The month of August is themed for Membership. A hearty welcome to all our new members in the Rotary Clubs of District 5450, especially those new members of e-Club One who joined our district on July 1st. Mary Jean and I were honored to meet these former members of Sydney CBD club, whilst guests in their beautiful country. On behalf of District 5450, I extend a special thank you to all Aussies for the wonderful hospitality shown to Rotarians from all over the world during their International Convention in Sydney.
The second theme for this month is Extension. We are doubly blessed to be celebrating our newest club, the Rotary Club of Platteville, whose Charter Night will be August 29, 2014. Please join us as we celebrate this new club and welcome them into the Family of Rotary. It is a tradition for clubs of the district to provide a gift, during charter night. Most helpful would be either a cash gift or a gift card to Russell Hampton. A special thanks to PDG Karen Sekich for her hard work in bringing this new club to a successful birth. She will be their Charter President and thus begins her second trip up the ladder of leadership. Might District Governor II be in her future?!
The month of July has been a whirlwind of activity for Mary Jean and me, beginning with transition ceremonies and celebrating the tradition of new Rotary Leadership. Especially moving for me was my own swearing in as your leader this year by PDG Dan Himelspach. I am so appreciative of this opportunity. All club transitions are special as we continue the great traditions in our district. Before beginning the Area Assemblies, I will visit all the smaller and distant clubs to reinforce their importance to all of us. Wray Rotary Club was the first to welcome Mary Jean and me. They are so active in their community. We felt very welcomed and enjoyed meeting the new Superintendent of Schools, a new member of Wray Rotary Club! Unfortunately we didn’t have time to enjoy their lovely community pool, so inviting on a hot July afternoon!
So far, twelve club visits, visits to RYLA PLUS, RYLA and YoungRYLA, a weekend at Rotary International Headquarters for a PETS planning, Zone 27 Institute and many other meetings have kept us occupied. But the warm Rotary welcome has made this experience very fulfilling. We look forward to every opportunity to meet the incredible Rotarians of District 5450 who are about LIGHTING UP ROTARY. Thank you all for what you do to make this world a better place!
Please plan to attend the All Club Luncheon on Friday, September 12, at 11:30 am at the Westin Hotel in Westminster. DG Peter hopes all clubs will go "dark" that week and have a table (or two) at the luncheon. RI President Gary C.K. Huang will be the guest speaker.
Register on the District Web site for a table or individuals - blank name tags will be sent to whomever completes the registration, along with special meal tickets if needed. Cost per person is $35, Cost per Table of 10 is $350. Registration closes September 8, 2014. No Walk-ins!
District 5450 will be welcoming hundreds of Rotarians September 9-11 for the Zone 21B and 27 Institute. The conference will be held at the Westin Hotel in Westminster.
Volunteers are needed to transport and greet your fellow Rotarians. Just a few hours of your time will help set the tone for this exciting event!
Platteville Rotary will host their Charter Night Celebration on August 29, 2014 at the Sarchet Events Center in Platteville. The event begins at 5:30 pm and the program at 7:30 pm with guest speaker Dave Talbot, Crutches for Africa. Details will be sent to the Club Presidents soon.
Karen Sekich, club president, hopes many of you will come out to celebrate with District 5450's newest club. Look for a "wish list" of gifts to be posted on the District web site soon - kind of like a wedding shower list. Any gift will be greatly appreciated.
Lace Up Your Sneakers & Join the 1st Annual 5K Run/Walk to End Polio Now!
Our Foundation Alumni Group has organized the first annual 5K Run/Walk to End Polio Now. This group comprised of people who have received scholarships or funds from the Foundation, will be hosting this great event September 13, 2014. They have extended the invitation to all Rotarians and community members.
We are one month into our new Rotary year and we’re already celebrating Membership Month. In last year’s August article, I recall telling you that every month should be treated as Membership Month.
Castle Rock High Noon Rotary Club and Project ReCycle
For a couple of years now, members of the Castle Rock High Noon Rotary Club have volunteered with a great organization called Project ReCycle. This group takes donations of used bicycles, has a work space in Douglas County, rebuilds the bicycles using volunteer labor and then gives the bikes back to kids in the community who might not otherwise have a bike. This program gets kids active by using their bikes, gives them more freedom and mobility and improves the environment by recycling bikes that otherwise might have gone to the land fill and also reduces gas consumption. They do this by not only “giving” a bicycle, but by providing education on how to maintain it and how to use it safely. Over 2,300 bicycles have been recycled in the past 5 years! To find out more about Project ReCycle, check out their website: http://www.projectrecycle.org/
To have a speaker come to your club or to arrange to organize a Bike drive, contact AJ Stapleton at aj@projectrecycle.orgor 303-523-8229.
Rotary District 5450 will be awarding 3 very significant scholarships in the 2014-2015 year.
The first is the Temple Hoyle Buell Endowed Ambassadorial Scholarship. There is one $30,000 Scholarship Award for graduate level study outside the USA in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning or related subjects.
