Posted by DG Mary Kay Hasz (Highlands Ranch) marykayDG15-16@marykayhasz.com
Members who feel valued are less likely to leave.
Rotary International's theme for August is "Membership and Extension". I invite all District Rotarians to take time this month to stop and consider how we are encouraging our current members and what message we are giving prospective members in our communities.
The District's Public Relations Committee stands ready to help Clubs promote themselves within their communities. PR Chair Peggy Halderman has visited and will visit Clubs and assist in ideas on how to attract new members. Public Relations and Membership go hand in hand. A prospective member is more likely to be moved by a personal story as to what Rotary means to its members rather than how many Rotarians there are in the world and in how many countries.
Over the years our District's membership has ranged from 3,100 to 3,200. Over the years new Clubs have been formed and chartered, satellites are finding a home in our District, and yet our membership still remains relatively constant. Why is that? We add members yet stay the same in number? It is because our current members are leaving for a variety of reasons. I would like to discuss some ideas I have on this matter as a result of being the membership chair of Highlands Ranch Rotary for most of the last 20 years.
As those in sales know, it is easier to keep a customer than to acquire a new one! We can apply that same principle to Rotary membership. Members who feel valued are less likely to leave.
Let's each look at our membership and identify those members who attend but do not participate in club service projects. Let's also be aware of those members who are falling away in interest and attendance. I would bet that the majority of these two categories of members joined our clubs to be of service - to give back to their communities and to the world.
A warm greeting each meeting; a conversation to discover those members' areas of interest, and encouragement to participate. All are starting steps to engage those members. Invite members to sit next to you at a meeting; put aside the desire to always sit with the same close Rotarian friends at the same table; always be aware of any member not involved in a conversation; and contact those members who have missed several meetings. In summary, observe and react!! Let us all practice the Gift of Inclusion.
Posted by Debi Bush (Denver Cherry Creek) membership@rotary5450.org
Major Keys to my Club’s Success -- the 5 W’s
It’s August which in Rotary talk means “Membership Month.” Over the years I have mentioned that every month (and week and day) should be focused on membership. It’s time to have a discussion with yourself and your fellow Rotarians in your club to ask a few difficult questions:
Welcoming — We do a great job of welcoming guests and visitors when they visit us early on a Tuesday morning. The Membership Chair (yes, it’s me) or our President welcomes the guests and visiting Rotarians at the beginning of the business part of the meeting.
Warmth — Nothing demonstrates the warmth for my club than going around the room for Happy Dollars. We have the opportunity to share happy and sad events in our personal and professional lives and this creates a special connectedness. We’re fortunate because we’re a small enough club (29 members and growing) that we’re able to have everyone speak. I understand that larger clubs don’t have this luxury and sometimes have a handful of members donate Happy Dollars. Figure out how your club – regardless of size – can bring this type of warmth to your weekly meeting.
Posted by Peggy Halderman (Golden) pjhalderman@comcast.net
WHY is re-branding needed?
To quote RI Director-Elect Jennifer Jones, “Can you imagine if every McDonald’s or Starbucks in the world looked or sounded different? They are strong because they have a simple and clear brand; we know exactly what we will get when we do business with them.” Shouldn’t it be the same for Rotary International? Yet after a review of our organization, we discovered that we had accumulated over 120 logos and were working with 12 mission statements. That’s even before we take it down to the club level with all of our additional twists and turns to our identity. So Rotary International developed a set of guidelines and tools around our voice and look. You can download a copy of guidelines entitled “Voice and Visual Identity Guidelines” from Brand Center on the RI website.
So with all this “new stuff,” are you scratching your head, trying to figure out just where to begin? If you are willing to give it a try, let’s try working on a new logo for your club or your Club’s youth programs like Interact or Rotaract in a few simple steps - sample logos are also shown. Just click the "Read More link!
Posted by Laura Smith (Boulder New Generations) Satellites@Rotary5450.org
An Innovative Way to Attract New Members
As explained by Rotary International, a Satellite is an extension of an existing Rotary Club and offers an alternative meeting time and place to the sponsor club. The addition of a Satellite is a fantastic opportunity to attract a different demographic to Rotary or sub-group of individuals, to be innovative and re-imagine what we have traditionally thought of as Rotary, and to re-energize Rotary!
District 5450 has been especially prominent in the Rotary community with our addition of Satellites given our early success. We added our first Satellite in 2011, the Boulder New Generations Rotary Club. Since realizing the potential through this award-winning model, we have now gained more than ten active Satellites and have several more in the works. District 5450 serves as an example around the world for clubs and districts looking at this new membership opportunity.
Posted by Carolyn Schrader (Denver Mile High) schrader407@gmail.com
Funds Available for Clubs that have not requested
a District Grant for 2015-16
District Goal: As many clubs as possible to sponsor District Grants
Each Club can request up to $2,500 in District Match to their cash to create a $5,000 project.
If a club recruits at least two other clubs to participate, the match can be as much as $5,000.
For a Club with Satellite members, you can request up to $2,500 for a second District Grant with participation by Satellite members with additional matching from other clubs.
District will assist the club with:
- Club qualification
- Funding from other clubs
- Meeting grant requirements
For Clubs that have already submitted a grant application:you can get DDF match for up to $1,000 in funding for another Club’s grant.
