This is to register for the Rotary Leadership Institute - RLI Part 2
RLI is a great opportunity to learn new skills, connect with new people, and help us all build a stronger Rotary team across the District. You won't want to miss this!
District Grant Training – Participation required to be certified to apply!
This Rotary year, District matching grants are funding local community facilities and services; educational projects; and international project needs assessments. These grants come from your Rotary Foundation contributions.
District Grant training is offered on two different dates: January 20th from 10 am to 11:30 am and January 25th from 7 PM to 8:30 PM, Atlantic time via Zoom. For a Rotary or Rotaract Club to qualify for a District Grant, clubs must send two members to either training session. One session will be recorded and posted to District 7815’s YouTube channel. Viewing the recording counts towards attending.
The training session provides information about The Rotary Foundation, Global Grants, the ClubRunner application steps, and new qualification criteria to apply for a Grant. Grant amounts match up to 50% of the project amount. We will introduce a sliding scale for larger projects that starts at $3000.
If your schedule permits, please attend in person. You may have questions for the presenters.
- Wayne Thompson (RC of Summerside), Foundation Chair - Elva Heyge (RC of Kentville), Global Grants Chair - Miriam MacLeod (RC of St John’s East), District Grants Chair
is your presentation team. Please register via the links below to attend ONE of the two sessions.
Formation sur les subventions de district - Participation requise pour pouvoir déposer une demande de subvention!
Cette année du Rotary, les subventions de contrepartie des districts financent les installations et les services communautaires locaux. projets éducatifs ; et l’évaluation des besoins des projets internationaux. Ces subventions proviennent de vos contributions à la Fondation Rotary.
La formation sur les subventions de district est proposée à deux dates différentes: le 20 janvier de 10 h à 11 h 30 et le 25 janvier de 19 h à 20 h 30, heure de l'Atlantique, via Zoom. La langue de la session de formation sera l'anglais. Pour qu'un club Rotary ou Rotaract puisse se qualifier pour une subvention de district, les clubs doivent envoyer deux membres à l'une ou l'autre des sessions de formation. Une séance sera enregistrée et publiée sur la chaîne YouTube du district 7815. Le visionnage de l'enregistrement compte pour la participation.
La séance de formation fournit des informations sur la Fondation Rotary, les subventions mondiales, les étapes de la demande dans ClubRunner et les nouveaux critères de qualification pour demander une subvention. Les montants des subventions correspondent jusqu'à 50% du montant de l'action. Nous introduirons un barème dégressif pour les actions plus importantes à partir de 3 000 dollars.
Si votre emploi du temps le permet, nous vous invitons à assister en personne à cette réunion. Vous aurez peut-être des questions à poser aux présentateurs.
- Wayne Thompson (CR de Summerside), président de la Fondation - Elva Heyge (CR de Kentville), présidente du comité des subventions globales - Miriam MacLeod (CR de St John's Est), présidente des subventions de district
est votre équipe de présentation. Veuillez vous inscrire via les liens ci-dessous pour participer à l'UNE des deux sessions.
RLI is a great opportunity to learn new skills and meet new Rotary colleagues - help us all build a stronger Rotary team across the District. Please share this information with all your members.
For all Rotarians in Newfoundland and Labrador and Saint Pierre et Miquelon, there will be RLI Part 1 and Part 2 in St John's Oct 28 2023.
All details and materials available through the link below.
One way to find the link is through the District website under the logo for Rotary Leadership Institute, the other way is to click on the independent link below.
The Rotary District 7815 Annual General Meeting will be held by Zoom on Tuesday, October 17th, at 6:30pm Atlantic Time. Everyone is welcome to attend but only Club electors can vote.
All the reports for this meeting are available on the District Website under Member Resources, District Documents.
Club Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers, District Executives and Past District Governors please check your email for the following:
The updated Agenda for the Annual General Meeting
The updated 2023/24 Budget for D7815, with budget and actual figures for 2023/23. This replaces the version sent previously.
Revised Policies for the District 7815 Nominating Committee Process, recommended to the AGM by the Leadership Team at their September 5th meeting. This has to do with how the District Governor Nominee is selected each year, and the revision reflects the current practice for our merged District. See Item 17 on the Agenda.
If your Club can name an elector or electors and email Brian Smith at smithrsx@gmail.com the name(s), to echo the Zoom Registration information.
ATTN: The Annual General Meeting for District 7815 scheduled for Tuesday, September 19th, 2023 at 6:30pm ADT on Zoom has been postponed.
Why postpone this important update? The financial reports for last year and the budget for this year are undergoing further review by the District Leadership Team and Finance Committee. It is important to provide our Clubs with the best available information at the AGM, and this could not be done in time to share this information in advance of September 19th.
On behalf of the D7815 Leadership Team, we apologize to Club representatives and others who have responded directly or registered through Zoom, and Zoom will send you a meeting cancellation and calendar update shortly.
Please watch for a new AGM Meeting Date and Time. We will have to ask you to register again through Zoom in advance, as the Zoom system can't save your registration for September 19th. In the meantime, remember Committee reports are on ClubRunner under District Documents and Committee Chairs are available for email questions any time.
We will be sending your Club and others reminders about this important AGM meeting all over again! We want your Club to be represented.
Any questions can be forwarded to Brian Smith, Executive Secretary District 7815 at smithrsx@gmail.com
The new Rotary District 7815 is holding its first Annual General Meeting, to formally conclude its first year of operation after combining Districts 7820 and 7810 on June 30, 2023.
The Rotary District 7815 Annual General Meeting will be held by Zoom on Tuesday, September 19th, tentatively at 7:30pm Atlantic Time. Everyone is welcome to attend but only Club electors vote.
More information about how to register for this meeting will follow, as will documents to support the meeting content.
Presidents & Secretaries, please check your email for the following:
The Proposed Agenda for the Meeting.
Information about the Number of Electors for each Club. Most Clubs have one elector, larger clubs have several, and the Zoom Registration will ask you to confirm whether you are an Elector for your Club. Please try to have someone represent your Club as an Elector and attend the AGM. Everyone is welcome to attend but only Club electors vote.
The current DRAFT 2023-24 Budget for our District, showing a year-to-year comparison and changes.
This will be our first D7815 AGM, and we are all learning as we go. Two things would help us greatly as volunteers organizing this event:
If Club Presidents or Secretaries can send an email to District 7815 Executive Secretary Brian Smith at smithrsx@gmail.com to confirm you have received this notice on behalf of your Club, and
If your Club can name an elector or electors soon and email Brian the name(s), to echo the Zoom Registration information.
There are lots of things going on with District 7815 this month, as we all enjoy summer, deal with the challenging weather and prepare for a busy Fall and Winter with Rotary.
August is Membership and New Club Development month in Rotary International. Have you considered how you could expand Rotary in your club and in your district? Why not start a committee to do so?
The District 7815 Leadership Team is meeting monthly on the first Tuesday of each month, and a number of our committees are already organizing activities to improve your Rotary experience, learning and service capacity. We meet next on August 8th
We will have several of our Leadership Team members training with Rotarians from across North America at the Zones 28 & 32 Learning to Lead Conference in Toronto from September 27 to October 1, with specialized sessions for Rotary Foundation, Membership, Public Image and Training as well as leadership in general.
Watch for an update soon on our 2023-24 District Budget and Annual General Meeting which will be held by Zoom in September if at all possible.
Please check out, Like and Follow our new District 7815 Facebook page, where we hope to publish your stories and share your successes. Please send Club updates to Kelly Hunt our District 7815 Public Image Chair. We are also making improvements to our D7815 Home Page on Club Runner, including better DEIA resources. The Home Page has access to all Clubs in District 7815 and to our Leadership Team.
While we are talking about social media, we should remind you to take advantage of your Rotary membership to enjoy MyRotary.org, the single window into a world of news, background information and learning centre. Learn more about how to make a difference, how to work together with other Clubs across the world or to have more impact in your own Club. If you have any trouble logging in, please reach out to District Secretary Brian Smith.
There are still 19 clubs in our District that have not entered their information into Club Runner about their new Board members. Could you please do so as soon as possible.
As District Governor, I hope to get to as many Clubs as possible over the coming months. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Clubs in Yarmouth, Halifax, Sydney and other parts of Nova Scotia in recent weeks, and Suzanne and I are hoping to meet many of you in Newfoundland, from August 8th through to August 24th.
Our Rotary Youth Exchange program has completed the required certification process with Rotary International and Clubs involved with RYE are encouraged to update their Youth Protection capacity to support our exchangers fully. Contact D7815 Youth Chair Jane Simmons for information about Youth Protection please.
We will be having a visit from our former Rotary Youth Exchange student from Belgium during the last week of August. It will be a pleasure to welcome back Constance, our "Daughter from Belgium"! Have you considered becoming a Rotary Youth Exchange parent? There are no words that I can say to tell you how much of a pleasure it is to host a student from another country. Try it, you may like it!
