Happy Rotary Economic and Community Development Month!
Rotary Clubs all over the world help communities and people in other countries with projects that aim to provide sustainable ongoing development and help, not just immediate charity.
The Rotary Foundation also enables Rotarians to invest in people by creating sustainable, measurable, and long-term economic improvements in their communities and livelihoods by : * Building the capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations, and community networks to support economic development in impoverished communities; * Developing opportunities for productive work; * Reducing poverty in under-served communities; and * Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to economic and community development.
See a couple articles later in this newsletter about economic development projects past and present in our District.
Thank you to all the Rotarians who have welcomed me to their special events and meetings over the last month or so. Club official visits since our last newsletter have included West Shore, Lake County Satellite Sunrise, Stow-Munroe Falls, and this Saturday Northeast Ohio aka E-Club NEO.
Next up October 19th 5:30 to 8pm at MadCap Brewery in Kent, then October 26th Beerhead in Concord, and finally November 9th in Hudson at the new Green Valley Brewing. Thank you to all who have come out to support these fundraising efforts to eradicate Polio.
Please click here to register for the Kickoff to Rotary Foundation Month event on November 1st from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Topgolf in Independence.
If I haven't been out your way, I look forward to visiting soon!
Just like most clubs, the Rotary Club of Berea sought an international project. In February 2008, our club did its due dillgence and decided to make a $500 investment with Kiva International. Kiva is a crowdfunding organization that makes microloans available to people and groups around the world. After our initial invesment, the club was so pleased with Kiva’s performance that they made additional $500 investments in April 2010 and September 2011, for a total investment of $1,500.
What is Kiva:
According to the Kiva webpage, there are over 1.7 billion people globally that cannot access financial services.
Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 in San Francisco, with a mission to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive.
We do this by crowdfunding loans and unlocking capital for the underserved, improving the quality and cost of financial services, and addressing the underlying barriers to financial access around the world. Through Kiva's work, students can pay for tuition, women can start businesses, farmers are able to invest in equipment and families can afford needed emergency care.
100% of every dollar you lend on Kiva goes to funding loans.
How Does It Work:
After the club created its profile, we were able to deposit the intial investment. At any time, the club could request the remaining funds in the account be returned to them. The club appointed a “caretaker” of the account who is responsible for maintaining the account and making loans, as well as reporting to the club members.
The account manager reviews story blurbs written by field partners on behalf of loan requesters. The stories share a little about the requester, what the funds will be used for, if they are part of a group or on their own, if they have taken past loans and if so, the success stories of the loans. If the account manager feels the request aligns with the club’s values and the 4-Way Test, the manager will select to make a loan in the amount of $25 (although Kiva has been changing their requirements recently). I typically wait for $100-$200 in loan repayments to be available and will review the stories and make 4-8 loans at a time. This then completes the hands on work of the account manager.
Each loan is for a different amount. For example, a loan may be needed for $600. Kiva will accumulate the microloans from 24 other loaners (each in the amount of $25) and once the loan has been completely funded, the local field office will issue the loan and work with the loan requester on a repayment schedule. Once the loan has been repaid (this can be partially repaid or repaid in full), the loaner will get a portion of the $25 loan returned until it is fully repaid. The account manager can then relend the money in the account.
Here is the example found on the Kiva webpage:
Someone applies for a loan:
Margarita needs $1,000 to expand her tortilla business, so she applies for a loan with CrediCampo, a microfinance institution (MFI) and one of Kiva’s lending partners.
A Lending Partner disburses their loan and uploads it to Kiva.org:
CrediCampo posts Margarita’s loan to Kiva.org to cover the cost of the loan, with editing and translation help from Kiva volunteers.
You lend a little toward their goal:
You see Margarita’s story and want to support her business. You lend $5 (or more!) to help crowdfund the full loan amount.
The loan is successfully funded:
Thanks to you and 31 other lenders, Margarita’s $1,000 loan is fully funded!
Kiva sends the funds to the Lending Partner:
100% of the loan amount is sent via wire transfer to CrediCampo, who provided Margarita with the capital she needs to invest in her business.
The borrower invests in their livelihood:
Margarita uses her Kiva loan to buy corn, gas, and firewood so she can improve production, increase her income to support her family, and keep her children in school.
