Posted by DG Mary Kay Hasz (Highlands Ranch) marykaydg15-16@marykayhasz.com
"Be a Gift to the World"
Each year the incoming Rotary International President introduces his or her theme for the year. In 2015-2016 the theme is "Be a Gift to the World" - I believe President Ravindran chose a perfect theme, for as Rotarians with "Service Above Self" as our motto we all do strive to be a gift to others in our communities, our nation, and our world.
As our District's new club presidents take office July 1, and countless board members agree to guide their individual clubs, let us all be grateful for their leadership, willingness to give of their talents, time and treasure.
I, as many incoming Presidents, have set several goals for this Rotary year and I would like to highlight a few at this time.
Polio Eradication: This past year our District Rotarians contributed over 100,000 dollars towards the effort to eliminate polio from the world. Let us continue this battle through funding, advocacy and service efforts. I encourage all District Rotarians to continue to fund this gift to the world.
Membership Retention and Growth: While membership in North America is decreasing, our District is holding its own. My goal is to encourage each and every club to engage their members--find the passion each individual possesses and help him or her achieve the wish to serve the community. Nearly all of the new members I have met over the years have wanted to join Rotary to be able to "give back". By guiding new members and helping them achieve this goal, we will improve retention and as a result increase membership numbers.
Public Relations: Rotary has a new brand and the goal is to use only one brand throughout the Rotary world so that there is no doubt when the public sees that symbol that it represents Rotary. Our District has a Public Relations Committee that is ready to guide our Clubs in the new brand use. Feel free to contact the members of that committee. My goal is to have a minimum of 60% of our District's Clubs incorporating the new brand in all of their publicity.
I look forward to meeting with the Rotarians in our outstanding Rotary District; to share in the accomplishments and plans for the future; and to encourage and support our membership.
In conclusion, thank you all for the opportunity and privilege of being your District Governor.
Posted by PDG Peter Ewing (Boulder) pmjewing@earthlink.net
RI Convention in Sao Paolo Brazil
June 6-8, 2015 in the megalopolis of Sao Paulo Brazil, perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea. But what a great International Convention it was, celebrating our year of “Light Up Rotary” and the leadership of RI President Gary Huang! I thoroughly enjoyed the Convention.
Gary C.K. Huang went out of his way to celebrate the youth of Rotary. Beginning with two TEN year old girls speaking to the entire convention. The first girl, from Argentina, spoke confidently in perfect English about her desire to change the world and asked; “Why do WE have do wait until we are older?” There IS room in Rotary for those under 10 years of age in “RotoKIDS” or AKA “Earlyact”. The second girl from England, perched upon a box so as to be seen, delivered, in powerful voice, her story of losing her older sister to brain cancer within six months of diagnosis. In response to her loss, she has created a foundation and raised over Two Hundred Thousand Pounds to support a Pediatric Hospice. Indeed they CAN change the world!
Posted by Debi Bush (Denver Cherry Creek) membership@rotary5450.org
Closing the Back Door
It’s a new Rotary year so let’s attract more prospects and keep our current Rotarians engaged and involved. This year’s presidential theme is “Rotary is a gift to the world!”
It can be very exciting to induct new Rotarians and watch them get excited and passionate about a club project or activity. It’s just as exciting to witness tenured members (e.g. past club leaders who had become less involved) come back into the fold of being engaged, active and involved in the club. The biggest secret to making this re-engagement occur is to have a 1 on 1 conversation with each tenured member and ASK that Rotarian to share their talents with the club and individual members.
Our new District Governor, Mary Kay Hasz, told me and my team that her main goal for this Rotary year is to get people engaged with their passion. She wants Rotary to be exciting and fun. Her motto is “play hard and work hard together.”
Posted by Mary Jean Ewing (Boulder) maryjeanewing@earthlink.net
Thank you to Peg Johnston!
Under the able leadership of Peg Johnston, the District Polio Committee is proud to report this year’s contributions from members of District 5450 total more than $132,000 as of July 1st. (With the 2-to-1 match from the Gates Foundation, this is almost $400,000!) Peg has chaired this committee for 5 years during which District 5450 raised over half a million dollars. Thank you, Peg, for your dedication! Thanks are also due to all the committee members. We look forward to your continued participation on this committee as you pass the chairmanship baton to Mary Jean Ewing. Thanks are finally due to the generosity of District 5450 members who are dedicated to the eradication of Polio from the face of the earth: a goal which will be attained in the near future.
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 Application Deadline is October 31, 2015. For more information contact Steve Baroch at steve@baroch.net.
Posted by Andres Puky (Longmont) andres_puky@yahoo.com
Longmont Rotary Hosts Ukrainian Delegation
Once again, the Rotary Club of Longmont had the pleasure of hosting a Ukrainian delegation as part of the Open World Leadership Center program. As noted on the Center’s Facebook page, “Open World Leadership Center, which runs the unique Open World program, brings emerging and established Russian, Ukrainian, and other Eurasian leaders to the U.S. for professional programming in multiple areas of focus.”
The joint effort between the US Library of Congress and Rotary International centered this year on Energy Independence. To start, the Ukrainian community leaders had the opportunity to visit US Congress and meet with the Congressmen representing their American hosting states and districts.
Left to right: Andres Puky, Mykola Keznetsov, Oleksandr Zaika ("Sasha"), "Kate" Shevtsova (facilitator), Taras Boykiv, Tatiana Lukenbill (interpreter), Oleksandr Kryzanivskyy, and Vadym Lytvyn
Posted by PDG Peter Ewing (Boulder) pmjewing@earthlink.net
Rotary Global Awards Program
We have spoken, many times, of the importance of promoting the value of Rotary membership to new or prospective members (learning leadership skills, project management, fellowship, networking and many others). Now we have something that might make a difference in your pocket bookand not in the sense of making it lighter to carry around (through donations to the Foundation).
Rotary International President Elect Ravi Ravindran announced at the recent Rotary International Convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil that Rotary would be rolling out the Global Awards Program which would provide for all Rotarians registered with My Rotary the opportunity to claim discounts (some significant) in many areas, such as car rentals, hotels, restaurants, entertainment and many other areas to be announced going forward. The program launched on July 1, 2015. Click here for more information: https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/member-center/rotary-global-rewards
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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