Family is very important for Suzanne & I so we want to share that we were delighted to welcome our newest granddaughter, Mila, to our family. She is the #13 Grandchild for us! We can attest that being a parent is great, but being a grandparent is even better!
A picture of exchange student Luise F. from Swizerland, Jane Simmons, her three sets of host parents, along with many host siblings and a couple of her Newfoundland friends, at a going away party held for Luise at Jane's cabin on July 2,2023. A picture of the wonderful connections we are making with Youth Exchange!!
Il y a beaucoup de choses qui se passent avec le District 7815 ce mois-ci, comme nous profitons tous de l’été, faire face à la météo difficile et préparer pour un automne et un hiver bien occupé avec Rotary.
Août est le mois d’adhésion et du développement des nouveaux clubs dans Rotary International. Avez-vous considéré comment vous pourriez agrandir Rotary dans votre club et dans votre district ? pourquoi pas commencer un comité pour le faire ?
L’équipe de Leadership du District 7815 se rencontre le premier mardi de chaque mois et un bon nombre de nos comités se sont déjà organisé des activités afin d’améliorer leurs expériences Rotary, capacité d’apprentissage et de service. Nous nous rencontrons pour la prochaine fois le 8 aout.
Nous aurons plusieurs formations pour les membres des équipes de Leadership avec les Rotariens à travers de l’Amérique du Nord dans les Zones 28 & 32. Apprendre à diriger une Conférence à Toronto du 27 septembre au 1 octobre, avec une session spéciale pour la Fondation Rotary, Adhésion, Image Publique, Formation ainsi que le Leadership en général.
Porter attention à une mise à jour bientôt sur notre Budget du District 2023-24 ainsi qu’une rencontre Générale Annuelle qui se tiendra sur Zoom en septembre si c’est possible.
S’il vous plaît, allez voir, Aimez et Suivez notre nouvelle page Facebook du District 7815, où nous espérons publier vos histoires et partager vos succès. S’il vous plaît, envoyez les nouveautés de votre Club à Kelly Hunt, notre présidente de l’Image Publique de notre District 7815. Nous faisons aussi des améliorations à notre page d’accueil D7815 sur Club Runner, incluant des meilleures ressources pour le DEIA. La Page d’Accueil a les accès de tous les Clubs dans le District 7815 et de notre Équipe de Direction.
Puisque nous parlons de réseaux sociaux, nous devrions vous rappeler de profiter de votre adhésion à Rotary pour apprécier MyRotary.org, la seule fenêtre dans un monde de nouvelles, d’information en arrière-plan et un centre d’apprentissage. Apprenez-en plus à comment faire la différence, comment travailler ensemble avec d’autres Clubs à travers le monde ou pour avoir un impact dans votre propre Club. Si vous avez de la difficulté à vous connecter, s’il-vous-plait contactez le Secrétaire du District, Brian Smith.
Il y a encore 19 clubs dans notre District qui n’ont pas entrés l’information de leurs nouveaux membres du conseil dans Club Runner. Pouvez-vous, s’il vous plaît, le faire le plus vite possible.
En tant que Gouverneur de District, j’espère me rendre dans le plus de clubs possibles dans les mois à venir. J’ai eu le plaisir de visiter les Clubs de Yarmouth, Halifax, Sydney et d’autres parts de la Nouvelle-Écosse dans les récentes semaines ainsi, Suzanne et moi-même espérons rencontrer les plus de membres possibles à Terre-Neuve du 8 aout jusqu’au 24 aout.
Notre programme d’échange jeunesse de Rotary a terminé le processus requis avec Rotary International. Les Clubs impliqués avec EJR sont encouragés à mettre à jour la capacité de protection de la jeunesse pour soutenir pleinement nos échangeurs. Contactez la présidente Jeunesse D7815, Jane Simmons, pour avoir plus d’information sur la Protection de la Jeunesse, s’il vous plaît.
Nous aurons la visite d’un de nos Échange Étudiant Jeunesse de Rotary, de Belgique pendant la dernière semaine d’aout. Ce sera un plaisir d’accueillir à nouveau Constance, notre ‘Fille de Belgique’ ! Avez-vous déjà considéré à devenir parent d’Échange Jeunesse de Rotary ? Il n’y a pas de mot pour décrire comment amusant c’est d’accueillir des étudiants d’autres pays. Essayé-le, vous aimeriez peut-être cela !
La famille est très importante pour Suzanne et moi, alors, nous voulons vous partager que nous sommes heureux d’accueillir notre nouvelle petite-fille, Mila, dans notre famille. Elle est le petit-enfant #13 pour nous ! Nous pouvons attester qu’être parent est génial, mais être grand-parent s’est encore mieux !
Une photo de l'étudiante en échange Luise F. de Suisse, Jane Simmons, ses trois groupes de parents d'accueil, ainsi que de nombreux frères et sœurs d'accueil et quelques amis terre-neuviens, lors d'une fête d'adieu organisée pour Luise dans la cabine de Jane le 2 juillet 2023. Une image des liens merveilleux que nous établissons avec l'echange de jeunes!
August 2023 Words from District Governor Roger Sevigny / Août 2023, Mots du Gouverneur de District, Roger Sevigny
I want to thank each and every one of you for all you do for Rotary. This year was quite an adventure. Discovering the vastness of District 7815, the amazing achievements of Rotary in Atlantic Canada and Saint Pierre et Miquelon, and the remarkable people that make Rotary in our district a vital part of our local and global communities. It took no time to realize we are all in this for the same reason. It makes no difference what political parties we support, what religion we practice, what language we speak, what our cultural differences may be, what our gender identity and expression may be, the colour of our skin, our sexual orientation, our age, or our abilities. We are all here to make a difference. And we have made a tremendous difference. I saw it firsthand.
Yes, we have issues to overcome. We need to evolve and adapt our clubs to meet the needs and demands of an ever-changing society. We need to regrow, rebrand, and revitalize Rotary in our district to create an even larger presence in our communities. “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.” Ultimately that is how we can spread peace in this turmultuous world of ours.
Thank you for all your hospitality during my visits, and thank you for allowing me to lead District 7815 in it’s first year. It has been my pleasure and honour. I also want to thank Immediate Past District Governors Alex Twells and Darren Hansen, District Governor Elect Roger Sevigny, District Governor Nominee Jillian Gibson, and District Governor Nonimee Designate Marcel Gervais for being my cousellors, voices of reason, and my support when I needed them the most. Also this years Board of Directors, in my opinion the best board ever, the remarkable group of Assistant Governor’s that were always there to help me and the clubs assigned to them, and all of the very hard working district committee chairs and committee members.
Yours in Rotary,
Harvey (and Rocky)
J’aimerais remercier chacun d’entre vous pour tout ce que vous faites pour Rotary. Cette année a été toute qu’une aventure. Découvrir l’immensité du District 7815, les réalisations incroyables de Rotary dans le Canada Atlantique et Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, ainsi que les personnes remarquables qui ont fait de Rotary dans notre district une partie vitale dans les communautés locales et globales. Cela n’a pas pris de temps pour me rendre compte que nous sommes tous là pour la même raison. Cela ne fait aucune différence quelle partie politique que nous soutenons, quelle religion que nous pratiquons, quel langage que nous parlons, quelles sont nos différences culturelles, quelle peut être notre identité et notre expression de genre, quelle est la couleur de notre peau, notre orientation sexuelle, notre âge ou nos capacités. Nous avons fait une différence formidable. Je l’ai vu du premier coup d’œil.
Oui, nous avons rencontré des difficultés. Nous avons besoin d’évoluer et de s’adapter aux besoins et demandes de nos clubs pour un changement durable dans la société. Nous avons besoin de repousser, renommer et de revitaliser Rotary dans notre district afin de créer une plus grande présence dans nos communautés. ‘’Ensemble, nous voyons un monde où les gens s’unissent et agissent pour créer un changement durable – à travers le monde, dans nos communautés et en nous-mêmes.’’ Finalement, c’est de cette façon que nous pouvons répandre la paix dans ce monde tumultueux qui est le nôtre.
Merci de votre hospitalité pendant mes visites et merci de m’avoir permis de diriger le District 7815 dans sa première année. C’était un plaisir et un honneur. Je veux aussi remercier les Gouverneurs de District Sortants, Alex Twells et Darren Hansen, le Gouverneur de District Élu, Roger Sevigny, le Gouverneur de District Nominé, Jillian Gibson et le Gouverneur de District Nominé Désigné, Marcel Gervais, pour être mes conseillers, les voix de la raison et mon soutien lorsque j’en avais le plus besoin. De plus, le conseil d’administration de cette année est, à mon avis, le meilleur de tous les temps, le groupe remarquable d’Assistants de Gouverneur qui étaient toujours là pour m’aider ainsi que les clubs qui leur étaient assignés et tous les présidents et membres de comité de district qui travaillent très fort.
Vôtre dans Rotary
Harvey (et Rocky)
Thank you from DG Harvey Bass / Merci de votre GD Harvey Bass
Thank you to all those who attended the inaugural Rotary District 7815 Conference!
