Posted by DG Mary Kay Hasz (Highlands Ranch) marykaydg15-16@marykayhasz.com
Rotary District 5450 Youth Service Program is flourishing this Rotary Year. Under the guidance of District Chair Lee Mulberry and assisted by Interact Rotaract Youth Exchange and RYLA Program Chairs, we have many reasons to be proud.
P.J. Dyon, Golden Club Rotarian and Chair of Interact, has assisted three new Interact Clubs to be chartered this year, sponsored by Westminster 7:10, Niwot and Centennial Rotary Clubs. Additionally another three Interact Clubs were re-chartered. Those at the District Conference in Breckenridge learned what wonderful, meaningful projects these students are creating and implementing with the guidance and encouragement of sponsoring Rotary Clubs and school leadership.
Just this past month a new Rotaract Club has been chartered at the Colorado School of Mines. A former interact club member, Elise Tran, (who spoke at our District Conference), was instrumental in this endeavor. Golden Rotary Club is the sponsor.
The RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), Young RYLA and RYLA Plus committees are gearing up for another successful year. Well over 1,000 applications have been received. A second session for RYLA and Young RYLA has been added recently due to overwhelming demand. If you ever hear a student that has attended one of these sessions you will know what a gift we are giving these young students who are primed for developing leadership skills and living the 4-Way Test.
Our Youth Exchange Program, under the leadership of Kimberly Armitage (Aurora Rotary), and her committee, continue to provide the ability of approximately 20 students from our District to go abroad and, in return, we host that same number of students from around the world in our communities. What a superb way to promote world peace. If you were fortunate to see the youth exchange talent show at the Breckenridge conference you were witness to some extraordinary talent. Host families are blessed by sharing their lives with the students and in return are all. Being a gift to the world...
Posted by Ray Anderson (Highlands Ranch) rayanderso@comcast.net
A thoughtful and timely conference focused on all Rotary is doing in the world, mental health and Polio. Tommy Spalding and Todd Musselman talked about the potential in each of us to accomplish great things. Emcee Mike Brady, with his upbeat personality, kept things lively and moving right along, and it seemed that the perfect top-off to Saturday night was Lannie Garrett and her band.
It was a special time Saturday morning as we paid our respects to those Rotarians we lost in the last year. The Youth Exchange kids thanked Rotary with their words of gratitude for the experience, and their fantastic talent show. The extra space afforded all the exhibitors in the Club Exhibit Hall gave everyone a chance to exchange ideas, sit around and relax.
A big thank you to all the Rotarians who volunteered to help with registration and on the various committees, the clubs who sent exhibits, and the committee chairs. The staff of Beaver Run and Town of Breckenridge made our stay so comfortable and easy. All in all this was a very upbeat, informative, and fun conference with beautiful scenery all around.
Posted by Debi Bush (Denver Cherry Creek) membership@rotary5450.org
It has been a busy month with our annual Membership Seminar kicking it off on April 2nd. We had more than 40 attendees which was actually down from the past two years. It seems to me that we all must get back to the basics of membership and take action. Membership must be Front and Center as you have heard from us in person and in recent articles. Our clubs who are experiencing consistent growth follow this mantra.
Let’s revisit the poem by Denver Southeast’s Debra Fine on membership with respect to how we treat our visitors and new members:
Posted by Avis Gray (Grand Lake) aviszgray@yahoo.com
Following our talk at the District Conference, we are available for a much condensed talk and presentation (15 minutes) for any club potentially interested in sponsoring a little orphan Nepalese Girl of Hope who was at risk but rescued from trafficking. (Education per year per child = $350 and/or total living and educational expenses =$1,200 annually.) Contact Avis Gray at aviszgray@yahoo.com.
Here is your chance to join your District’s members from all over the world as Rotary eClub One have their unique meeting for the year with local entertainment on Monday night during the convention. Check it out at http://rotaryeclubone.org/about/joinusinseoul/.
Posted by Dan Hershberger (Arvada) dmhershberger@comcast.net
It is that time of year that we all must take a look at our individual and club fundraising goals for the Rotary fiscal year of 2015-16. As of April 27, the giving to the Annual Fund by the clubs is $323,279 towards a goal of $445,135. This is $121,856 short with just two months to go in the fiscal year. This goal was set by the presidents last year in May 2015. There are several clubs that are as much as 70% behind on their annual giving goal. Hopefully, in the next two months, your club will have some kind of Foundation Fundraising event or project, or send in funds that have previously been raised.
Posted by Jim McGibney (Denver) jmcgibney@earthlink.net
In 2016, Rotary International will be holding the International Convention in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK). The current projection is the meeting might exceed the current record attendance, which was in Osaka, Japan in 2004 and was 43,381. We are hoping to top 45,000 this coming year.
Rotarian Jim McGibney, Club 31, was appointed in 2011 to the position of Honorary Consul to the Republic of Korea in Colorado, and has worked to promote the relationship between Colorado and the ROK. The focus has been on Visa's, Driver license exchange, visiting Executives and much more.
For those that are interested in Seoul and Korea, Jim has developed a 30 minute program that he presented to the Rotary Club of Fort Collins and to the Denver Rotary Club. He is scheduled to give that program in Steamboat Springs in November.
In addition, members and guests of District 5450 are invited to the Rotary eClub One annual meeting in Seoul. All the details can be found at https://rotaryeclubone.org/about/joinusinseoul/.
The attached reportshows year-to-date giving to The Rotary Foundation and End Polio by club, and per capita. The District 5450 goal is for Every Rotarian to give something Every Year (EREY).
