Rotary International
DISTRICT 7280
NEWSLETTER
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Rotary International DISTRICT 7280 |
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District Governor’s Message November is Rotary Foundation Month and during the next few weeks, I will be visiting the ten clubs in the District that achieved the Every Rotarian Every Year contribution to the Rotary Foundation. I will present a banner to each of these clubs as a tribute to their efforts on behalf of the Rotary Foundation. One of my goals this year is to increase the number of clubs in the District that achieve the Every Rotarian Every Year goal of $100 per Rotarian contribution to the Rotary Foundation. For just $2.00 a week every Rotarian in District 7280 could contribute $100.00 to the Rotary Foundation and help to eliminate Polio, provide clean water and provide opportunities for education for the children of the world. In the first three months of Rotary Year 2007-2008, District 7280 was the leader in Zone 28 in total contributions to the Rotary Foundation. Let all of us work together to remain one of the top districts in Zone 28. I express my thanks to all Rotarians that have made or will make a contribution to the Rotary Foundation in this Rotary Year. Opportunities for Service Mark Vincent and Gary Weston of the Rich-Mar Club continue to encourage Rotarian from other clubs to join with them in forming a team of volunteers to build homes in Mississippi for families displaced by Katrina. The date of the next trip to Mississippi is scheduled for April 20-25, 2008. Jack Hanes of the New Wilmington Rotary Club, Co-Chair of our Water Task Force, is currently in the Dominican Republic evaluating our water filtration project and status of the Vo-Tech School and, upon his return on November 15th, we will discuss the possibility of Rotarians from District 7280 making a trip to the Dominican Republic in January, 2008. For those clubs that have not submitted your contributions to the District Governor’s project, please do so as soon as possible so we can continue to provide financial support for this valuable program for the prevention of water born diseases in the children of the Dominican Republic and support the Literacy project in Haiti. To date, we have approved 7 simplified grants and, if other clubs are considering applying for a simplified grant, I suggest they submit their application as soon as possible since the district only has sufficient funds to support three more $700.00 grants. The applications are available from PDG Lee Ahlum. Past District Governor Skip Sample will be contacting all Rotary Clubs in the District in the coming weeks regarding our eyeglasses collection program and our partnership with the Lion Clubs in Northwest Pennsylvania. THANK YOU AGAIN SKIP FOR TAKING THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS VALUABLE PROGRAM! Membership In my previous newsletters, I placed an emphasis on membership both in the recruitment of new Rotarians and also in increasing our retention of our current membership. Here are some facts for all Rotarians in District 7280 to consider and express my concern over the declining membership in our Rotary Clubs. According to the membership records that I recently received from Rotary International, over the last five years, the number of Rotarians in District 7280 has declined from 1629 to 1474 and, of the 43 clubs in District 7280, only 11 have increased their membership in the last five years, 2 clubs have the same number of members and the membership has declined in 30 clubs over the last five years. I ask all of you to review your membership and recruitment programs over the last five years. In addition to a declining membership, we have lost three Rotary Clubs in District 7280. We had an excellent membership seminar on Saturday, November 17th but the majority of the clubs in the districts were not represented at this seminar. I am convinced that the only way this district can grow is by the formation of new Rotary Clubs either in communities where Rotary is not represented or by the extension of existing clubs with an alternative meeting time. For example in some parts of the country, clubs that meet between 4:00 and 6:00 P.M have proved to be attractive to Rotarians with young families. We are currently looking into the prospect of forming new Rotary Clubs in several communities in the district. I firmly believe that we have to begin to think out side the box if we are going to increase our membership in District 7280. In previous newsletters, I discussed some of the recent resolutions passed by the Council on Legislation designed to assist clubs in recruiting new members. Please refer to the September Newsletter for details on these new membership programs. As I stated at PETS and during my club visits, the strength of all Rotary Clubs rests in its membership. We are currently looking into the prospect of forming new clubs in several communities in the District. If anyone has any suggestions as to communities that would benefit from the establishment of a Rotary Club, please contact me. IMPACT TOMORROW, ASK SOMEONE TO JOIN ROTARY TODAY AND SERVE THE WORLD. Last May, we organized a Rotary Foundation Alumni Association. We currently have a list of former GSE Team Members and Ambassadorial Scholars, but we need your assistance in obtaining the current addresses of these Foundation Alumni. Those GSE Team Leaders, who have kept in contact with their team members, please provide us with the current addresses of their team members. This would be a great help in updating our data base. Also, if anyone knows the current addresses of our Ambassadorial Scholars, please provide these to the district. Now that all my official visits have been completed, I will be available to visit clubs to assist in membership recruiting or special club events during the reminder of my year as District Governor. In the meantime, always keep in mind the Four-Way Test as the Ethical Code for all Rotarians and our Motto of Service Above Self. Thank you for being a Rotarian and be prepared to Serve – The World Awaits.