Stay tuned for details on next year's conference...
Imagine One’s Dream Polio Fundraiser
Make a gift to The Rotary Foundation to help eradicate polio and your name will be entered into a draw to win a limited edition (600) print commissioned by Rotary International President, Jennifer Jones.
Donate today and you will receive a charitable gift receipt from The Rotary Foundation - Canada.
Rotarians will also be credited with Paul Harris recognition points.
Marcel is a future-thinking leader who spends a great deal of time coaching and mentoring people to be the best that they can be, with a particular interest in youth.
Prior to arriving in Moncton in 1995, Marcel, a native Albertan, lived a somewhat nomadic life. He had already lived in four other Canadian provinces, the Yukon and Germany, where his military father was stationed for four years.
As a result of the constant relocation early in life, Marcel did not attend the same school for more than two years, leading to him being very adaptable and quick to make friends.
He earned an Honors BSc in Physiology & Pharmacology from the University of Western Ontario in London, then spent two years post graduate study at University of Alberta in Edmonton before joining Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation as a sales representative.
Over the next five years Marcel held positions of increasing responsibility in district sales management and marketing. During that time, he continued his studies at the Canadian School of Business Management in Toronto Marcel is the President & CEO of HealthConnect Inc., a company co-founded with his wife Vera in 1991. They moved their young family and fledgling business to Moncton in August 1995.
HealthConnect provides medical information, pharmacy & fulfillment services, with a staff of up to 35 employees, most of whom are in the Greater Moncton area. Marcel has always had a passion to help others. He is a consummate fundraiser for many causes such as the Canadian Asthma Society, the Children’s Wish Foundation, United Way and Headstart, to name a few.
For just over 10 years he coached minor hockey, as well as Ringette in Moncton. He was Director of Coaching for the Moncton Ringette Association, then Director of Coaching and President of South East NB Ringette. Marcel has been an active member of the Moncton Rotary Club for the past 17 years. He is a Past President of the club and in 2016/17 was awarded the PDG McNeill Award as District 7810’s President of the Year. He continues to serve on the club executive as Treasurer and is a member of numerous committees including the Little Free Libraries program, Social Events, the club’s Prestige Car Draw Fundraiser. He recently completed his training as a Rotary Leadership Institute facilitator.
He is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and a Bequest Society Member.
With his drive to coach and mentor people, especially youth, it is no surprise that he is involved with the Youth Exchange program. He was his club YEO for several years and counsellor to a number of students. He and Vera have hosted a dozen students over the years. He has served on District Youth Exchange Committee since 2010 as the Treasurer, Long-Term Outbound Coordinator. Since July 1, 2017 has been chair of the D7810 Youth Exchange committee and currently is the chair for D7815. The committee has grown to 9 members and the program is again flourishing – District 7815 will be sponsoring 25 students on exchange in 2023-24.
Vera and Marcel live in McKees Mills on the Little Bouctouche River. They have two children. Kyle (Exchange student to France) is a respiratory therapist and Atlantic District Manager for Medigas. Their daughter Danai, is an Account Manager with HealthConnect. They both live in the Greater Moncton area. The family has traveled extensively and, as a family, have visited all seven continents, including Antarctica in 2018.
In his spare time, Marcel loves to cook, read and work in his man-cave, especially on his antique car. He is an avid golfer and has over 300 logoed golf balls from courses he has played in his collection.
Marcel est un dirigeant tourné vers l’avenir qui passe une bonne partie de son temps à entrainer et encadrer les gens pour être le meilleur d’eux-mêmes, il a un intérêt particulier pour les jeunes.
Avant son arrivée à Moncton en 1995, Marcel, un Albertain d’origine, il a en quelque sorte vécue une vie nomade. Il a déjà vécu dans quatre autres provinces du Canada, le Yukon et l’Allemagne, où sont père militaire était affecté pendant quatre ans.
Par conséquent de ces localisations constantes dans son plus jeune âge, Marcel n’a pas fréquenté la même école plus de deux ans. De ce fait, il est facile d’adaptation et se fait des amis facilement.
Il a obtenu un Honneur de BS en Physiologie et Pharmacologie de l’Université Western Ontario, London, Ontario, puis il a passé deux ans d’études post-universitaires à l’Université de l’Alberta, Edmonton avant de se joindre à la Société Pharmaceutique Ortho en tant que représentant des ventes.
Aux cours des cinq prochaines années, Marcel a occupé des postes à responsabilité croissante en gestion des ventes et en commercialisation du district. Pendant ce temps, il a continué ses études à l’école canadienne en Gestion d’Entreprise à Toronto.
Marcel est le Président & PDG de HealthConnect Inc., une compagnie co-fondé avec sa femme, Vera, en 1991. Ils ont déménagé leur jeune famille et leur compagnie grandissante à Moncton en août 1995.
HealthConnect fournit des services d’information médicale, de pharmacie et d’exécution, avec plus de 35 employés, dont la plupart d’entre eux sont de la région du Grand Moncton. Marcel a toujours eu une passion pour aider les autres. Il est un collecteur de fond accompli pour plusieurs causes telles que la Société Canadienne de l’Asthme, la Fondation Rêves d’enfants, Centraide et Headstart, pour en nommer quelques-uns. Pour un peu plus de 10 ans, il a été entraineur du hockey mineur et la Ringuette à Moncton. Il a été Directeur des Entraineurs pour l’Association de la Ringuette de Moncton, ensuite Directeur des Entraineurs et Président de la Ringuette Sud-Est du N.-B.
Marcel est un membre actif du Club Rotary de Moncton depuis les 17 dernières années. Il est un Ancien Président du Club et en 2016/17 il a été récompensé par la Récompense du PDG McNeill en tant que Président de l’année District 7810. Il continue à servir en tant qu’exécutif du Club comme trésorier et il est membre dans plusieurs comités incluant le programme de La Petite Bibliothèque libre-service, Événements Sociaux, Collecte de fond du club pour le Tirage de Voitures de Prestige. Il a récemment complété sa formation de facilitateur de Rotary à l’Institut de Leadership.
Il est un Paul Harris Fellow Multiple (Cercle de Paul Harris) et de la Société des Testateurs.
Avec sa volonté d’entrainer et d’encadrer les gens, spécialement les jeunes, ce n’est pas une surprise qu’il a été impliqué dans le programme d’Échange Jeunesse. Il était lui-même OÉJ de son club depuis plusieurs années et conseiller de plusieurs étudiants. Lui et Vera ont accueillies une douzaine d’étudiant pendant des années. Il a servi dans le Comité d’Échange Jeunesse du District en tant que Trésorier depuis 2010 et Coordinateur à Long Terme Sortant. Depuis le 1 juillet 2017, il était président du comité de l’Échange Jeunesse D7810 et il est présentement le président pour D7815. Le comité a augmenté de 9 membres et le programme est encore fleurissant – le District 7815 commanditerons 25 échanges étudiants en 2023-2024.
Vera et Marcel vivent à McKees Mills dans La Petite Rivière de Bouctouche. Ils ont deux enfants. Kyle (échange étudiant en France) est un thérapeute respiratoire ainsi que le Directeur du District Atlantique pour Medigas. Leur fille, Danai, est gestionnaire des comptes avec HealthConnect. Ils vivent tous les eux dans la région du Grand Moncton. La famille a voyagé largement et, en tant que famille, ils ont visité tous les sept continents, incluant l’Antarctique en 2018.
Pendant son temps libre, Marcel aime cuisiner, lire et travailler dans sa cave d’hommes, en particulier sur son ancienne voiture. Il est un golfeur passionné et il a plus de 300 balles de golf avec logo des parcours qu’il a joués, dans sa collection.
Meet Marcel Gervais, District Governor-Nominee Designate 2025-26 / Rencontre avec Marcel Gervais, Gouverneur de District Nominé-Désigné 2025-26
“Rotary Connects the World” is not just the Rotary theme for this year, it’s a phrase very familiar to the members of the Rotary Club of Bridgewater & District who know full well the benefits of connectivity. In its 23-year history, this “not-so-large” Club (as members like to say) has seen the benefits that come from connecting with other organizations to work on projects in the local community. None of these partnerships, however, have been as successful as the relationship the Club has developed with the Town of Bridgewater, especially when it comes to food security for residents.
In 2017, the Bridgewater Rotarians were attempting to respond to a challenge by then R.I. President Ian Riseley to plant a tree for every Rotarian. However, none of the members knew much about selecting, planting or nurturing trees. Chris Sanford, the dynamic coordinator of the Bridgewater Community Gardens, found out about the Club’s plans and the rest, as they say, was history. The Community Gardens operate as a program of the Town of Bridgewater and was started in part to help address food availability and food security for town residents. An integral part of the policy is the Town’s “Foodscapes” or edible landscape program and Chris and her colleagues are always looking for new partners to help expand the number of food-producing trees and bushes. Accordingly, the Rotary Club’s interest in tree planting was a welcome new partner for the town.
