Posted by DG Abbas Rajabi (Denver Southeast) DGAbbas2017.18@rotary5450.org
Rotary is held together through its membership. Rotarians make Rotary what it is: a vibrant community of service and fellowship. That is why it is so vital to keep Rotary membership alive and thriving. Members give each day with their service, and we build our clubs every week in our fellowship. It is important to leave a legacy of what Rotarians do each day in our giving of all our precious resources, time, fellowship, and money. When we give to Rotary and to the Rotary Foundation we ensure that what we have built goes on. Aside from our giving, the best way to ensure that Rotary continues on for future generations is through our membership. I have already written in my first newsletter as your District Governor about the importance of membership, particularly new, young, enthusiastic members.
If Rotary is to continue to make our world a kinder, cleaner, safer, more equitable place, then we must continue to bring new folks into the Rotary family. That’s why I will repeat my call to action that I began my DG year with; I encourage and urge you to bring one new member to your club each year AND if you can bring two! As we continue on our Rotary journeys we must encourage new people to learn from us, take our best practices, and input their own ideas into our clubs so that Rotary keeps going, keeps getting better, and keeps helping people all over the world. If we each bring a friend, colleague, son or daughter to our club and they join, we can easily reach our goal of 1,000 new members. Our power lies in our people!
A second call to action is to encourage every member and every club to find ways that are specific to your local community to find new members and new younger members. Create and cultivate community events that show case Rotary’s values, and showcase the clubs that host them. Let’s show our communities how much we do, and how much fun we have while doing good! Rotary is truly something to aspire to, so let’s show ourselves off to the communities that benefit directly from our service and fellowship each and every day.
I am personally honored and proud to be a Rotarian. It is my pride in what we accomplish each day that drives me to want to bring more people into the Rotary family. I know, too, that my fellow Rotarians are proud to be a part of this great global organization, so how do you show your pride? Wear your pins proudly? Don your Rotary garb and hit the streets touting what we do! Share the joy that is Rotary near and far! This year we raised an incredible $1.2 billion dollars at the International convention in Atlanta; what an incredible achievement, and that is only the beginning of what this Rotary year holds! Let’s keep our momentum, keep true to the values that drive Rotary: service, truth, integrity, and fellowship, and let’s keep giving, helping and serving our communities.
In the words of late President-elect of Rotary International Sam Owori who passed unexpectedly on July 13 due to complication from surgery, “Rotary has become a way of life for me - with the intrinsic value and core belief in mutual responsibility and concern for one another as a cornerstone, I feel immense satisfaction knowing that through Rotary I have helped someone live better.”
You have every reason to be very proud to be a Rotarian.
How Will Your Club Observe World Polio Day on October 24 ?
Read on for three EASY ways to promote World Polio Day within your Rotary Club:
1. Celebrate World Polio Day on October 24 by hosting an event in your community! Go to endpolio.org/worldpolioday to get started. Register your event, and download resources (event planner, press release template, proclamation template, social media resources and more) to help you plan, promote and execute your club's World Polio Day. Remember to share pictures of your event on social media using #endpolio and in our monthly district e-newsletter.
2. The Fifth Annual World Polio Day event, co-hosted with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will be held on World Polio Day on October 24. The program will stream live from Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, Washington to bring together more than 50,000 viewers around the world. Encourage your members to join in as global health experts and celebrities share our progress on the road to polio eradication.
3. El Tour de Tucson is on November 11. Any club with an interest in raising funds for PolioPlus and having a fun cycling event during the week of November 11-16 can join in. There are two ways to do this: host an indoor cycling event with club members at a local athletic club/gym or have an outdoor event with club members agreeing on a route and length that fits them. It is also a fantastic way to involve friends and supporters from outside of the club (and attract new members too!). More information on how to sign up, gather pledges and record the results may be found at ridetoendpolio.org. Call Pam at 520-907-5671 or Lynn at 520-400-4966 if you need help or more information.