Fred J. Brenner Upcoming Event
District Conference May 9-11 at the Radisson
in West Middlesex with the Golf Tournament at the Former Sharon Country Club
Course. DR Water Filter Project Area Struck By Hurricane Noel The Sabaneta de Yasica area of the Dominican Republic, where the Water Filters Project support by recent District Governors Projects of D7280 operate, has been badly hurt by hurricane Noel the last week of October, 2007. Pastor Cancu, whom we work with on the Water Filters, sent an SOS for funds to help with medicines for those affected. If you have been there, the report is that the water from the Yasica River rose up to just behind the Clinic. There was much damage, much standing water, and their agricultural crops have been wiped out. The vocational school has been closed for a week due to water and mud. Their immediate need is for "de-parasitizing" the people. The medicines that were left are all gone. The food crisis will last for quite awhile. Several churches in Western PA took up offerings to help. Jack Hanes of the New Wilmington Rotary Club is traveling to Sabaneta, and took a "relief" check with him. It can be difficult to transfer funds there without going in person and Jack had a previously planned trip scheduled. All of this means there will be setbacks to our Water Filters project, but it also means the filters will likely be getting more use as flooding leads to a great deal of water contamination. Some funds will be needed for other forms of assistance, especially with the food crops destroyed. When Jack returns, we will investigate ways to continue the Water Filters project and to extend Rotary assistance to the affected area in their time of need. We hope clubs will continue and even increase their support of the District Governors Project so that we will have funds to help our friends in the Dominican Republic in this latest disaster. PDG Hank Anna Review of 2006-2007 District Financial Records A review of Rotary International District 7280’s financial records for the year ending June 30, 2007, was completed by Butler Rotarian Karen L. Diehl, CPA. This was an informational review for the members of the clubs of District 7280. The conclusions were the following, “Everything reviewed appeared to be in perfect order. There were no exceptions.”
A copy of this review has been mailed to all
club secretaries, and additional copies are available by contacting PDG C.
Leon Ahlum, District 7280 Co-Secretary/Treasurer, at 724-946-8321, or email
him at
ahlum2@verizon.net . Fund Raising Scheme – Ellwood City 50-50 with Jackpot Strip tickets are sold at 3 for $2. This is done as members arrive on the honor system, putting the money in a coffee can. They make their own change. Ticket stubs are deposited in a second coffee can with a slot in the lid. Half of the funds collected go to the Rotary Foundation and the other half are used for the payout and jackpot. At some point during the meeting the winning ticket is drawn and the winner is paid using the following chart: Less than 15 in attendance Winner gets $5 16 to 25 in attendance Winner gets $10 26 to 40 in attendance Winner gets $20 41 to 60 in attendance Winner gets $30 More than 60 in attendance Winner gets $40
Then, using an ordinary deck of playing
cards, the winner draws for the “Queen of Hearts” card. Any other card
drawn, but not the “Queen of Hearts,” is torn up and the deck, minus one
card, is saved for use the next week. Eventually someone will draw the
“Queen of Hearts.” Ellwood City’s last two jackpots went after about 40
weeks and were in excess of $400. Rotary Outstanding Vocational Award - ROVA March 9th and 10th, 2008 is a date to put on your calendar. That is the date for the fifth annual ROVA retreat at the McKeever Environmental Learning Center in Sandy Lake. The cost for this years retreat will remain at $100 per student. The cost for the chaperones is included in the student fee. This year Tracy Becker of the Clarion Rotary Club is going to take over the administrative part of the program. She and I will be working together this year with the intention of her taking over completely next year. All checks and reservations are to be sent to Tracy at: 5622 Emlenton-Clintonville Road, Emlenton, Pa. 16373. Her work phone is: 814-226-9161. Her home phone is: 724-867-6095. The email address at the Clarion Chamber of Commerce is: tracy@clarionpa.com. Please send your checks made out to ROVA to Tracy by January 5th, 2008. Contact the guidance counselor at your vocational school. They will help with the selection process. Not all communities have Rotary Clubs. If a community does not have a club, good students from that area have no chance to be selected for the retreat. You may wish to tell the guidance counselor that if students cannot be found from your specific community, they may consider selecting students from another area. Last year we had several good students who were unable to attend because their community did not have a Rotary Club. Being flexible in location would give more students an opportunity to be selected. It has been a pleasure working with all of you on this project. I want to thank everyone for being supportive of a new project. Your willingness to go along with something new has been a wonderful opportunity for students who otherwise get very little recognition. PDG Skip Sample Secretary’s Corner – Elections During November, the club president should select and announce to the club the Rotarians serving on the Nomination Committee. In early December, the Nominating Committee should provide a slate of candidates for the club’s consideration. Elections should be held at a subsequent meeting, allowing nominations from the floor. The Manual of Procedure requires clubs to elect their club president 18 months to 24 months prior to assuming office (Club Constitution, Article 9, Section 5 b). For example, during December 2007, clubs should be electing their 2009-2010 club president, who on July 1, 2008, assumes the title of President-Elect and will automatically become the club president on July 1, 2009. While the results of this election can not be posted on the Rotary International website until July, you are expected to report them to District 7280 immediately, using the “Change in Club President Reporting Form” found on the Club Secretary’s Page of the district website (www.district7280.org) using a July 1, 2009, effective date. Also to be elected in December are club’s secretary, treasurer, board members, and any other positions in your club bylaws that require election. The results of secretary election must also be reported to Rotary International via their website and to District 7280 immediately using the “Change in Club Secretary Reporting Form” found on the district website using a July 1, 2008, effective date.