Chris was quite happy to help guide the Club on which food-producing trees the Club should purchase and, as it turns out, peach trees are a good fit for the local climate and soil of Bridgewater. She then arranged for the purchase of the trees from a trusted nursery and cared for them at her own farm until it was time for planting. When the time was right, the Rotarians, with help from Chris and volunteers from the Community Gardens, planted the trees at two sites in the Town.
Happily, all the trees have done well and have started to produce fruit.
Not surprisingly, the success of this cooperative effort prompted the Club to examine other new projects it could do with the Town and the Community Gardens and it didn’t take long to find one. This time it was a shed for gardeners who use a ¾ acre plot of land in the centre of the town called the Hodge Podge Garden. The town set aside this land to give residents a place to grow their own food or to donate their crops to the local food bank. Working with Chris and her Town colleagues once again, the Club came up with a design with a price tag of $4,800 for the project. The Club raised half the cost of the materials through its annual golf tournament and funded the other half through their successful application for a grant from District 7820.
With the awarding of the district grant, everything fell into place and work began in the fall of 2018. And once again, connectivity came into play. Chris arranged for the Town to use its equipment to prepare and landscape the site. Still another connection was made when a local construction company, Tilia Builders, found out about the project and generously donated their skilled labour to the project. In their spare time, the “pros” worked alongside Rotarians and garden volunteers to quickly finish the project in time for the start of the spring growing season.
The new shed is now a marvelous new addition to the downtown area of Bridgewater. Not only does it offer space for storing gardening equipment, but also for seed, fertilizers and produce for distribution. It’s also used as a venue for educational programs for gardeners. Now the Club will be working with Chris to find yet another new project. As with the fruit trees and the shed, this future project is sure to be another example of how making new connections certainly does create lasting benefits, especially in a small town like Bridgewater.
Just ask the members of this vibrant “not-so-large” club!
The Rotary Club of Lunenburg was honoured to be selected as Volunteer of the Year by the Lunenburg Board of Trade at their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, November 18. The award was presented to President Rebecca Crouse and Past President Donald Gray by Tim Lekhi, President of the Board of Trade and her Honour Mayor Rachel Bailey.
The club is deeply appreciative of the award as it was an affirmation of the work we do in the community and internationally to improve people’s quality of life. President Crouse outlined the five avenues of service that Rotary performs in the Club, vocationally, community -wide, internationally, and with the youth. Rotary projects promote the opportunity for all children to fully access the benefits our community has to offer.
Past President Gray highlighted our new project – Municipality f the District of Lunenburg ProKids program - our support of Bluenose Academy, Bayview Community School and Forest Heights Community School and the Dictionary Project done in conjunction with the Bridgewater Club. This program personally delivers dictionaries to every Grade Three student in Lunenburg and Queen’s Counties. The dictionary/gazetteer is designed to support learning at this critical stage of development.
Our club is especially grateful for the great community support that has allowed us to present a very successful concert series over the last 18 months, featuring Men of the Deeps, Ashley MacIsaac, and the Northern Pikes. These concerts allowed us to raise funds to continue to expand our community work. President Lekhi highlighted our work with Harbour View Haven, the Folk Art Festival, Meals on Wheels, Health Services Foundation of the South Shore, The Santa Claus Parade and our Yuletide efforts during Christmas.
On the first Saturday of every month from October through May we also run the Rotary Flea Market at the Lunenburg Community Centre. Our Rotary Club meets weekly on Wednesdays at noon in the LBOT building on Blockhouse Hill. The last weekend of every month is an evening Pot Luck Social
Rotary Club of Lunenburg named Volunteer of the Year
Posted by Lcda. Auristher Pinto de Camacaro on Dec 01, 2019
The Rotary Club of Westville (District 7820) received a heartfelt thank you from the Rotary Club of Santiago de los Caballeros in the city of Merida, Venezuela (District 4380). The thank you was one of the most encouraging and heartwarming accounts of how our donation to the folks of Venezuela was used. The members of the Rotary Club of Westville made a difference with minimal funds yet they made a huge difference to people in need in Venezuela.
Approximately a year ago news came out of Venezuela of the hardship of millions of people, especially children and those in need of hospital care and medicines, both of which are in scarce supply. As luck would have it, our District 7820 Governor Rob Christie of the Pictou Rotary Club had spent time in Venezuela over many years and speaks Spanish fluently, and so was able to converse directly with District Governor Alberto of the Rotary Club of Santiago, De Los Caballeros when he took our donation to the annual Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany in June, and passed it on to District Governor Alberto.
In the words of the Thank You received from Alberto, “We would like to deeply thank you for the generous donation the Rotary Club of Westville gave us at the Hamburg Convention that we received from the hands of our friend Rob Christie PDG 7820. With the donation we were able to cover the cost of transportation, refreshments and some medical supplies for specialized medical assistance (Neurology, Gynecology, Pediatrics, Cardiology, General Medicine) to more than 700 patients from the population of Canagua, about 260km distant from the city of Merida. Thanks to this kind contribution we were able to transport 22 doctors, 6 Rotarians and 3 Rotaracters who worked hard to fulfill the objective set of providing medical assistance. We hope that in the future we will strengthen our Rotary relations of friendship and we can work together on other initiatives.
The needs are mind numbing yet we have proof that our efforts made a difference. The Rotary Club of Westville is starting an initiative to have other Rotary Clubs support the effort to help Venezuela. Small donations in our eyes are reaping big rewards in Venezuela. Many, many people are being helped. Won't you step up and help our fellow human beings and friends in Venezuela. Together we can make a huge difference in peoples’s lives.
Sincerely, Lcda. Auristher Pinto de Camacaro President Rotary Santiago de los Caballeros
It is not every day the Rotary Club Halifax North West receives a visit from two of our District Leaders. Barbara Pate, our visiting speaker on behalf of Louisa Horne, District Leader, and Stella Roy, Foundation Leader.
Barbara commended us on the growth of our Club and outlined the vision for our District, which we are at Halifax North West, very excited about.
We were all taken by surprise when Stella Roy, announced the purpose for her visit. Our Club had been recognized by per capita Annual fund giving to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International 2018-2019. A certificate was given to Rotary Club of Halifax North West in "appreciation of its financial support of end Polio Now: Countdown to History Campaign. Together we will fulfill our promise to the children of the world and eradicate polio." Our Club members are honoured to receive such recognition.
I am also excited to share some additional news regarding our new fundraising initiative. Our Club in partnership with Freemans Little New York Pizza, started a "Chase the Ace" in the Fairview Clayton Park area. Every Thursday evening between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm we can be found at 3671 Dutch Village Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
On November 7th, the Gander Rotary Club hosted its 18th annual dinner and auction. The event was fantastically entertaining and very well attended. Funds raised from the nights event went to the Central Northeast Health Foundation’s purchase of KangooFix systems for ambulatory care in the Central Newfoundland Region.
Aimed at improving care for mothers and babies, the KangooFix Neonatal Restraint System was developed to safely and effectively cradle and secure a newborn during ambulance transportation, allowing the baby to travel with their parent. The club is proud to be a part of the purchase of improved equipment for mothers and babies in our health region.
The evening started with a silent auction and delicious dinner at the Quality Inn and Suites in Gander. Guests were also entertained by an enjoyable toast to Dr. Robert Russell, an orthopedic surgeon at James Paton Memorial Regional Health Centre. Dr Russell is a long-time supporter of the Gander Rotary annual dinner and auction. His enthusiasm and contribution to this year’s event has been greatly appreciated by the club.
It was a real privilege to bring this column to the readers of the Cape Breton Post for the first time. We are truly grateful to the Post for giving us the time and space to share our stories.
Let’s begin with an introduction. I’m a member of the Sydney-Sunrise Rotary Club, their new Public Relations Chair. We are a community service organization. Members of the club are your friends and neighbours. Our motto is “service above self”, and we look for ways to build a better community both here at home, and across the globe.
You may know us best as the sponsor of the immensely popular Rotary shows of the past. These shows were epic—matched only the by the talent that was showcased within them. Well known broadcaster Ann Terry MacLellan would set the stage for the night, and the magic of the evening would begin. Today you may know us best as the people who bring you the event of the summer—the Rotary Ribfest.
We want you to get to know us better. Through this column, we’ll keep you informed about the events and the activities of the Club. We want to let you know why we exist, how you can get involved and where the funds raised by Rotary are directed.
We are one of four clubs in CBRM. There is a club in North Sydney, New Waterford, and an additional club in Sydney. We are the early risers, and meet each Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. at Boston Pizza. We always welcome new members, so please come and check us out. We are pretty lively even at that hour (and there’s lots of coffee available!) We regularly have presentations from interesting and informative speakers that help us understand what’s happening in our community. For instance, we recently heard from the Executive Directors of Celtic Colours and the Cape Breton Partnership.
We have a number of regular activities that keep us busy in our community. We pay regular visits to the New Dawn Guest Home, pay for and serve meals at Loaves and Fishes, provide funds to the Cape Breton Regional Library and the Boys and Girls Club in Whitney Pier to name just a few.