Posted by Debi Bush (Denver Cherry Creek) membership@rotary5450.org
At the recent Zone Leadership Institute, we talked about goals, tasks, measuring progress to the goals and more. Last year at Institute we discussed S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Sensitive) which is a commonly used term in the business world. At this summer’s Institute, it was revised to S.A.M. G – Specific, Attainable and Measurable Goals. As most of us are familiar with Dr. Seuss and his Green Eggs and Ham book, it makes it a bit fun to use the “SAM I am” reference.
It’s not easy coming up with SAM goals, even a single one, to which you will be held accountable. Well, our clubs and our district need to have at least 1 written S.A.M. G when it comes to membership. With our numbers falling back after the June 30th report, each club president should be vigilant to keep Membership Front & Center and maintain this ATTITUDE. Actions, beliefs and behaviors are intertwined. The experts tell us that having a goal written down increases the likelihood for success and I will add that having another hold you accountable for that goal (and the tasks or actions that contribute to it) will enhance the likelihood even more.
Set aside Saturday, September 23rd to attend our Membership breakout at the Club Training Workshop and we’ll work on this with you and promise to check in with you throughout the Rotary year to learn how you are doing in achieving your goal.
BE INSPIRED AND ACT to grow your membership and enhance the experience for all members. It’s contagious!
Exemplary Membership Growth
Looking forward to clubs returning to this category next month
Posted by Rick Clark (Littleton) rick@littletonrotary.org
Four Rotarians who lead in the Rotary Peak naming project are arranging a Rotary Peak Hike on Saturday, August 5, 2017, inviting all Rotarians , Rotaractors, Interactors, and friends to join the hike to Rotary Peak starting at 9 am from the parking area at the top of Loveland Pass the. The route traces the Continental Divide, with spectacular scenery in all directions. Distance to the summit is approximately 1.5 miles with less than 500 feet elevation gain. Hikers need to be at the trailhead 30 minutes before, or 8:30. Car-pooling is strongly recommended as there is limited parking.
Commemorative “I Climbed Rotary Peak” buttons will be given to those who complete the hike.
Click here for the public information flyer includes a trail map, hiking safety tips and trail etiquette rules, and basic information on Rotary International and our Rotary District 5450. The Trail Stewards will be wearing special Rotary vests.
Posted by Kim DeCoste (Denver Southeast) Kim@DeCosteAssociates.com
The new PR committee for the District is up and running with 12 new members who are motivated to make Rotary shine to the public. We could use some additional help in the area of GRAPHIC DESIGN. If you or another Rotarian you know is interested in being involved in the committee, we meet monthly on a conference call and it is not a huge time commitment. Please contact Kim DeCoste at Kim@DeCosteAssociates.com or 303-588-2733 for more information. Thank you!
Posted by Steve Baroch (Castle Rock High Noon) steve@crhn-rotary.com
There are two $30,000 Rotary District 5450 Scholarship Awards for Graduate Study outside the USA for the 2018-2019 year. Eligible applicants will intend to study and have future career plans related to at least one of the following focus areas:
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 November 4, 2017. For more information contact Steve Baroch at steve@crhn-rotary.com
Posted by Gail Lehrmann (Parker) glehrmann@aol.com
Rotary International’s Citation for Meritorious Service recognizes individual Rotarians who have demonstrated outstanding active service to The Rotary Foundation. Dan Himelspach, Rotary District 5450 Governor 2013-14, received this special service award at the Zone 27 District Leadership Institute in Denver on July 22.
An individual may only receive this award once in their lifetime and it recognizes individual Rotarians who have demonstrated outstanding active service to The Rotary Foundation for more than one year. Examples of eligible service include, but are not limited to: • Service on Foundation committees at the club, district, or international level • Participation in Foundation grants or programs • Support of Ambassadorial Scholars, Rotary Peace Fellows, Group Study Exchange teams, or vocational training teams.
Dan has served as Club President of the Denver Mile High Rotary Club, as a member of numerous District 5450 committees, and as the End Polio Now Zone 27 Coordinator. Because of his outstanding leadership, he has been named Zone 27’s Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator. In this new position, he will assist all districts in our zone to continue their strong efforts to raise Annual Funds. Congratulations and thank you for all you do for Rotary, Dan!