You get repaid:
As Margarita starts earning more, she begins sending repayments to CrediCampo, which are repaid to you and other lenders who helped fund her loan. These funds go straight into your Kiva account. (Kiva borrowers have a 96.4% repayment rate on average.)
Repeat:
You can relend your funds to support another borrower again and again! Your dollars can travel the world, changing lives one loan at a time.
Our Success Story:
We have been making Kiva loans for over 15 years. Through the relending process, we have made 923 loans for a total value of $23,125. It’s staggering to think that our $1,500 has reached the lives of 923 individuals and groups in 82 different countries. Our account is in the 99th lending percentile. We have statistically supported 71.57% females and 28.43% males which is incredible if you think about how difficult it is for women in other cultures to aquire financial security. We tend to favor groups in the agriculture and food service category above others with the thought that groups will hold each other responsible to make repayments.
Here is a breakdown of the countries we have supported:
Here is a breakdown of the categories we have supported through the years:
Rotary International Team:
Our club’s first account manager retired from maintaining the account around 2012-2013. After taking over, I realized how beneficial Kiva was to the global community and in July 2014, I began a “Rotary International” Team. Since inception, our team has grown to 84 members worldwide. We have made 9,313 loans (as of October 2023) which has a total value of $291,510. We are the #9 Amount Funded (All Time) and #3 Amount Funded (This Month).
What Are The Risks:
Every loan has a risk of not being repaid (which is few and far between). In addition, some loans have currency exchange losses when they are repaid. Our initial $1,500 investment is worth $866 today. That means, over 15 years, we have lost $634. This averages to ~$42 lost per year or ~$3.50 per month.
In summary, our club has been very pleased with our global impact with such a low investment. We know these “tiny” loans are making an immense impact on the real lives of our global community. The pictures and stories of REAL hardship are humbling and the appreciation shared by the recipients drive us to move forward.
If you are interested in joining Kiva (both individually or as a club), please feel free to reach out to Matthew Lombardi at Gian624@hotmail.com or by creating an account with www.kiva.org. Don’t forget to join our “Rotary International” team.
RC of Chagrin Valley is so pleased to recognize a documentary that celebrates not only the power of storytelling through film, but also the profound impact of service with our Service Above Self award. If you didn't catch Small Town Strong during the in-person viewings, it's streaming through October 16th.
The 14th Annual Chagrin Documentary Film Festival winners are in! Sadly, not all are pictured, but we are so excited to celebrate each and every winner!
Here are the winners of each category:
David Ponce Best of the Fest Award: King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones, directed by Harriet Marin Jones
Ohio Humanities Excellence in Documentary Film: Small Town Strong, directed by Chase Millsap and Spencer Mills
John A. Hellman Best International Award: Monument, directed by Michael Turner
U.S Documentary Award: Williams & Mansell: Red 5, directed by James Wiseman
Emerging Filmmaker Award: Join or Die, directed by Rebecca Davis
Best Environmental Award: Patrick and the Whale, directed by Mark Fletcher
Human Spirit Award:The Other Fellow, directed by Matthew Bauer
Rotary Club of the Chagrin Valley Service Above Self Award: Small Town Strong, directed by Chase Millsap and Spencer Millsap
Best Local Short Award: Healing Paws, directed by Henry Ortlip
Best Short Award:
The Last of the Nightingales, directed by Masha Karpoukhina
Best Student Short Award:
Zambezia: A Well for Change, directed by Amine Harboul
Everyone's A Critic Award:
Carpenter, directed by Xelîl Sehragerd
Congratulations to all of our wonderful filmmakers!
This is a movie clip embedded in Facebook (you may need to login to view it) and shared by Julie West for Peace Jam hosted by Wisdom Addo.
Wisdom is a peace scholar who was sponsored by the Akron and Cleveland Clubs. Many of you had the opportunity to meet him at the last District Conference.
The three-day residential training under the theme "Youth Empowered: Unleashing Practical Peacebuilders for Positive Change" was a dynamic and transformative event aimed at equipping young individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to become effective agents of positive change in their communities.
Learn more about how our Morocco Earthquake Response Fund will assist communities in need through disaster response grants.