We also take the time to have fun, with a number of regular social activities planned each month.
There are a number of other worthwhile organizations that we are able to assist because of the support we receive through Ribfest and a fundraiser we have embarked upon called “play your number lotto”. The funds raised through these projects have allowed us to give back to organizations like Under One Umbrella, Every Women’s Centre, local food banks, and Meals on Wheels.
We are also connected to the Glace Bay High School as a sponsor of the Interact organization, and the University of Cape Breton through Rotaract. These initiatives are all about developing the next generation of leaders. The young people that are a part of these groups carry on the Rotary tradition by raising funds for a number of worthy and deserving organizations. We’ll be bringing you more information about these amazing individuals in the future.
As Rotarians, we have the benefit of an international organization behind us. This allows us to work with other clubs around the globe, leverage the funds we raise, and have a real impact on things like immunizing children with the polio vaccine. In fact, the eradication of polio is one of the priorities of Rotary International. In the past 30 years, Rotary has helped to immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. More about that later.
There are also lots of opportunities to take on leadership roles, both within the club and on the international stage. While our Club is relatively new, (founded in 1996) one of our members served as the area’s District-Governor, the late David Muise. As the District Governor, this individual meets with and promotes the efforts of the 46 clubs in our area. In 2020, club member Ian Doyle will take on the role of District-Governor. Ian and his wife Anne are already seasoned travellers, as they have led numerous missions bringing much needed dental services and medical supplies to communities around the globe.
In 2020, we will be celebrating 100 years of Rotary in this area. We are pretty proud of our track record, and look forward to another 100 years. Till next time.
Michele McKinnon has happily returned home to Sydney to retire. She is the Chair of the Sydney-Sunrise Club’s Public Relations Committee and is a proud Cape Breton Rotarian.
In November, the first provincial Vital Signs community checkup was launched in PEI, in partnership with Rotary Clubs of PEI – the first time a partnership of its type has happened in Canada. Implemented by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, Vital Signs measures the vitality of communities and identifies significant trends in a range of areas critical to quality of life.
What does Vital Signs offer Rotary? Vital Signs provides considerable information about trends across the province that allows us to make better informed decisions about projects we consider and to enhance the impact we can have. In addition, we generally do the same things to share our stories and attract new members every year… and our membership has been declining. We must try some new things if we are to grow and thrive – collaboration and leverage from linkage with other organizations presents a good opportunity. We can increase our reach and leverage connections while building awareness of the good work we do.
Specifically, we played a major role in the launch event and facilitated discussions at follow-up information sessions in four locations across PEI where numerous non-Rotarians were exposed to Rotary. The Rotary wheel is on the front and back covers of over 30,000 printed copies of the report and the online version. See www.cfpei.ca
What did we learn? Top priorities across PEI include health and well-being, people & work, housing, the environment, belonging and leadership, poverty and more. We heard from the follow-up sessions that many people have interest in addressing these priorities and that building community and civic engagement are of prime importance. Hopefully discussion will continue about how Rotary can play a role in the next steps, and the relationship will have an impact on communities and our service to them.
Discussions are also underway in Nova Scotia about a relationship with Engage Nova Scotia and their recent well-being study across the province. Stay tuned! In the meantime, do you have suggestions of other organizations that we could explore for potential partnerships?
A Rotary First! A partnership with the PEI Community Foundation
A quick and easy way to measure the needles that you club wants/needs to move!
Here is a short list of discussion questions you might ask your members in order to find out what is working, what is not working, what you want to keep, and what you want to stop. Then the club executive can use the feedback for planning and goal setting!
Our club members reflect our community’s diversity in gender, age, education, profession, ethnicity, and more.
Our meetings, social events, and projects are thoughtfully planned, well attended, and fun.
We review and follow up with the membership candidates that our district assigns to our club.
We try new things to create a club experience that works for current and potential members.
We offer members the chance to improve their professional and leadership skills.
We regularly ask for feedback from members so we can change what isn’t working.
We have a strategic plan with priorities that we review annually.
Alumni of Rotary programs are often an untapped resource for clubs and districts. These individuals have experienced the giving power of Rotary, and what the organization can accomplish here and around the world, however, we don’t call on them to share their time, knowledge and experiences as much as we could.
How many Interactors, Rotaractors, Rotary Youth Exchange Students, New Generations Exchange students, RYLA students, Rotary Peace Fellows and Rotary Scholars has your club sponsored? How many are you in contact with? Alumni do not have to be members of your club in order for you to gain from their experience – keeping the connection is what counts.
Research on Alumni engagement shows there are four stages Alumni go through after participating in programming by an organization or institution:
1) Affiliation. Anyone who has completed a Rotary program is affiliated simply by being a part of the programs.
2) Affinity. Alumni should be “in the loop” about your club’s activities, passions and projects so that they can engage if they wish to. Invitations to events, asks to volunteer, present or engage should be sent to all Alumni. They may engage, they may not, but communication keeps the options open, which gives Alumni the opportunity to progress to the next stage.
3) Engagement! This is where the relationship becomes a partnership, and Alumni begin to take up opportunities to volunteer, present, mentor and engage with the club. This may also be the time where the Alumni decide to become Rotarians.
4) Support. The Alumni support the Club, District and Rotary International by donating time, money or expertise. They might organize a RYLA, be a Club Interact liaison, host an exchange student, or mentor a Rotary Scholar alongside other smaller volunteer activities that began during the engagement stage.
It can be easy to sponsor Rotary Programs, celebrate the results, and then move on, but we are missing so many opportunities each year to gain new members, learn from their experiences, and improve our services and projects. Even if your Alumni have moved away, informing them of your activities helps the organization as a whole. Perhaps their affinity with your club drives them to reach out to a club in their area, and help with projects wherever they find themselves. Rotary can benefit from these relationships internationally.
We are working, at the district level, to help clubs reengage with their Alumni. Social Media groups are in the works, a template to reach out to Alumni is being developed, and the Rotary International Alumni list is on hand.
If you have any questions, we will be glad to help you!
Your Membership Committee is ready, set, and go; to have conversations with you about membership issues. Contact us if you want to talk about: ways to attract new talent, the selection and onboarding of new members, engaging members, and surveying members to gauge their satisfaction.
District Membership Chair Gail Gosse gailgossse7@gmail.com
This guide includes information about how passport clubs works, the benefits it offers, and how clubs can get started. It also includes different models structures, a template that can be used when connecting with local businesses and organizations about this opportunity, and sample bylaws.
This online toolkit can help clubs connect with Young Professionals by first understanding them. Topics included are characteristics of your audience, your club’s culture, ideas for outreach and engagement, and the long-term benefits of becoming a Rotarian.
Understand the current State of Rotary’s Membership: how we got here, who is joining, who is leaving — and the opportunities that exist to strengthen membership.
This web page offers ways clubs can implement the new flexible options Council decisions granted them. Includes links to frequently asked questions, governance documents, and start guides for alternative membership types, and flexible meeting formats.
Show this presentation at prospective member or other events to introduce Rotary to the public. It covers Rotary’s values, history, and the benefits of membership.
Welcome new members to your club with pre-packaged Rotary essentials: Connect for Good brochure, What's Rotary? card, RI/TRF Annual Report, and Proud Member window cling.
*Hard copies are available through shop.rotary.org until March 2020 [SKU:426]
Thanks to all the participants in the recent cycle of Grant Qualification Opportunities for 2020-21. This year, the in person and GoToMeeting training has been revised to accommodate great courses in the My Rotary Learning Centre: Rotary Foundation Basics for all participants, and the addition of the Grant Management Seminar for Clubs with an interest in Global Grants. There are still some in person Grant Qualification Sessions coming, and two GoToMeeting opportunities: Tuesday, December 3 at 7:00pm AST and Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00pm AST.
Please contact Stella Roy, Jillian Gibson (jillian.gibson@outlook.com) or Brian Smith (smithrsx@yahoo.ca) if you want to take part in either GoToMeeting session – whether you want to apply this year or just learn more about District Grant and Global Grant opportunities through the Rotary Foundation, and effective project development, delivery and management.
Grant Training - Improve Funding and Impact for Service Projects with District and Global Grants
Every month is dedicated to one of the major themes of Rotary - this month it is one which Rotary is perhaps best known for, at least among non-Rotarians.
The eradication of polio has been Rotary International's major worldwide effort since the early 1980’s. And remarkable progress has been made – but we are not finished yet.
Disease prevention and treatment is one of the Rotary Foundation Areas of Focus (trivia question – what are the other areas of focus?). And for good reason. The health and vitality of a person, a family and a community can be seriously impaired by what in many cases is a preventable disease. Disease prevention is really a keystone to progress in other areas as well because of the interplay with other areas of focus like clean water and saving mothers and children.
Disease results in misery, pain, and poverty for millions of people worldwide. That’s why treating and preventing disease is so important to Rotarians. We lead efforts both large and small. We set up temporary clinics, blood donation centres, and training facilities in underserved communities struggling with outbreaks and health care access. We design and build infrastructure that allows doctors, patients, and governments to work together.