Posted by Steve Baroch (Castle Rock High Noon) steve@baroch.net
Two $30,000 Awards Available
Our Rotary District 5450 will be awarding 2 very significant scholarships in the 2015-2016 year.
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 areas of focus:
Promoting Peace
Fighting Disease
Providing Clean Water and Sanitation
Maternal and Child Health
Basic Educations and Literacy
Growing Local Economies
Please promote these scholarships and discuss them at your Club meetings. We are looking for applicants with high levels of academic achievement and exemplary backgrounds. Application forms and further information can be found at the district website. The Pre-Application Deadline is October 10, 2015. For more information contact Steve Baroch at steve@baroch.net.
Posted by Jim Rohrer (Summit County) jim.rohrer2@gmail.com
Looking for volunteers to help with an important process.
If you have facilitation skills and want to volunteer to help our District Clubs with our new Visioning process, please volunteer by e-mailing our Visioning chair Jim Rohrer jim.rohrer2@gmail.com. Please give Jim your phone number and he will call you. The Visioning team training event will occur on Sept. 26th at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood.
Why Visioning?
Experts on organizational effectiveness will tell you that a positive vision is the most powerful success factor. If an organization doesn’t have a clear vision, even a great strategy will not save them; but a clear vision will attract an effective strategy.
Posted by Mary Jean Ewing (Boulder) maryjeanewing@earthlink.net
Donations Received to Immunize Over 750,000 Children!
Our District continues to generously support Rotary International's PolioPlus Campaign to eradicate polio in the world. We are well aware of the need to reach this goal. This past month has seen the year-to-date figure of only 33 cases of polio in the two endemic countries of Pakistan (28) and Afghanistan (5). July 24th marked one year since a polio case was found in Nigeria, marking an important step towards eradication of polio from the African continent.
Polio will be the 2nd disease ever eradicated by man! It will happen because of people like you who have given to Rotary's PolioPlus program. These funds, given thru Rotary's PolioPlus, (endpolio.org) continue to be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It takes only $.60 to immunize one child. Millions of children under 5 around the world will need immunization until the world is polio free. This year our District donated $160,792, which with RI DDF World Fund match and the 2:1 Gates match, has resulted in enough funds to immunize 756,076 children.
Posted by Dan Hershberger (Arvada) dmhershberger@comcast.net
District 5450 is Making a Difference!
A huge Thank You from District 5450 Foundation and Fundraising Chairs for all of your Clubs' fundraising efforts and contributions in the Rotary fiscal year of 2014-15. It is particularly gratifying that ALL clubs participated.
Final results show giving at $503,210 to the Annual Fund and $138,000 for Polio Plus. With the triple match from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation it brings the Polio giving to $414,000! These figures show that District 5450 is making a difference in the world. Certainly a reason to celebrate and be grateful. These funds will finance DDF and the World Fund for District and Global Grants all over the world, plus Ambassadorial Scholarships and World Peace Fellows, and many other TRF projects.
As you all know, Rotary's work is never done. In this Rotary year 2015-16, our District Governor Mary Kay Hasz would like to reach a goal of $450,000 in the Annual Fund by asking every Rotarian in the District to give to The Rotary Foundation (TRF.) Please schedule a member of our Fundraising Team to visit your club this year to review how each individual member can give to Rotary through EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) and Rotary Direct. TRF has made it easy to give through these channels and hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.
Again, much gratitude for your generosity in 2014-15. Remember November! - Rotary Foundation Month.
Ann Tull, District 5450 Foundation Chair
Dan Hershberger, Fundraising Chair
Tom Niver, Endowment Chair
Don Lewis, Annual Fund Chair
Tom Maier, Points Chair
Elaine Love, Paul Harris Society Chair
Rotary Global Essay Competition (ROGEC) is a platform to express your thoughts and ideas on a Global Canvas on range of subjects. The 2015 Theme is World Understanding and Peace. This competition is open to all the citizens of the world. The winners will be invited to India for 5 days and will get involved in various informative and cultural activities.
Entrants will participate in one of three age groups:
- Group I - Below 18 years
- Group II - 18 to 30 years
- Group III - Above 30 years
The 1,200 word essays can be submitted online at http://www.rogec.org/registration.html. The last date for essay submission is 10-Nov-2015. Detailed information is available on www.rogec.org. Please share this information with your Interact and Rotaract clubs!
Posted by Steve Baroch (Castle Rock High Noon) steve@baroch.net
Please meet our District 5450 2015-16 Ambassadorial Scholar, Eliska Champagne-Veselka. Eliska leaves in September to attend a program at University of Sussex in Brighton, England in Economics and Community Development. Eliska, originally from Alaska, has 20 years’ experience working with youth programs which provide vital education, vocational training and job skills to hundreds of under-served and low-income youth. Our District Ambassadorial Scholarship Committee is very proud to have Eliska represent District 5450!
July 24, 2015 marks one year since Nigeria last reported a polio case caused by wild poliovirus. The country is on the brink of eradicating the paralyzing disease. If no cases are reported in the coming weeks, the World Health Organization is expected to remove Nigeria from the list of countries where polio is endemic, leaving just two: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Click to watch a video on this story.
The attached reportshows the final 2014-2015 giving to The Rotary Foundation and End Polio by club, and per member. The District 5450 goal is for Every Rotarian to give somethingEvery Year (EREY).
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