As a global humanitarian organization, Rotary continually takes action to help communities in need. Because you are a Rotary leader, we want you to be among the first to know that The Rotary Foundation has established a temporary Morocco Earthquake Response Fund to support immediate assistance efforts through disaster response grants.
We’ll begin fundraising efforts soon to finance the grants, which will be available specifically to areas affected by the 6.8-magnitude earthquake on 8 September that killed several thousand people, injured even more, and destroyed an estimated 50,000 homes.
The Morocco Earthquake Response Fund will accept contributions, including District Designated Funds (DDF), until 31 December and will distribute grants until 21 September 2024 or until the funds are spent. Any unused money will be transferred to the general Disaster Response Fund.
Districts affected by the devastation in Morocco can apply for grants to provide items such as water, food, medicine, shelter, and clothing. To learn more and help these communities, you and your members can:
2022-2024 District 6630 Rotary Foundation Chair 2021-2022 Rotary International District 6630 Governor Home Club: Rotary Club of Kent, OH USA Cell: 330-322-2474 | Email: D6630DG2122@gmail.com | www.RotaryDistrict6630.org
World Polio Day, which is on October 24th every year, is also sometimes referred to as “Purple Pinkie Day”. This is because during National Immunization Days kids have their pinkies marked with purple ink that lasts for 30 days, to ensure they are not vaccinated more than once.
Thanks to Dunkin's graciousness, District 6630 and 6600 are teaming up to sell Purple iced donuts this year! Proceeds will go to the End Polio Now campaign.
Ohio Polio Survivors gathered this past weekend in New Philadelphia, Ohio for their annual conference and celebrated their 30th anniversary of the organization. District Governor Julie Brandle was honored to speak to attendees about Rotary's worldwide eradication efforts and how Rotary members around the world assist Polio survivors that have residual symptoms from Polio known as Post Polio Syndrome.
An excerpt from her remarks can be found here:
There are 15-20 million polio survivors in our world. Its reported 60-75% are subject to having Post Polio Syndrome. According to the diagnostic criteria developed by the March of Dimes, Post polio Syndrome is new muscle weakness or decreased endurance that occurs in people with a history of paralytic polio, after partial or complete recovery from the infection and a long interval — typically 15 to 30 years — of stable functioning. The weakness comes on gradually, persists for at least a year, progresses slowly, and can be accompanied by fatigue, muscle wasting, and muscle and joint pain. Some patients also develop sleeping problems, breathing problems, and difficulty swallowing. Currently with no cure for post-polio syndrome (PPS), treatment focuses on helping with symptom management and improving quality of life.
In researching the efforts to assist those living with Post Polio Syndrome, I searched near and far and first landed on the generous work of the Warwick Rotary Club in Warwick England. This Rotary Club funds a program, the first of its kind, by PhysioFunction in Northampton and incorporates aquatic and land-based physiotherapy. Kirsten Good, the leading physiotherapist who has initiated the program said: “We have a number of polio survivors attending our groups every week, and the funding we have had to subsidize the program has made it very affordable for them.” I believe this program could easily be modeled in the US in places where these services are not offered.
Minneapolis Rotary Post-Polio Conference
Twenty-five District 5950 Rotarians from 19 clubs welcomed 300 participants at the "Life After Polio: Realities and Practicalities" conference held on October 2 at the Minneapolis conference with Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. It was a day filled with advice from medical professionals on methods of dealing with post-polio syndrome, displays of photographs, scrapbooks, and magazines containing information about polio treatments in the 1940's and 1950's, movies of Sister Kenny Institute and the early days of patient care, and a chance for polio survivors to share their common experiences.
Polio Survivors Rotary Action Group
I went further to learn about the now defunct International Polio Survivors Rotary Action Group.
Though their goals included those pertaining to eradication and building awareness, 2 of their goals were to:
1. To support and promote projects of all sizes at the local club, district, and international level that will improve access to quality health services for people with disabilities; strengthen rehabilitation services and include access to assistive products.
2. Initiate Community Based Rehabilitation Centers (CBR) where feasible to identify and provide restorative care for polio survivors.
