District 5450 Conference State of the District Presentation by DG Dan Himelspach
I received several requests for a copy of my State of the District remarks made at our District Conference. We have had an amazingly successful year this year and the presentation summarizes our major accomplishments. While we have held onto many traditions, we have also instituted many changes in the way the District relates to its Clubs and conducts its business. I feel these changes are absolutely necessary for this District to thrive and continue to provide quality service to those in need. The new approaches are a first, but important, step and we should be open to modifications that make us more efficient and effective. We do not need change for change sake, but we do need change when it makes sense and will allow us to be better at what we do.
The successes this year are the result of the collective extraordinary effort of many of you. At the awards ceremony I tried to highlight the Rotarians that I felt have gone above and beyond. There are many others who have also made significant contributions. I deeply appreciate and thank each of you for your contributions and for making this the best District in Rotary. Please click the following link to read the entire presentation.
Register NOW for District Assembly - Saturday, May 17, at Front Range Community in Westminster. This annual event offers training for all Rotarians to learn more about Rotary, the Foundation, grants, club and international projects in the Six Areas of Focus, fundraising, youth programs, and specific training for club secretaries and treasurers. Only $25 per person includes continental breakfast and a half-day training! Click for a list of break-out sessions, and Register NOW!
Five Years Later: District 5450 Rotary-Peace Corps Alliance
It was a very exciting day on Monday, May 5 for the members of the District 5450 Rotary-Peace Corps Alliance Committee. Committee Chair Sue Fox (Denver Rotary) and members Valerie Hopkins(Denver Rotary) and Steve Werner (Denver Southeast Rotary) traveled to Rotary Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois for the signing of a Memorandum of Collaboration between Rotary International and the United States Peace Corps, the culmination of almost five years of work by the Committee, most of whose members are both Rotarians and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
Denver Southeast Rotary Club is planning their8th consecutive Veterans’ Appreciation Event at the Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, in conjunction with Colorado’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. This year’s event will include not only a free breakfast for the first 1000 veterans and their families registered and a speaker program, but also a “success” fair where over 60 veteran support organizations will be represented.
The event will take place on Saturday, May 24, 2014, from 8:00am to 1:00pm.
15 Minutes Per Week: The Secret to Membership Management
Eight simple steps that make all the difference in membership. District Membership Chair, Debi Bush, asked me what our club is doing that is helping us to grow our membership.
Here is an ingredient for our secret sauce. I'm a very visual person. So, I went down to my local Lowe’s Home Improvement and bought a big styrofoam board and divided it up into sections. I use pushpins and little 3x5 cards with the prospective members' names.
Membership Mantra Membership That Works: Real Solutions
Our district is on an upswing with membership which is not the trend for North American Rotary clubs! One superb way to maintain this upward trend for the district and most importantly your club is to attend our annual membership seminar that will take place on Saturday, June 21st from 8:00am to 12:00pm at Front Range Community College.
Rotary eClub One Absorbs Rotary Club of Sydney's Members
Can there be too much of a good thing? In one area of Sydney Australia where four clubs were competing for members, the answer was yes... too much Rotary. How did District 5450 get involved?
Well, Rotary in the Central Business District (CBD) of Sydney was in decline because the four Rotary clubs located in the small geographic territory were competing for new members in the largely disinterested “big end of town”.
With an enormous passion for literacy, our club Literacy Chair, Mary Anne Johnston decided to add an international component to our already thriving local literacy projects. Mary Anne convinced me that I should go to Guatemala with her. Thus began an incredible journey of our international literacy work.
Three years later, 10 Rotarians in District 5450 have traveled to Guatemala, and 10 District 5450 clubs contributed to the Guatemala Literacy Project Global Grant 14-12387 in 2013/14. In the last 18 years, over 400 Rotary Clubs have contributed to the Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) – a partnership between Rotary Clubs and the non-profit Cooperative for Education. In April 2014, our Rotary Club of Summit County, Colorado received approval from The Rotary Foundation for the largest GLP grant ever, a $339,191 Global Grant. Over 100 Rotary Clubs from 17 Districts participated in this grant.
Our mission in Guatemala is to break the cycle of poverty through education. Will you help us?
Did you know that Rotarians working with protected individuals such as students must be certified through the new Abuse and Harassment Prevention Program?
Whether you work with RYLA, Youth Exchange, Rotaract, Interact, or another Rotary program, everyone MUST complete the A&H prevention tutorial and quiz. Upon finishing the quiz, please email your score to Chad Stamm at rotary@chadstamm.com.
To view the step-by-step video to learn about this certification, click this tutorial link.
Have questions or want more information? Write to Chad Stamm at rotary@chadstamm.com.
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Eight simple steps that make all the difference in membership. District Membership Chair, Debi Bush, asked me what our club is doing that is helping us to grow our membership. .jpg)
Our district is on an upswing with membership which is not the trend for North American Rotary clubs! One superb way to maintain this upward trend for the district and most importantly your club is to attend our annual membership seminar that will take place on Saturday, June 21st from 8:00am to 12:00pm at Front Range Community College. 
Can there be too much of a good thing? In one area of Sydney Australia where four clubs were competing for members, the answer was yes... too much Rotary. How did District 5450 get involved? 
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Rotary District 5450 ♦ May 2014 ♦ Issue 5