Posted by Kam Breitenbach (Parker) kamiebreintenbach@gmail.com
It Takes a Community - Rotary Comunity Corps lets local volunteers tap into our organization's network
Congratulations to the Parker Rotary Community Corps for recognition in the August 2017 Rotarian Magazine, page 52. Founded in 2010 for a 6 month "trial period" - the Parker RCC is still going strong 7 years later with more than 50 adult members with developmental disabilities. The Parker RCC hold meetings and participate in a variety of service projects including stuffing backpacks for needy schoolchildren, organizing a holiday breakfast at a local senior center, and filling grocery bags for a local food pantry. Enterprising, enthusiastic, and entrepreneurial, the Parker RCC once raised $1,000 in four hours with a car wash. "Everybody knows them all over town," Kam Breitenbach says. "The members have all kinds of opportunities they would not have without Rotary."
Posted by Marion Trummer (Highlands Ranch) m.trummer@comcast.net
It started out simply: Seven Highlands Ranch Rotarians went to Costa Rica in February 2016. They went there as part of a Give-a-Book project working with Peace Corps Volunteers in rural southern Costa Rica. While there, the Highlands Ranch Rotarians met members of the Belen Rotary Club. It was muy simpatico!
The Belen Club has a continuing special project providing wheelchairs to those in desperate need. These wheelchairs allow children to go to school and others to get out of their homes and move freely in their communities. Belen Rotarians were delighted to meet a potential sister Club in the US and the Highlands Rotarians immediately signed on to join the wheelchair project. One Highlands Ranch Rotarian donated $5,000 to help ship a container of 37 wheelchairs from the U.S. to Costa Rica.
In November, 2016, Highlands Ranch Rotarians Marion Trummer and Natasha Nola went to Costa Rica to help deliver these wheelchairs.
The Belen Rotarians organized the logistics, and most of the 20 members of the Belen club actively participated:
The Club identified the recipients and got the specific requirements for each chair.
Club members arranged the ordering, shipping, storing, assembling, and pick up of the wheelchairs.
Five members of the Club helped distribute the wheelchairs.
Carl Dickerson, a Florida Rotarian who spends part of each year in Costa Rica, saw that the Rotarians needed help to get the job done quickly. He recruited the San Isidro Lions Club, Peace Corps volunteers and the staff of a rural health clinic. When the wheelchair shipment arrived in San Isidro from the US, these volunteers helped the Belen Rotarians assemble them.
The payoff came soon after when many recipients came to pick up their new wheelchairs. During the following week volunteers went out to remote villages and to the Bribri reservation for the indigenous people of Costa Rica to deliver the rest of the wheelchairs. Peace Corp volunteers acted as interpreters.
The joy in the eyes those who got wheelchairs, especially the children, made the day unforgettable. The team also brought books brought books to some of the rural schools, a rare treat for the teachers and their students.
Posted by Mary Jean Ewing (Boulder Flatirons) maryjeanewing@earthlink.net
You’ve seen it in The Rotarian. The Ride to End Polio.
But what you don’t know is how easily you can join the ride. You don’t need to go to Tucson. Just get on a stationary bike here and you can join RI General Secretary John Hewko, his wife, staffers, and hundreds of fellow Rotarians around the world.
The Ride to End Polio in Tucson will be November 18, 2017. The stationary bikes around the world event is flexible: Ride anytime November 11 to 18, 2017. To be part of this amazing effort visit www.ridetoendpolio.org to download the application.
Let’s show District 5500 in Southern Arizona that we Rotarians in D5450 know how to Ride to End Polio! Please call or register by Labor Day if you want to ride here or put a team together to go to Tucson. Home stays are available for visiting Rotarian Riders.
If you have questions or need help putting your Ride together, please call Lynn Perez-Hewitt at (520) 400-4966 or Pam Lacy (520) 907-5671.