This year the Action Group folded their funding into the Rotary Foundation and ceased meeting due to what is described as a Rotary International change to the guidelines and requirements for a Rotary Action Group and unfortunately, they were not able to keep to these new standards. At the April 2023 RI Board meeting, the board expressed their deep appreciation to the Polio Survivors Rotary Action Group for its 17 years of service and terminated the group.
On a more local level Rotary Clubs and Districts are assisting polio survivors individually with personal grants, for equipment, adaptive home improvements, and in one case a generator. This past week for example Martha’s story This polio survivor is one of the last still using an iron lung ventilator https://www.npr.org/2021/10/25/1047691984/decades-after-polio-martha-is-among-the-last-to-still-rely-on-an-iron-lung-to-br was shared with my District Governor class from our Zone. She lives in OK and still uses an iron lung today. Her Rotary district was collecting funds to assist her with these needs. Rotary Clubs all around the world raise funds for programs, services and advocacy for Polio survivors through fundraisers as well.
What sort of Rotary projects might be suitable and contributive to aid support for post-polio survivors?
Orthopedic surgeries such as are found in India and other developing countries.
Purchasing wheelchairs, crutches for polio survivors internationally or to local post-polio groups to assist members in need with the purchase of assistive devices.
Creation of rehabilitation clinics or expanding existing clinics to address assistive devices needs as well as proper therapies.
Addressing vocational training and education for the disabled.
Sponsor a local survivor to attend an important meeting, conference, or retreat.
Collaborate with other groups to provide surgery, assistive devices, vocational training and education for people with disabilities through Rotary Foundation Matching Grants.
Co-sponsor a regional educational conference about PPS Consider raising funds to send teams of post-polio experts and survivors to join the teams of PolioPlus workers in endemic countries or right here at home to locate and organize local polio survivors in order to identify their needs and begin to provide educational and advocacy efforts for appropriate medical and rehabilitative services.
When DG Brandle finished presenting she asked the audience members who were all Polio survivors what assistance they would like to see from Rotary. They had a wonderful conversation.
Please consider projects for Post Polio Syndrome.If you want to talk further about the topic please contact Julie Brandle at jbrandle@metisconstruction.com.
We may have been rained out on August 17, 2023 BUT we made up for it on September 26, 2023. Our annual “ End Polio Now” event went off without a hitch as we watched the Guardians and the Reds play baseball. So our “ End Polio Now “ 2.0 was a success.
What a fun time, even if the Guardians did lose. Pregame parade on the field with a sea of red “ End Polio Now” t shirts was impressive. Even saw Tito Francona in the dugout as we marched by.
In addition, the many items of food were very tasty. The auction baskets brought in $2350.00, a silent auction of a unique Guardians picture sold for $275 to Lesa Lillibridge and the First pitch/Paul Harris Fellow raffle gathered $3200. Many people went home happy with outstanding special auction items. Thank you all who donated to this auction. You made it very special.
The Paul Harris First Pitch winner was Richard Leskovec from TRC of Chagrin Valley. Congratulations Richard! Box seats to a 2024 Guardians game were won by Tyler Reis and the autographed Emmanuel Clase baseball went to Neil Sawicki, from TRC of Mentor.
Session 1.0 had a very special guest who never got to meet all of you or see the ball game due to the rainout. Our guest was Rotary International President Elect Stephanie Urchick. She came to Cleveland to be part of the “ End Polio Now” baseball game. We thank her for coming to the postponed event and very sorry she was not able to make the rescheduled event.
Thanks to all from District 6600, 6650 and 6630 who made the “ End Polio Now” Guardians game a fantastic success. We sold 323 tickets for the game.
For one of your club members, the opportunity is here to take a bold, exciting step in Rotary Leadership. The District Nominating Committee is now seeking nominations for the office of District Governor Nominee Designate. The individual selected will serve as District Governor in the 2026-2027 Rotary year.
The role of a District Governor is to lead, encourage, and equip other Rotarians in their leadership roles, and to provide inspiration and motivation to the clubs in the district. The District Governor Nominee Designate will train with Rotary International leaders, travel to Rotary International conventions, and as District Governor, visit with each one of the clubs in the District. This is an excellent opportunity for a member of your club to enrich his or her leadership skills; to encourage and be encouraged; to develop relationships with individuals throughout the District and throughout the world, and to exemplify the Rotary spirit of Service above Self.