Rotarians combat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, in addition to polio. Prevention is important, which is why Rotary also focuses on health education and bringing people routine hearing, vision, and dental care.
The challenge:
Infectious diseases are the leading killers of people living in poverty. (Harvard Medical School)
Sub‐Saharan Africa has 24% of the global disease burden but only 3% of the world’s health care workers and 1% of global health financial resources. (WHO)
Nearly all of the 14 million to 17 million children and adults who die each year from an infectious disease live in developing countries. (Global Health Council)
Malaria causes nearly a million deaths each year, the vast majority among children under five. (WHO)
Africa has 11% of the world’s population but an estimated 60% of people with HIV/AIDS. (WHO)
What can you do?
Devote a program to exploring projects related to disease prevention and treatment
See what Rotarians are doing in Disease Prevention and Treatment
Learn more about our efforts to End Polio.
Check out the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG).
Connect with our District’s International Service Chair and Foundation Chair to learn about projects that are happening in our district.
December is Disease Prevention and Treatment Month
The Rotary Clubs of Sackville, Exploits and Bridgewater all submitted wonderful accounts of the adventures of their puppies to the Public Image Contest. They also had great ideas about investing in new banners and parade floats and we are awarding them each $400 toward their efforts. Congratulations! But wait, there’s a catch! We need more photos of what you acquire… with your puppy again!
The next deadline is April 30th – don’t miss it! Take your puppy on a tour of all your projects and take photos as you go – don’t forget about symbols of your international projects and your social events. Puppies love social gatherings! And remember – the puppies are a tool to help you tell your stories – try it! And when you post images, encourage others to share them – and share what you see on Facebook too.
COULD INCLUDE ONE OR MORE OF THE SUBMISSION PHOTOS
Calling All Rotarians who have Creative Landscape/Garden Talent ... A Contest just for you! Being Green and Enhancing Rotary’s Public Image all at the same time!
The Challenge: Design a street planter that is beautiful and that builds awareness of Rotary to anyone who admires it!
Your district has asked for input from you about adding goals to our strategic plan related to the environment. That request is in another article in this newsletter. In the meantime, let's try a fun project to bring some green to our streets -- a "Rotarized Planter Design Contest" – an RPDC!!
Criteria for your design:
Easy to build and affordable wooden planter box
Durable - no lattice or little bits sticking up that could easily break off etc.
Suitable for a municipal street
Deep enough for herbs and edibles to grow in it
Possibly with two levels
Simple yet stunningly attractive
Incredibly creative “Rotarizing” to make it clear where the planter came from!
Submit a copy of your drawn design to rotarylouisa@gmail.com by 31 December 2019 – along with a statement about what your club would do with $200 to apply to a Public Image initiative. The submission could be a hand drawing or a computer based drawing – or some other format – as long as the dimensions and design features are clear enough for a prototype to be built.
- The RPDC winner's club will receive a PI award of $200 to apply to a PI initiative.
- A prototype will be built and final plans shared with all clubs that may want to build a planter of edibles for their community.
- Photo shows a “boring” one as an example of what we are NOT looking for ....but it may inspire creativity and some awesomely amazingly Rotarizing!
On October 12th, the Rotary Club of Dartmouth committed $25,000 to Dartmouth General Hospital Redevelopment. President Don Penwell, Donna Upham, Reid Harrison and Robert Earle are pictured presenting the cheque to Steve Harding, and Jenna Joyce of the General Hospital Foundation.
The Dartmouth General Hospital Redevelopment consists of major facilities renovations and expansion, and the addition of new equipment and technology. Our Club is particularly delighted with the addition of the new three-story building named after Neville Gilfoy, a prominent member of our Club who pasted away in 2016.
The Neville J. Gilfoy Wing, has been added on the back of the hospital and will house:
Eight new operating rooms with two designed specifically for orthopedics
An Ambulatory Care and Endoscopy Centre with eighteen new clinic room
A new Medical Device Reprocessing area
Overall Dartmouth General Hospital Redevelopment will result in:
Better integration of Surgical Services across the HRM
Concentration of Orthopedic Surgery - majority of primary joint replacement surgeries for patients from all over HRM are to be done at DGH
Shorter waitlists and reduced wait times for orthopedic and endoscopic procedures
Redeveloping existing space to increase our capacity
Improved patient flow to enhance patient privacy
Increased patient comfort and improved aesthetic
The Rotary Club of Dartmouth is proud to be involved in the worthwhile community project.
We are thrilled to announce that we have a successful applicant for the 2020 Rotary Peace Fellowship program. This prestigious professional development award is given to only 50 people around the world – and our very own Nora Didkowsky from Hants County is one of them!
Nora will be studying at the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand from January to April 2020. This professional development certificate program allows experienced leaders gain practical tools for promoting peace and international development during an intensive, 3- month program, which includes 3 weeks of field study and peer learning opportunities with a diverse group.
Nora’s entire career, education and volunteer activities make her the perfect candidate for this program. Having completed her PhD and working through two post-docs working with Rohingya refugee children in India, this interactive program will strengthen the impact of her work as a peace and development professional.
What is she most looking forward to? “Beyond the Fellowship’s core teachings, a significant opportunity is the potential to expand the reach and impact of my work through shared learning with a global community of peace-builders. These connections have the potential to magnify the power of our independent and collective work. As conflicts around the world are simultaneously multiplying and intensifying, and we face the highest levels of displacement ever recorded, there is an unprecedented need to coordinate unified and timely solutions that connect diverse worldviews, bodies of knowledge, and approaches.”
This is yet another example of the power of Rotary! We wish Nora all the best in her studies and look forward to hearing the stories of her experience.
Trivia question - where are the universities at which Rotary Peace Scholars can study around the world?
A number of years ago they were faced with decling membership and were struggling as a club. Just as Phoenix rose from the ashes, the Rotary Club of Yarmouth met their challenges head on to become the great club they are today! Over this past year, as your District Governor, I recognized the incredibly significant contributions the club made to their local community as well as international projects.
In recognition of their many accomplishments, I had the pleasure of presenting the District 7820, "Club of the Year" award for 2018 - 2019 to club president, Linda Deveau and club members at their recent meeting.
CONGRATULATIONS to each and every member of the club for their dedication and hard work!
Your Board and team of Area Governors met in late October for 1.5 days to learn more about intercultural integration and to review priorities. We were enlightened by a trainer from the Immigrant Settlement Association of NS who offered a wonderful workshop that left us all with new insights.
As always, we also reviewed our strategic plan and made an addition – you may know that RI recently reviewed the areas of focus and changed the names of a few of them.
They also considered whether to make the environment a new area of focus and instead, decided to integrate issues related to the environment in all existing areas. Great idea!
Your Board decided that we should also include a focus on environment in our district strategic plan. Some clubs already have initiatives related to climate change and environment – such as planting trees or making personal commitments related to reducing and recycling.
So now the question is, what should we as a district do? Are there initiatives that we can help with? We’d like to hear from you about what you’d like your district to do with respect to environment. We don’t do district wide projects as efforts should come from clubs – but we can support and encourage action – what would you like to see? We want to hear from you.
Please send Louisa your thoughts and suggestions about this important topic – rotarylouisa@gmail.com
Trivia question – what are the new names of the areas of focus and what is now being integrated into them all?
Why do people join Rotary? What makes them stay in their clubs, and what makes them leave?
Rotary conducts the Membership Experience Feedback Survey every year to better understand the needs, interests, and engagement of our members. The most recent survey offers insights on prospective, current, and former members.
The Rotary Club of Truro is proud to support a new Rotaract Club at Dalhousie University, Agricultural Campus.
The Rotaract club launched this September and includes over 21 members. Members participated in Truro Rotary Club’s Bollywood event, and the president performed a bollywood dance.
The members have been volunteering weekly at the local food bank, filling bags and serving clients. On World Polio Day the club launched the Purple Pinkie campaign, selling cupcakes and stamping pinkies on a poster that will be displayed on campus. The campaign will continue to run at the campus pub, serving purple drinks fundraising for polio.
Club members will be participating in a leadership conference hosted by Dalhousie University. The Rotaract Club is planning on supporting the Christmas Index Program operated through Truro Rotary Club
Did you know that when Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris, died in 1947, the Rotary Foundation established a memorial fund in his name: “The Paul Harris Foundation Fellowships for advanced study”. Right from the beginning, the Rotary Foundation has had an emphasis on education. We are so pleased that our district currently has two Rotary Foundation scholars: a Global Grant Scholar studying multiple sclerosis at Memorial University in Newfoundland and now, a Rotary Peace Fellow about to embark on a journey to Thailand. District 7820 is continuing the Foundation’s tradition of supporting education to improve global health and well-being.
Trivia question. What was the amount of the first donation from the Rotary Foundation and what did it support?
In September, Rotary Club of Sackville and Area did their semi annual Adopt - A - Highway initiative from Exit 1K to Fultz House in Lower Sackville.