Posted by Carolyn Schrader (Denver Mile High) schrader407@gmail.com
History of Previous Grants
Rotary Grants developed by the Rotary Clubs of Denver Mile High and Highlands in Zimbabwe have been delivering economic and computer trainings to high-density communities in Harare Zimbabwe since 2009. Almost 100 Rotarians have contributed their time and expertise to develop and deliver the training and oversight for these grants. Over 6,000 women and youth have learned to save money and use their own savings to start and manage small businesses.
With their newly acquired computer skills, they track their finances and stay in touch with their families around the world. Over 250,000 people have benefitted by these projects.
2016-17 Training Grant
The local government has been highly supportive of the trainings, since there is nothing similar being offered to the women in the Harare area. They asked that the training be expanded to other communities where women had no way to acquire skills to support themselves. Working with the office of the mayor of Harare, local Rotarians identified three new communities for the training: Glen Norah, Highfield, and Dzivarasekwa (DZ). We hired a training organization that was started by some of our participants in our first Rotary Grant in 2009. Training started in September 2016.
Posted by Bob Kemp (Denver Mile High) rkemp10453@aol.com
As we all know, this past Rotary Year (2016-17) was the 100th Anniversary of the Rotary International Foundation. 100 years of doing good in the World! The Rotary Foundation provides the capital for our District Designated Funds (DDF) as well as for the matching funds we use in our Global Grants. These funds are the fuel for the Rotary engine! They enable us to provide service to improve communities – both locally here in Colorado as well as globally.
So how did we do? The numbers are almost final but we all should be proud to know that our District 5450 raised over $515,000 for our annual fund. We were the highest contributing District in our Zone. These are monies that will return to our District to support our projects. We increased our donations by over $65,000 in comparison to the prior year. Our Per Capita giving was the second highest in the last four years.
As we close the books on our Centennial Year, we should all join in celebrating our outstanding commitment to the ideals of Rotary and the work that our Foundation supports. Then we can turn our attention to the next 100 years of doing good in the World! District 5450 Rotarians will continue to be a force in improving the lives of people all around the globe and for the foreseeable future.
Posted by Lynn Perez-Hewitt (Littleton) perezhewitt@hceonline.com
Susan Sotack, evening club facilitator, ROY Ronda Rasnick, President Belinda Bianchi, ROY Dennis Brovarone
Community Service Chair Ronda Rasnick and her husband, fellow Rotarian Dennis Brovarone, stopped their busy lives long enough to accept the 2016-2017 Rotarians of the Year award from the Rotary Club of Littleton. The award was presented by newly installed club President Belinda Bianchi.
Ronda and Dennis’s list of activities humble the busiest person among us, particularly because neither Ronda nor Dennis are retired. Read on to learn how these two remarkable individuals embody the Rotary motto of Service Above Self.
Ronda has owned and operated her own EDGAR filing agent business for 20 years, providing highly detailed business services, formatting and submitting Securities and Exchange Commission documents on behalf of publicly traded companies throughout the United States and in China. She is an avid CrossFit trainer, hiker, climber and skier.
Like Rotary founder Paul Harris, Dennis is an attorney. He is in fact a Senior Attorney at Hoban Law Group where he continues his 30-year legal practice in Colorado specializing in corporate finance, governance and securities law. He received his J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law and his B.A. in political science from the University of Colorado. And… they are the proud parents of three Millennials and live and thrive in the Littleton area.
Ask them about why they do so much and the answer is physical before they say anything. Dennis beams a megawatt smile and Ronda’s athletic frame relaxes into joy. It’s not hard to see that Dennis is drawn to the reading program at Centennial Elementary and is a passionate advocate to grow the program. Ronda is in constant motion, organizing teams of volunteers to help organize medical supplies for Project C.U.R.E., arranging volunteer sign-ups to fill and deliver bags of food for the Arty’s Friday Food Bag program; or making sure there are singers and game players to visit the Libby Bortz Assisted Living facility on a Monday night to cheer the seniors waiting for them. And then there was the Flower Power rescue of live plants from the Home and Garden Show in February, making sure those plants found homes in five senior living communities.