PDG Lee Ahlum and Peter Richdale, Co-Secretary/Treasurers Peace Studies Program The Rotary Clubs of District 7280 and Rotary International are proud to announce the launch of a three-month intensive program that teaches practical skills needed to succeed in jobs involving peace building, conflict resolution, and mediation. Participants are selected twice a year in a globally competitive selection process based on professional and academic achievements. December 1, 2007 is the application deadline for the July 2008 session and beyond. Taught at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program is aimed at mid- to upper-level professionals who work in government, non-governmental organizations, private corporations, academia, media agencies and other settings where a working knowledge of peace and conflict resolution is important. Rotary International has selected 23 professionals from 14 countries for the first session beginning in January 2008. This diverse group represents a wide array of professional backgrounds with interests and areas of expertise including journalism, human rights, public policy, economic development, law and social justice. For example:
Individuals interested in future sessions should contact Mary Ellen
Dahlkemper, Erie Rotary Club at 814-878-2167 or email
Bangkok.PeaceStudies@rotary.org for more information. Consider Making A Year End Gift! Are you looking for a great dividend this year? Make a gift of appreciated securities – common stock, bonds or mutual funds – to The Rotary Foundation before year end and send a message of international hope. You may realize significant savings while serving others at the same time. By transferring securities to The Rotary Foundation, you avoid paying capital gains taxes on the appreciated value of your gift! Good Tax News You Can Use! Under the new Pension Protection Act, individual donors who are 70 ½ at the time of the gift may donate from $100 to $100,000 this year from their Individual Retirement Account directly to The Rotary Foundation without increasing federal gross income for this tax year. It is a great way to become a Paul Harris Society member or make the gift of a lifetime in your lifetime. Please note that contributions must be outright to the Foundation without any benefit to the donor. IRA gifts cannot be used to fund charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, donor advised funds or the pooled income fund. The IRA assets must be transferred directly to the Foundation or it is recognized by the IRS as income. Please contact your IRA administrator and the Foundation to assist with the process of transferring the desired percentage or amount of the IRA. Other IRA Options to Consider
This is a great time to ensure that valid
beneficiary designations are on file for your IRA. If you have not already
notified the Foundation that it is a beneficiary of your IRA, then you could
become a Rotary Foundation Benefactor or Bequest Society member today!
Convention Delegates Every club in the district is entitled to at least one delegate to the Rotary International Convention in Los Angles, CA, USA. Larger clubs may be entitled to more than one delegate. If you club does not have a delegate attending the convention, it should send a proxy delegate. If you club is not sending a delegate or a proxy, please complete the necessary signatures and forward to me your delegate credentials (leave the name blank) and I will assign the credentials to a district Rotarian who is attending the convention. In order for a convention quorum, there must be delegates or proxies from 10% of the clubs in Rotary International. PDG Lee District Governor Nomination
The nomination process as provided in the
District Bylaws (Article V, Section A, Item 3) has been completed and the
name of Christopher R. Fiely of the Titusville Rotary Club will be submitted
to Rotary International for election at the Rotary International Convention,
as 2010-2011 Governor for District 7280. The Race Is On! The chart below is from Rotary International as of October 31, 2007. The Edinboro Rotary Club leads the district with Annual Program Fund giving of $67.35 per Rotarian, followed by Grove City at $55.83 and Leechburg at $53.02 per Rotarian. The following questions remain to be answered:
We are off to a good start this year, slightly better than last year; but we have a lot of work to be completed this year.
PDG Lee Ahlum, Chair DRFC
October Attendance and Membership Report
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