Each Rotary club may nominate one member from their club for District Governor Nominee Designate. The individual must be a District 6630 Rotarian in good standing, who has served a full year as club President. A nomination form and a biographical information sheet must be filled out, signed and returned to PDG David Jones 1894 Lillian Road, Stow Ohio 44224 prior to November 10, 2023.
Interviews for the position will be conducted during the week of November 27th- December 2nd, time and location to be announced. All nominations will be handled in accordance with the bylaws and Code of Policy of Rotary International.
Assistant Governor Richard Cole, Portage County, also Lakemore Mayor, is known for his volunteer work in the community, and for the last 10 years he has been the Co-Director of the Lakemore Food Pantry. He is twice past president of the Rotary Club of Port-Summit, and currently serves as Rotary District 6630 Assistant Governor and is Chair of the District 4 Way Test Speech Contest.
He is also a charter member and past president of the Lakemore Lions Club, and currently serves as Lions Club Zone Chairman and Lions District Chaplain.
He is Past Master of New Franklin Lodge #803, F.&A.M. of Ohio. He is also a member of the Valley of Akron Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite; the Billow Chapter 483 Order of the Eastern Star; Royal Arch Masons, Royal and Select Masons, Knights Templar, and the Shriners International, Tadmor Shrine, Akron.
He also serves on the Board of the Friends of the Springfield/Lakemore Branch Library, GASP (Guardians Advocating Child Safety and Protection), JOG (Jobs for Ohio Graduates), Lakemore Dogs Homeward Bound, PRAISE (Preparing Real Access in Student Education), Rock the Docks, Spartan Snack Pack, the Springfield/Lakemore Chamber of Akron, and SUPER Learning Center.
My first real Rotary District Governor Nominee job was 8 days of training in Memphis, Tennessee at the Rotary Zone Institute and training seminar. There were three former Rotary International Presidents and the Current President in attendance. I also had the pleasure to meet my classmates, the 29 District Governor Nominees from the districts in Zone 30 & 31. It was much easier to discuss what we will go through with like people who will be going through the same thing that I will be going through. The comradery was easily the best with my group. I also found out that our district is the smallest geographically in the combined zones. What I liked best about the Zone training was the passion everyone had for Rotary. Spending eight days on just Rotary gave me the jump start I needed to really get involved in the specifics of being District Governor. The only bad thing I could say about the whole trip is that it was expensive to do anything. If you are going to visit Memphis, take lots of money!
Would you like your club to award a life-changing scholarship to a high school student in your community as an initiative during your presidency?
Currently valued at $35,000, the Rotary Youth Exchange District Scholarship may be the only chance for your local middle-class teenagers to afford this opportunity. Your club, at minimal cost, will be in the position to send one of your local high school students to study overseas in 2024-2025.
Your District 6630 RYE Committee is making it easy for your club to participate:
The $35,000 RYE Scholarship value is covered by our overseas partners which includes room, board, tuition, and a monthly stipend for one academic year.
The student’s family is responsible for airfare, insurance, passport, spending money, and some training. (All together, this cost is spread out over two years and is almost always less expensive than maintaining them here in NE Ohio (i.e., no car insurance, no Prom weekend expenses, etc.)
Having one of your local students selected for the $35,000 RYE Scholarship is a big deal for your local school officials, and it’s a good way for your club to enhance its reputation in your community.
Because RYE is nationally recognized as one of the very few true exchange programs, if you end up sponsoring one of your local teenagers, you will be expected to host an inbound exchange student for the 2025-2026 Rotary year (so the next president after you will need to budget about $1,200 for hosting expenses).
To make it easier for your club, the RYE Scholars are required to recruit all the hosting families for your inbound student.
Here is an elevator speech for an announcement to your club:
“Our Rotary Club has the opportunity to obtain a scholarship for students in our community to study abroad for a year of high school. The scholarship covers room, board, tuition, and even a small monthly stipend. The family is responsible for airfare, insurance, passport, spending money, training camps...etc. Usually, it costs less than staying here in Ohio for that year!”
I would be glad to come and share the exciting details about the RYE Scholarship with your members. The presentation is 20 minutes. I’ll bring marketing materials to help your club spread the word to your local high schools. The District Interviews this year is on December 10, 2023.
The Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield met on Wednesday evening, Oct. 20 at Claridon Woods Park for a very enjoyable steak roast to show appreciation for all workers/volunteers who made our 2023 Maple Splash Raffle a major success. Steaks were professionally prepared by Chef Tom Blair with assistance from Co-chef Ken Butler. The picnic was an enjoyable time to get us away from our standard routine of weekly meetings. The highlight of the evening was a presentation by students Caeley Powell, Berkshire student, and Emma Geesling, Cardinal student, describing their Rotary sponsored trip to Wisconsin and the World Community Service Seminar this past June. This is a yearly program which Rotary sponsors to give students an opportunity to mingle with other service-minded young adults in seminars, lectures, field trips and fun activities like a talent show where some creative and incredible talents come out of the participants. The girls had prepared a slide show featuring all the highlights of the week-long event.
Fifteen Rotarians attended along with six guests and parents who enjoyed a perfect evening in one of the beautiful Geauga County parks. After a few years hiatus due to COVID, the Rotary youth programs that were put on hold during this period are coming back for our local students under the direction of Rotarian Dave Terrill and are again, gaining in popularity.
Photo (l-r) Students, Caeley Powell and Emma Geesling described their Rotary-sponsored trip to Wisconsin.
Baldwin Wallace Rotaract fared very well at BW’s Homecoming celebrations on Sept. 30.
Rotaract President Genevieve Carreno was elected to the Homecoming Court and the club won the Breezer’s Cup – a competition among student organizations that included judging for spirit chants, float decoration, T-shirt and poster designs.
Unfortunately, the Yellowjackets lost the football game to Marietta College, 42-21.
Heights of Greater Cleveland honoring the 2022 Shaker Heights Firefighter and Police officer of the Year - Lt. Joseph Sepesy and Detective Matthew J. Lewis! This is the 32nd year of recognition by this club!
On Sunday, Oct. 8, The Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield (BMR) held its fourth annual Jeep Invasion to raise funds for Veteran’s Services in Geauga County. The distribution of these funds will be administered jointly by the county Veteran’s Administration and BMR. Ten BMR members spent Saturday, Oct. 7, prepping for the event by stuffing gift baskets and goody bags and organizing signage and other event supplies at the Rotary building on the county fairgrounds.
After a night of steady rain, the morning of the event dawned cloudy and cool but without rain. Jeeps arrived at the Mayfield Road Drive-In on Route 322 (Mayfield Road) from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. This two-hour time frame allowed Jeep owners to roam the event field, share stories and admire the tremendous variety of equipment.
Jason Adkins supplied the great background and patriotic music. Lori Weber from N-Power, an organization that supports special-needs children, offered an opportunity for event participants to fill out get-well and thank you cards to send to veterans. Following announcements by event chair Andrew Pleso, the presentation of colors by the Veteran’s Color Guard, and the playing of the national anthem, the parade of over 100 Jeeps followed Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand in his personal patrol car out of the Mayfield Road Drive-In. The tour made a trip to Chardon Square where they paraded around the circle and then went south to the Best Sand Company sand pit on Route 44. A guided course through the pit left the “Jeepers” feeling they had utilized their vehicles for what they were intended for, off-road use. The tour then drove to Merritt Drive in Munson and Claridon Townships for a parade around the county facilities highlighted by a pass under a giant American flag supported by two ladder fire trucks. Patriotic and Veterans were the two key words that described this event. The tour ended back at the Mayfield Road Drive-In for hot dogs and snacks.
The owner of the drive-in donated full use of his facility and a portion of his food profits. Thanks also to Best Sand for offering a very rare opportunity to bring private vehicles into their facility and enjoy the off-road terrain. The entire field of Jeeps that arrived in the morning all shiny and clean returned muddy and dirty and looking more like what a Jeep is supposed to look like.
Upon their return to the drive-in, participants took part in a giant prize raffle that included special event watches, wooden hand carved event plaques, gift baskets, a 50/50 raffle that generated over $350, and dozens of other prizes.
This BMR Rotary-organized event is funded by a small entry fee for the participants and sponsorship by Geauga County businesses, led by the main event sponsor Junction Auto Campus. Junction also supplied several new Jeep models to view, a new GMC truck to move the equipment, and the time of several of their employees.
