Assembly is to say that it is the Rotary experience turned up to eleven fifteen!
As clubs enter and update their goals for this and the coming year, they’ll see changes in Rotary Club Central. This month, Rotary staff will begin updating it with an easier to use, more streamlined look. Some of these improvements are:
An updated home page that includes club goals, because setting goals is Rotary Club Central’s primary purpose;
Easier navigation;
Clearer terminology that better aligns with our Action Plan; and
At the end of the 2022/23 school year, Rotarian Wally Davis retired as the Superintendent of the Woodridge Local School District. To find a new Superintendent, the school district did not have to go far to find Wally’s replacement. The Woodridge Board of Education selected Mrs. N’ecole Ast as the new Superintendent of Schools. It just so happens that Mrs. Ast is also a member of the Northampton Cuyahoga Valley Rotary Club.
Wally and N’ecole have a couple things in common: both are members of the Northampton Cuyahoga Valley Rotary Club, and both are Past-Presidents of the Club. But don’t think it stops there. There have been 4 Woodridge Superintendents that have served as President of the club: Roger Edwards and Dick Clapp have also served their community in this capacity. Here are the years Woodridge’s past and current Superintendent’s have served president.
Roger Edwards:
1967-68, 1997-98, 2012-13
Dick Clapp:
1999-00
Wally Davis:
2013-14, 2015-16
N'ecole Ast:
2021-22
Incidentally, Roger was a founding member of the club in 1962.
At a recent meeting, the club celebrated Wally’s retirement. At the meeting, a picture was taken of N’ecole, Wally, and Roger as they are still very active members of the club.
It’s great to know that the leaders of our youth have such a strong Rotary foundation.
The Northeast Ohio Rotary Club (E-ClubNEO) had a wonderful turnout for their flower arranging fundraiser which will support their ongoing service projects.
It was enjoyed by all Rotarians and guests who attended. Members of the club supplied delicious food for the event.
Thank you to Club Co-President, Linda Boardman, and her staff, for hosting the event at Acorn and Evergreen in Kent.
Club service projects June 2020 - present include: - Established three Little Free Libraries - Sorted books at Kids Book Bank - Made fleece blankets with Interact - Assisted with Cluster Habitat Build - District 6630 Earth Day Service 2022 - Collected donations for Refugee Response Afghan families - Sponsored free Cuyahoga Falls ShredFest - Collected plastic bags for school Buddy benches - Volunteered for Girls on the Run - Assembled personal care kits for unhoused community members in Akron - Made birthday bags for Portage County Foster Care children
DG Julie Brandle was honored to be invited to recognize Dolly Slaughter, alongside Club President Judy Caine, with a Paul Harris Fellow at the Rotary Club of Solon, Ohio sold out event "Night at the Races.
" Such a fun night out to support The White Butterfly Project.
How great it was to see two full tables of our friends from the Rotary Club of Twinsburg!
Lake County Sunrise Satellite Club and the Mentor Rotary Club volunteered at End 68 Hours of Hunger. They packed bags, sorted food and learned about the important work they do so no child in Lake County goes hungry over the weekend when they are not at school. Thank you for all you do End 68 Hours of Hunger Lake County, Ohio!
Rotary Club of Akron Celebrates tremendous success of 34th Annual Chili Open Golf Classic
Wow, what a way to kick off the 100th Anniversary of Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. On February 3rd, the Rotary Club of Akron held its 34th annual Chili Open Golf Classic presented by Wayne Homes at the scenic Hale Farm and Village, in Bath, Ohio.
We are extremely happy to announce that it was a tremendous success, with a final total raise of $380,013!
Thank you to all Rotarians and friends that helped us reach our goal! This event was a monumental achievement for the Rotary Club and the Rotary Camp.
Click here to watch a short video that captured some great moments of the Chili Open!
A special shout out to Wayne Homes for being the presenting sponsor of the event. They have been part of the event since 1993, and the Presenting Sponsor since 2002. Their leadership and support are key to the success of the chili Open.
We are grateful to our Community Partners, - Barrington Carpet & Flooring Design; Buckeye Corrugated, Inc.; Industrial Tube and Steel Corporation; Integrated Project Solutions; Industrial Tube & Steel Corporation; and The VanDevere Bunch.
We also want to thank your Corporate Partners for their support, - Air Control Products, Inc.; Friends of Darby Duryea, Lala’s in the Lakes; The Nelson Family, Rubber City Radio, S.A. Comunale Company, SeibertKeck Insurance Partners, Summit DD; Wealth Impact Advisors; and Willoughby Supply.
We also appreciate our Premier Partners, Caring Partners, and those who supported with a campership or donations.
Congratulations to Dick Siess, recipient of the 2024 Jim Redmond Ambassador of Service Award. This award was established in 1991 in recognition of community leaders who have gone over and beyond in support of the Rotary Club of Akron, Akron Rotary Camp, and the Akron Community. We are grateful for his support of Rotary Camp, and the Akron Community. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition as the 2024 Chili Open Ambassador of Service!
Thank you also to all the in-kind Sponsors, - Hale Farm and Village; Main Street Muffins, Pearl Coffee Company; Rubber City Radio Group – WAKR, WONE, WQMX & Alternative Cleveland; SDG Golf and Whitey’s Booze and Burgers, as the official Chili of the Chili Open.
Special thanks to all our Rotarians, sponsors and friends of Rotary who sold, purchased and promoted raffle tickets. Everyone rallied in helping us raise $53,800 in raffle ticket sales. Thanks again to The VanDevere Bunch for donating the 2024 KIA K5 through their Thrive and Drive Program.
Congratulations to the lucky raffle ticket winners:
The Chili Open is our Rotary Club’s primary fundraiser in supporting the operational needs of Akron Rotary Camp. This event's success is due to the commitment of our Rotary Club and our Corporate Community. We appreciate everyone’s efforts and support in making our 34th annual Chili Open a continued success to benefit our campers and their families served by the camp.
Save the Date for Akron Rotary’s 35th annual Chili Open Golf Classic on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Hale Farm and Village.
This is a great chance to join the Exchange Students for the CAVS game against the Orlando Magic on February 22, 2024.
All Rotarians and friends are welcome for the pregame reception and CAVS game on the 22nd.
The reception with the students begins at 5:00 pm and includes a snack with soft drinks at The Clevelander Bar and Grille at 834 Huron Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition, we will have a few door prizes and a raffle for the exchange students and their guests.
This has always been a fun night, a chance to see the young CAVS and have some great fellowship.
Please see the flyer below to order tickets. Any questions, call Stew at 330-607-1442.
Join the Rotary Club of the Heights of Greater Cleveland for a delicious pancake breakfast Saturday February 24th at the Shaker Lakes Nature Center.
Proceeds support the work of the Rotary Club and the Nature Center. Afterward you can work off your pancakes with an enjoyable walk through the grounds of the Nature Center.
The Port Summit Rotary would like to invite you to our Annual Quarter Auction on February 24th.
If you have any questions, want to purchase a paddle, or would like to donate a basket to help in our efforts please reach out to Dustin Boswell at 330-798-1105 or sp_boswell@springfieldspartans.org
Clubs have been adding speakers but we want more!! Has your Club had a speaker that they would recommend to speak at other Clubs? If so, follow the directions here and we will add them!
Only Rotary Clubs and their members may submit speaker names. We ask that the speaker has been vetted/heard prior to being recommended.
This page is designed to help clubs find and share speaker information.
This is only effective with your input. The page will include speaker names and contact information submitted from Clubs.
To submit a speaker name: On the page is a short form you can complete with the speaker name and information.
After you submit that form we will post the information.
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Sincerely,