Thirteen members and friends of Rotary took on the clean up of all the garbage nesting on the sides of the road. Our Club has been a proud participant in the Adopt-A-Highway program for many years now. Twenty bags of garbage plus other various items were cleared from view and sent to their proper disposal sites.
This regular activity makes for a cleaner, environmentally friendlier community. Thank you and congratulations to all. Keep up the great work.
Rotary Club of Sackville and Area - Adopt a Highway
It’s been three years since health officials last reported a case of polio caused by the wild poliovirus in Nigeria. The milestone, reached on 21 August, means that it’s possible for the entire World Health Organization (WHO) African region to be certified wild poliovirus-free next year.
Nigeria’s success is the result of several sustained efforts, including domestic and international financing, the commitment of thousands of health workers, and strategies to immunize children who previously couldn’t be reached because of a lack of security in the country’s northern states.
“Rotary, its Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners, and the Nigerian government have strengthened immunization and disease detection systems,” says Michael K. McGovern, chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee. He adds: “We are now reaching more children than ever in some of the hardest-to-reach places in Nigeria.”
McGovern says Rotary members in Nigeria play an important role in ridding the country of the disease. “Rotarians have been hard at work raising awareness for polio eradication, advocating with the government, and addressing other basic health needs to complement polio eradication efforts, like providing clean water to vulnerable communities.”
Nigeria is the last country in Africa where polio is endemic. Once Africa is certified as free of the wild poliovirus, five of the WHO’s six regions will be free of wild polio. Polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which means transmission of the virus has never been stopped.
Dr. Tunji Funsho, chair of Rotary’s Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee, acknowledges the milestone but cautions Rotary members about celebrating too soon. He cites the challenge of making certain that routine immunizations reach every child in Nigeria.
“It’s paramount that we ensure all doors are locked to the re-entry of the wild poliovirus into our country,” says Funsho.
Funsho says to achieve this, Rotary needs to maintain strong advocacy efforts, continue to increase awareness of immunization campaigns, and ensure members raise necessary funds. Rotary has contributed $268 million to fight polio in Nigeria.
“As the first organization to dream of a polio-free world, Rotary is committed to fulfilling our promise,” says McGovern. “Our progress in Nigeria is a big step toward that goal, but we need to maintain momentum so that Pakistan and Afghanistan see the same level of progress.”
We started a quiz with the July newsletter, this issue has three more questions – and one might involve a little sleuthing. Send your answers to rotarylouisa@gmail.com by November 15th when a draw of correct submissions will take place for another awesome prize!
The Public Image team is looking for a Rotarian to join the team as an EDITOR for the monthly newsletter! This role would include collecting and editing articles for the monthly newsletter.
Please contact Kristina at kristina.ennis@gmail.com if you have a few hours a month to dedicate to editing articles for our monthly newsletter
The Public Image team is looking for a Rotarian to join the team as an EDITOR for the monthly newsletter! This role would include collecting and editing articles for the monthly newsletter.
Please contact Kristina at kristina.ennis@gmail.com if you have a few hours a month to dedicate to editing articles for our monthly newsletter
Do you know that Africa is the youngest continent and is Rotary’s biggest opportunity to invest in Youth? Youth populations are growing quickly in Sub-Saharan Africa, with its youth population expected to expand from 1/5 of global youth today to 1/3 at mid-century and 1/2 by 2100. Despite being the home to so many of the world’s youth, Africa is significantly underrepresented in Rotary Youth Exchange. (Youth exchanges from Africa skew to South Africa and Namibia.)
To address this, EEMA – the Rotary Youth Exchange association for Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa – is promoting an initiative called The Power of One. The goal is to provide additional support to African districts which are certified for Outbound-Only exchanges. For example, districts covering Algeria-Morocco-Tunisia, Nigeria, Tanzania-Uganda, Ethiopia-Kenya and Comoros-Djibouti-Madagascar-Mauritius-Seychelles.
We are seeking a Rotarian champion for this initiative within D7820. The critical first step to this project would be government relations – i.e. getting local schools, provincial education departments and/or Global Affairs Canada onside. (We need the international student high school tuition fee waived.) If the challenge and opportunity of enabling African youth to go on a Rotary Youth Exchange appeals to you, please contact RotaryD7820-Youth@outlook.com for more information.
Rotary has designated themes for each month to help clubs think about a range of ideas to develop meeting agendas, projects, or public image campaigns.
For October, our theme is Economic and Community Development – and the month also includes the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on the 17th and World Polio Day on the 24th of October. What are you going to do to acknowledge these days? A speaker? A relevant TED talk? Maybe a field trip? Here are some other ideas about how to celebrate the theme… your club could consider projects such as to:
Develop a Micro Credit project – or establish a club Kiva account to support micro businesses
Organise an awareness seminar on self-employment at a post-secondary or community organization
Organise a trade exhibitions
Organise a networking event for new Canadian entrepreneurs
Participate in an entrepreneurship development program
Organise a consumer forum, or public meeting on a topic relevant to your community
Hold a joint meeting with your Chamber of Commerce
October theme: Economic and Community Development + World Polio Day
The Big D7810 Plant – Oct 24 2019 District 7810 Pamela Harrison, polio champion, visited Amsterdam Tulip festival last year and saw the largest flower garden in the world of 87 Acres. She asked her clubs “Have you every wondered what 10,000 tulips looks like? “Veseys seeds in Charlottetown, PE featured the “Rotary Tulip” in their catalogue and are donating a percentage to the ENDPOLIO NOW campaign for each package sold. Thank you Veseys Seeds.
Clubs in D7810 under Pam’s guidance have ordered 10,000 Bulbs. On Oct 24 they will go out and plant their bulbs so next spring there will be 10,000 Rotary tulips in New Brunswick and Maine. Pam says “Our target from year one with clubs is $4,500.00 CAD. Maybe next year we can double that and have fun sharing our story of over 10,000 tulips.”
At a distribution event in Port Elgin Rotary Club, New Brunswick with John Barrett from Veseys seed and DG Noel she said - “Port Elgin may be one of our smallest club but they are mighty and ordered 16 boxes. As well they are very keen and do great things in their community. THANK YOU to everyone for ordering tulips. 10,000 tulips will be planted in District 7810 this Oct. 24th and in the April 2020, 10,000 beautiful tulip blossoms will appear. It is a visible sign of hope that we can keep the promise we made to the children of the world, over 30 yrs ago. “ to ensure that no child ever has to suffer the paralyzingly effects of polio”. We must remain optimistic about the future and continue raising funds and awareness to stop this disease.
Pints for polio D7820
On Thursday, October 24th, 2019 our Rotary Club of St. John's East, Newfoundland, will be hosting our third annual "Pints for Polio" at Quidi Vidi Brewery. Tickets are $20 for what is sure to be a great social "funraiser" to help End Polio Now. Last year we raised approximately $6,000.00 and certainly hope that we will meet or exceed that amount again this year. We've registered our event, and are promoting it on social media. Club members will be on hand serving homemade chili (including moose, vegetarian and gluten free options), with proceeds also going to support the cause. With live music and prize giveaways throughout the evening, we hope to combine an October social with getting the message out about RI's important work to help End Polio Now.
Chantelle Newhook from the clubs says Keys to success have been:
keeping ticket prices low for a casual, fun event at an appropriately sized (not too big) free venue
RCSJE members make a variety of chilies which we sell at the event;
good, live music
folks love craft beer
door prizes, 50:50 draws and the brewery donated a few cents per sale to Polio
advance ticket sales
Start at 5.30 so people can come on their way home from work.
My Big Fab Rotary Dinner
John Gilvesy D7080 organised a district wide rotary Dinner. He asked each member of every club to invite non Rotarians over for dinner and ask the for a donation of $30. People could enjoy friendship and a lovely meal and raise money for polio
They had an ambitious goal and raised almost 110,000 for polio.
24 October is World Polio Day!
Not sure what to do for World Polio Day? Here are a few ideas:
Host a gathering for friends and club members to watch the Online Global Update.
Organize a fundraiser and invite guests to experience what it’s like to vaccinate children by viewing Rotary’s virtual reality film, “Two Drops of Patience.” (Download Rotary’s VR app to your Apple or Android device.)
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the importance of ending polio. Send it to the letters or opinion page editor for consideration.
Share information about Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
The toolkit’s resources can help you every step of the way planning resources to help you organize your club’s event.
There's no feeling quite like the one that comes with the experience of putting those two drops under a child's tongue. Knowing that those two drops have now taken the risk of a life with Polio out of the cards for their future. The look on their mother or father's face knowing that their child is protected. The youngest children are in ignorance of the significance, and are just pleased to receive their treat at the end, but many are old enough to know someone affected by the disease, and know how important these efforts are.
I've been in communities - walking through alleyways with parents holding their 1 day old babies looking for a vaccine - those drops being the priority of the day. I've been in schools where children are chanting "Bye Bye Polio" as we make our way through the crowd. I've been in hospitals, clinics and rehab facilities spending time with those whose creation of the vaccine came just a few years too late.