There are two $30,000 Rotary District 5450 Ambassadorial Scholarship Awards for Graduate Study outside the USA. Eligible applicants will intend to study and have future career plans related to at least one of the following focus areas:
What do you know about the online Rotary clubs? Rotary eClub One is the first online Rotary club, accessible from anywhere in the world with Internet, at any time. It was originally designed and proposed by the Boulder, Colorado Rotary club in 2001 and received its Charter by early 2002. The test period ended in 2010 after the success of 12 pilot programs and Rotary eClubs are now a permanent part of Rotary.
R – As Peter’s partner, many have already asked me how I am finding my new role. While I am still getting used to this role, I have taken the Polio campaign as my special focus for the coming year. My mother had polio. This cause is important to me - even more so, to the entire world. We are so very close!!
O – I have always viewed Rotary as a wonderful opportunity for Peter to learn and strengthen his many capacities. I now find it an opportunity for me to meet many new friends, to travel and experience new horizons together and to learn about all the wonderful projects of Rotarians – a tribute to diversity and the human spirit
In March 2013 I was asked by the Estes Park Sunrise Club if I could help them build a grant in conjunction with iDE, International Development Enterprises, a Non-Profit based in Colorado that works with Economic Development for subsistence level farmers in the Third World. My Castle Rock High How Noon Club contributed as well and with $4,000 in Club money we built a grant that multiplied into about $13,000. The grant was used to educate 12 Farm Business Advisors in Mozambique.
The 2016 District Conference survey results are in and compiled. The Survey Response Rate (Total Responses/Total District Rotarians) was 17%. According to DGE Kevin O’Connell, “For a first time effort, this is a very acceptable response rate.”
In addition to the hard stats, over 20 pages of comments and responses of details were compiled. O’Connell states, “Trust me; every single comment has been read and they form an integral component of what we have learned from each of you and what will be utilized regarding the 2016 District Conference location, duration, format, content and pricing/cost.”
"Light up Rotary" is the theme chosen by 2014-15 Rotary International President Gary C.K. Huang to symbolize his term in office. It was inspired by “The Power of One”, a poem written by Ashish Ram. The poem must not be viewed in a microcosm. Rather, the power of one is exponentially enhanced when focused as is the light of a laser beam. “One” is a numerator representing each individual Rotarian, you and me. The denominator collectively represents over 1.2 million members of Rotary International. As a single water molecule is the core and essence of all the oceans, one Rotarian is the core and essence of Rotary International. The target of the light is depicted by the concentric rings of the Object of Rotary. The bull’s-eye is “Service Above Self”.
There are very important events coming up as we move deeper into this year to “LIGHT UP ROTARY!”
Charter Night for the Rotary club of Platteville! August 29, 2014
Zone 21b-27 Institute September 10-14, 2014 at the Westin Hotel in Westminster
Emerging District Leaders Training September 11-14
Zone Institute September 12-14 for any Rotarian wanting to know more about Rotary
Foundation Breakfast Friday September 12
All Club Luncheon Friday September 12 – all clubs are asked to go dark and instead attend the All club Luncheon
Gala Banquet Saturday Evening September 13
Polio Plus Community/Family 5K Run/walk to raise funds for Polio Plus Fund. Saturday September 13, 2014 Westin Hotel Westminster
Certified and timed Community 5K run/walk beginning on the Westin Plaza at 9:00AM
Family 1 Mile run/walk beginning on the Plaza at 1:30 PM for anyone involved in the Zone Saturday morning
Every Rotary Club in District 5450 is encouraged to create a Race team and register their Team on the registration website
Team members can then become individual fundraisers for their team and get friends and neighbors to sponsor them
The Rotary Club team that raises the most in per capita sponsorships will win a prize!
I ask every Rotarian in our district to consider attending some portion of the Zone Institute as we honor our Rotary International Director Greg Podd and raise money to finish off Polio!
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Our Foundation Alumni Group has organized the first annual 5K Run/Walk to End Polio Now. This group comprised of people who have received scholarships or funds from the Foundation, will be hosting this great event September 13, 2014. They have extended the invitation to all Rotarians and community members..jpg)
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What do you know about the online Rotary clubs? Rotary eClub One is the first online Rotary club, accessible from anywhere in the world with Internet, at any time. It was originally designed and proposed by the Boulder, Colorado Rotary club in 2001 and received its Charter by early 2002. The test period ended in 2010 after the success of 12 pilot programs and Rotary eClubs are now a permanent part of Rotary.
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"Light up Rotary" is the theme chosen by 2014-15 Rotary International President Gary C.K. Huang to symbolize his term in office. It was inspired by “The Power of One”, a poem written by Ashish Ram. The poem must not be viewed in a microcosm. Rather, the power of one is exponentially enhanced when focused as is the light of a laser beam. “One” is a numerator representing each individual Rotarian, you and me. The denominator collectively represents over 1.2 million members of Rotary International. As a single water molecule is the core and essence of all the oceans, one Rotarian is the core and essence of Rotary International. The target of the light is depicted by the concentric rings of the Object of Rotary. The bull’s-eye is “Service Above Self”.