Posted by Bob Steiert (Denver Tech Center) rsteiert@comcast.net
The DTC Rotary Club will hold the Second Annual Water Toy Race on September 23 on Chatfield Reservoir. Last year, sixty four fun loving, hearty souls were met with a hot breakfast, refreshing water and a sunny day. The racers were primarily Interact and RYLA students from six different schools, but also included college students, families and adults of all ages. Costumed participants raced through a goofy, creative and very wet obstacle course using inflatable kayaks, paddle boards and inner tubes, sometimes lashed together. No experience was necessary.
All District 5450 Rotary and Interact clubs are invited to attend. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes, fastest team, and most fun to watch. Registration for a four person team is $200, and includes breakfast and the use of all water toys. The race is a tremendous team building event and a good way to kick off the school year. Proceeds will support RYLA scholarships, literacy projects, our Peaceful Schools Program, and college scholarships for students who practice “Service Above Self.”
Sponsorship opportunities are available at levels from $250 to $2,500. So far, the major sponsors are the Boulder Dinner Theatre, the N&A Professional Group, P.C., Colorado Water Sports, Renaissance Adventure Guides, and the Victoria Sailing School. For more information go to http://www.dtcrotary.org/.
Posted by Sharon Maybee (Commerce City) semaybee@aol.com
(and other news...)
The Commerce City Rotary Club’s Mental Health Initiative was very proud to have been a House of Friendship exhibitor at the June 2017 Rotary International Convention in Atlanta!
CCRC members Rhonda Hathaway, George Maybee and Sharon Maybee manned the exhibit for over 50 hours during the convention and had the distinct opportunity and pleasure of speaking directly with over 360 Rotarians from 35 different countries that visited the exhibit. Most indicated that mental health awareness and education was seriously needed in their countries and remarked about how the Mental Health First Aid course offering would be a great way to start talking and reduce the stigma of mental illness. CCRC has already been in contact post convention with several of these Rotarians and is in the early stages of developing a plan to offer a webinar to Rotarians in Pakistan and India on the subject of how to kickoff a mental health initiative type project in their communities. So yes, the CCRC Mental Health Initiative (CCRC-MHI) has indeed gone international!
Back home in Colorado, several noteworthy developments for the CCRC Mental Health Initiative (CCRC-MHI) include:
A $2,000 grant was awarded to the CCRC-MHI by the City of Commerce City’s Quality Community Foundation to specifically fund outreach, awareness and education for Veterans and their family members.
A $1,050 grant was awarded to the CCRC-MHI by the United Power Roundup Foundation to specifically fund Mental Health First Aid training materials for Veterans and their family members.
A $2,500 Rotary District Matching grant was awarded by D5450 and The Rotary Foundation to support the 2017-2018 approved work program of the initiative in the areas of community support for outreach, awareness and education in the Commerce City community and the Adams 14 School District.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the CCRC-MHI has the first reported, evidenced based case where one life was saved utilizing the crisis intervention information contained on the mental health resource and awareness information cards distributed within the community. To date, the CCRC-MHI has distributed over 30,000 of these cards; 7,500 will be included in the registration packets for Adams 14 district schools in August 2017.
Efforts in mental health and wellness by Rotarians CAN and WILL preserve life, prevent further harm, promote recovery resiliency and provide comfort and support to those desperately in need.
When you greet person, “How are you doing?” STOP right there and LISTEN; don’t go on your merry way. LISTEN to that person…for you may be the only person that has asked. LISTEN to what they have to say. THIS is the first step in HELPING a PERSON with a mental illness. You are not alone, I will LISTEN; Let’s talk!
Posted by Lee Mulberry (Highlands Ranch) rlmulberry@gmail.com
Rotaraction (www.rotaraction.org) is a new type of Rotary Club, it is an online club for 18 to 30-year-old people. The structure of Rotaraction differs significantly from Rotaract. Firstly, it is entirely online, secondly the primary communication tool is a smart phone app. Thirdly, all Rotaraction members will be full Rotarians.