Generous sponsorship is what drives this event and makes it such a great success. A huge thank you to Junction Auto, law enforcement and their vehicles that guided the tour, the Mayfield Road Drive-In, and our many generous sponsors who make this event a yearly success. Over $15,000 was raised and will be used for home repairs, utility bill payments, appliance replacements and other urgent needs for veterans around the county.
Photos:
Middlefield and Chardon Fire Departments join ladders to for the Geauga Jeep Invasion where all proceeds are donated to local veterans.
Jeep owners/lovers decorate their Jeeps for the Geauga Jeep Invasion, October, 2023.
Pours and Pints to End Polio is taking place around the district to celebrate the success to date in our fight to eliminate polio from our planet.
There is no cost to attend - you will be responsible only for the food and drink that you purchase from the venue.
Join us from 5:30-8pm at the next venues:
Oct 19 MadCap Brewery 1422 Mogadore Rd Kent Oct 26 Beerhead 8003 Crile Road Painesville Nov 9 Green Valley Brewing 53 Milford Drive Hudson
Thanks to all who came out to Hoppin' Frog October 5th to have some fun social time and help in our fight to eliminate polio!
DG Julie Brandle and DGE Dale Smith welcomed Akron Rotarians who made this event of their Club social gatherings
along with Rotarians from other clubs who joined together for fellowship, good food and beverages.
Stew Buchanan won the 50/50 raffle and then donated it back to the cause. Thanks Stew!
Dale Smith's ticket was pulled from the hat and he took home a basket of goodies from Hoppin' Frog.
Thanks to the 30+ Rotarians from Rotary Club of Akron, OH, Northampton Cuyahoga Valley Rotary Club, Mentor Rotary Club, Northeast Ohio-EClub, Fairlawn, Medina Sunrise Rotary, Port-Summit, Barberton, and Bob our special guest with the Ohio Polio Network. $365 was raised with $183 50/50 donated back by the winner Sandy Naragon, RC Akron. That's another $1, 095 for END POLIO NOW with the 3 to 1 match by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Special thanks to Metis Construction Services for their sponsorship of the event with snacks from the Winery and Fat Boys Pizza.
This was sent from Rotary International via email to all Club presidents, secretaries, executive secretaries/directors, and treasurers reported in our database with a valid email.
Club and District Support
Dear 2023-24 club officer: Greetings from Rotary! We are contacting you today with a reminder regarding the IRS annual filing requirement for all Rotary clubs in the U.S. and U.S. territories.
Note:
Clubs who already completed the requirement this year can disregard this message.
Whether your club is a subordinate under Rotary International’s 501(c)(4) group exemption or is independently tax-exempt, the IRS requires that all Rotary clubs in the U.S. and its territories file an annual information return. For clubs whose tax year follows the Rotary year, the deadline to file is 15 November. The form a club must file is dependent upon its gross receipts for the year. For more information, please see Frequently asked questions about annual reporting requirements for exempt organizations at www.irs.gov.
It is important that your club comply with IRS requirements. Please note Section 6033(j) of the Internal Revenue Code automatically revokes the exemption of any organization that fails to satisfy its filing requirement for three consecutive years.
Our document, US Rotary and Rotaract Clubs and the IRS: Frequently Asked Questions, provides general information about Rotary clubs and the IRS. For specific questions regarding your club’s tax-exempt status, reporting requirements, or your club’s ability to file, contact local counsel, your tax adviser, or the IRS directly at www.irs.gov or 877-829-5500.
Thank you for your attention to this important reminder.
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.
This Learning Center course will show how a prospect experiences the membership leads process, and how club and district leaders can create a consistent, positive experience for prospective members.
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David Ponce Best of the Fest Award: King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones, directed by Harriet Marin Jones
Ohio Polio Survivors gathered this past weekend in New Philadelphia, Ohio for their annual conference and celebrated their 30th anniversary of the organization. District Governor Julie Brandle was honored to speak to attendees about Rotary's worldwide eradication efforts and how Rotary members around the world assist Polio survivors that have residual symptoms from Polio known as Post Polio Syndrome.
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