Rotaract Clubs will not be impacted as their value proposition is quite different and still valid. Rotaract is geographically bound just as Rotary Clubs are, Rotaraction, by being online, will not have geographic boundaries nor regular meeting times.
Rotaraction was formed to fill a need - a way to get/keep young people involved in Rotary, especially since Rotary currently has a limited value proposition for this demographic. The online meetings will consist of “Blog” posts and discussions, each member will have responsibility for writing blogs and responding. In addition, each member will be required to do a minimum number of hours of community service during the quarter. We will encourage them to create a relationship with a local Rotary Club.
Our research has shown that this demographic has very little desire to spend time in meetings, they want to communicate quickly, easily and at their own convenience. They much prefer to engage in service projects. Many are in college and even if there is a Rotaract club, attending meetings can be too time consuming.
In addition to the time issue, belonging to most traditional Rotary Clubs is cost prohibitive. Our college members face many costs and often have little opportunity to earn money. Our working young adults also tend to have limited disposable income. Therefore, the club dues are just enough to cover District and RI dues.
Posted by Irv Buck (Highlands Ranch) irvbuck@cs.com
After a number of successful years of collaboration, we have been able to complete a first award-winning Watershed Project at Potkal Baste and vocational training for tribals at the Sakwar Mission. In addition to these, we are on the threshold of finalizing nutrition and education projects for children at Potkal Baste. It is truly amazing what difference these combined efforts have made for the villagers of the rural tribals who inhabit the dry plateau (Thane Tax District), State of Maharashtra, about 90 miles north of Bombay.
The objective of this project is quite simple - initiated by the Rotary Club of Bombay Mid-Town (Host Partner) Mumbai, India, and Rotary Club of Parker, CO, USA (International Partner). Rotary participation included Districts 4131 and 5450, and also the Rotary Club of Boulder Valley. This plan is to purchase and distribute 1,000 home toilets, one to each of 1,000 tribal families (poorest of the poor), in three consecutive Global Grants of approximately 334 units each. The first grant, Global Grant #1635575, cost USD $82,000 and yielded 337 toilet units for individual homes.
The men had assumed a somewhat migrant lifestyle, taking on seasonal labor and often becoming indentured, while the women retained all responsibility for the home and family. Approximately 60% of the families can lay no claim to property. Only one crop of rice could be grown a year (in autumn, after the monsoon season), barely enough for a family of five. First efforts involved providing potable water year-round by pumping from an underground aquifer. They now have water for household use, kitchen gardens, and preventing the wells from going dry. It was time to recognize the importance of sanitation issues to the ever- improving lifestyle of the villages.
The attached report shows Membership, and Annual Fund and Polio Plus numbers and per capita achieved by each club (arranged by Area.) The District 5450 goal is to have an increase in Membership, and for Every Rotarian to give something Every Year (EREY).
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE DISTRICT, CLUBS & THE GLOBE!
At the recent Zone Leadership Institute, we talked about goals, tasks, measuring progress to the goals and more. Last year at Institute we discussed S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Sensitive) which is a commonly used term in the business world. At this summer’s Institute, it was revised to S.A.M. G – Specific, Attainable and Measurable Goals. As most of us are familiar with Dr. Seuss and his Green Eggs and Ham book, it makes it a bit fun to use the “SAM I am” reference.
There are two $30,000 Rotary District 5450 Scholarship Awards for Graduate Study outside the USA for the 2018-2019 year. Eligible applicants will intend to study and have future career plans related to at least one of the following focus areas:
It Takes a Community - Rotary Comunity Corps lets local volunteers tap into our organization's network
The DTC Rotary Club will hold the Second Annual Water Toy Race on September 23 on Chatfield Reservoir. Last year, sixty four fun loving, hearty souls were met with a hot breakfast, refreshing water and a sunny day. The racers were primarily Interact and RYLA students from six different schools, but also included college students, families and adults of all ages. Costumed participants raced through a goofy, creative and very wet obstacle course using inflatable kayaks, paddle boards and inner tubes, sometimes lashed together. No experience was necessary.
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