No matter if you're donating a few dollars for a handful of vaccines or flying across the world to deliver them - every effort, every dime, every action toward the end goal saves countless lives. No matter how small it seems, a life is forever changed; and we're this close to making it a change to the human race.
Musa Muhammed Ali, a farmer in Borno state, Nigeria, has had to deal with the many ways polio has affected his life. For instance, he used to have to pay for transportation when he needed to buy feed for his animals. But after receiving a hand-operated tricycle funded through Rotary’s PolioPlus grants, Ali (pictured above) can now spend that money on other necessities. His life was changed by the “plus” in PolioPlus.
When we talk about PolioPlus, we know we are eradicating polio, but do we realize how many added benefits the program brings? The “plus” is something else that is provided as a part of the polio eradication campaign. It might be a hand-operated tricycle or access to water. It might be additional medical treatment, bed nets, or soap. A 2010 study estimates that vitamin A drops given to children at the same time as the polio vaccine have prevented 1.25 million deaths by decreasing susceptibility to infectious diseases.
In these pages, we take you to Nigeria, which could soon be declared free of wild poliovirus, to show you some of the many ways the polio eradication campaign is improving lives.
Your district has a variety of committees with dedicated volunteers who are People of Action, working to help your clubs thrive – these include Healthy Clubs/Membership, Foundation (with various sub-teams), Youth Services, Training/Leadership Development, and Public Image. We also have nine Area Governors who serve as the first line of support to help clubs access resources – and again, to help clubs thrive, and we have a Secretary and Treasurer (and Finance Committee) to keep us on track. These dedicated people all generally serve for three years.
We are always looking for interested people to serve on committees or to shadow current AGs. Are you one of these people? Let us know!
What about the role of District Governor (or, as it is called this year, the Chair of the District Leadership Team)? The Nominating Committee aims to have a pool of interested people – and it is ideal when they can select this leader from the current or recent team of other district leaders. It is very helpful to have had that experience and be familiar with how the district serves clubs. And, it is important to know that Rotary is changing so that the roles are easier for people who work full-time and/or have many other obligations to serve. For example, this year’s RI President, Mark Maloney, makes it very clear that it is no longer necessary to visit every club. There are many ways to help clubs thrive and with a great team, it is much easier to balance family, work and Rotary. We are seeing many young professionals take on these roles around the world, for example, the current DG for the Manhattan area just turned 30!
Our district also shares responsibilities among the DG stream, each of whom formally serves for four years on the Executive Committee – that is, first as the DG Nominee, then DG Elect, next as DG and finally as Immediate Past DG. The DGN has responsibility for Youth activities. The DGE has responsibility for overseeing updates to the Strategic Plan, Foundation activities and Training. This gives these people a great opportunity to learn about these important aspects of our work over two years of preparation. The IPDG has responsibility for Nominations, Membership and Alumni. This leaves Governance, Finance, Public Image and New Club Development for the serving DG – and this is much more manageable than having everything on one person’s plate – and it is better for the development of those who will serve in following years.
In the past, there has also been a concern about the personal financial obligation of serving as DG. This should no longer be an issue – it is quite possible to fill the role without the need for personal spending.
Then there are the fabulous learning opportunities – interacting with other leaders from across the world and participating in training offered by RI and the Zones are great benefits of these leadership roles… not to mention a bit of travel... and a whole lot of fun! And the personal development is valuable for all aspects of one’s life.
So what do you think? We’d love to hear from you if you are interested in any aspect of District leadership – even if you are just starting to think about possibilities! Please let Louisa know at rotarylouisa@gmail.com if you have want to chat about these great opportunities.
September 19-22, nineteen Rotary Youth Exchange students attended the joint Inbound Student Orientation for District 7820 and District 7810. Orientation was at beautiful Camp Tidnish, the Easter Seals camp owned and operated by the Rotary Club of Amherst.
We have exchange students with us this year from Europe, Asia, Oceania and South America - Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Spain; Taiwan; New Zealand; and Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil. We also have notable firsts and seconds this year:
We have our first inbound student attending a French-language school (Raquel, from Brazil, hosted by the Rotary Club of Charlottetown and attending Ecole Francois-Buote); and we have our second one-way exchange in two years (Mauro, from Venezuela, jointly hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Dartmouth and Dartmouth East).
Rotarians from Amherst, Halifax Harbourside, Kentville, New Minas Sunrise, and Moncton West & Riverview attended, as well as a Rotex (former exchange student) and our DG Louisa Horne. This weekend serves a very important purpose – getting the students prepared for their year here and enabling them to connect as a peer group. We could not have been hosted or supported any better than we were… Thanks very much to the Rotary Club of Amherst and the Rotarians there!
Rotary Youth Exchange Students District 7820 and District 7810
Our visitors from District 5110 in Oregon have returned home but with fabulous memories and rave reviews about their experience here in our district. They had been toured and hosted by Rotarians from Sackville, Halifax, Lunenburg, St Pierre, St John’s, Clarenville, Gander, Corner Brook and assisted in their travels by several others.
They have experienced our culture, our history, our food, had fun, saw lots of our country. They met lots of wonderful Rotarians, toured our projects and most especially appreciated our hospitality. Their comments include “the best exchange ever” and ‘we will have to try very hard to match this experience” “ Mooseburgers for dinner-really delicious”.
They are looking forward to hosting us next year. We are now accepting applications for the return exchange to Oregon in May 2020. Applications can be found in the Friendship Exchange section of our District webpage or contact RFE Chair Tom McCaughey at dgtom7820@gmail.com
As you are reading this the RFE team from District 9790 Australia is in their final week touring our district. They have been hosted by Rotarians in Truro, Charlottetown, and the Annapolis Valley so far - with trips through Luneburg and Halifax to go yet. More on them later.
We are currently in discussions with districts in Russia, South Africa, India and Manitoba for future exchanges. Stay tuned.
The Rotary Club of Charlottetown raises over $200,000 a year through one of its major fundraising initiatives. It takes 11 Rotarians (1100 volunteer hours!) to operate Rotary Radio Bingo every Tuesday night of the year. This successful fundraiser has been operating for 3 years. This fundraiser is responsible for funding many Club projects and donations to many Charitable and non-profit organizations across PEI. In addition to fundraising, opportunities are given to local businesses to sponsor the evening's activities and be promoted in our media products.
This is a relevant question for this month, with a theme that involves economic development. Why? Because the Four-Way Test, one of the world’s most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor when he was asked by creditors to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy – the Club Aluminum Products, a distributor of cookware and other household items.
Taylor believed that the company had a good product – but their competitors also had fine cookware with well-advertised brand names. The company had some fine people working for it – but so did their competition – and the competition was in better financial shape too! So, he felt that they had to develop something that their competitors would not have in equal amount and Taylor decided that it should be the character, dependability and service-mindedness of their personnel. He believed himself to be the only person in the company with 250 employees who had hope and he believed that a recovery plan had to start with changing the ethical climate of the company.
We started a quiz with the July newsletter – 3 questions were hidden in that issue and numerous people responded with the correct (and some not-so-correct!) answers.
This issue has three more questions – and one might involve a little sleuthing on the district Facebook site too! Send your answers to rotarylouisa@gmail.com by September 10th when a draw of correct submissions will take place for another allegedly awesome prize!
New Editors
We have new Newsletter Editors…Kristina Ennis from the Rotary Club of St. John ‘s East, and Kelly Hunt from the Rotary Club of St. John’s After Hours.
We also want to extend our sincere thank you to our editor from last year, Alana Hirtle. Alana took our newsletter to a new level and her talents are much appreciated.
Posted by Doug Logan and Louisa Horne on Aug 31, 2019
Rotary International released their official 2019-29 membership numbers on August 15 – these numbers are used for club invoices. We’ve had an opportunity to analyze these for our District and have a few important highlights to share...
Rotary International released their official 2019-29 membership numbers on August 15 – these numbers are used for club invoices. We’ve had an opportunity to analyze these for our District and have a few important highlights to share.
Rotarian and entrepreneur Krystina Johnson and her family recently took a return trip from Middleton, NS to Chilliwack BC – what an adventure! The fun part? The Johnson’s did so by spending just under $119 one way. With increasing focus on reducing our carbon foot print, there are many ways that we can conserve energy in our everyday lives. Read the full article to discover how Krystina and her family accomplished this great feat.
Posted by Katey Halliday, Rotaract Club of Adelaide City and the Rotary Club of Adelaide Light, South Australia, Australia on Aug 31, 2019
Rotary recently adopted a diversity, equity, and inclusion policy that sends a strong message that we embrace inclusivity. Rotary has clubs all over the world and reaches a broad range of people with our service projects. So we are already diverse, but a second ingredient, inclusion, is the key to unlocking and maintaining the full benefits of that diversity. How inclusive is your club?
Does your club support education, one of Rotary’s six areas of focus? There are many possibilities for projects surrounding supporting education that it can be difficult to choose. The first step in a local project would be to speak with a local school to determine how your club can make an impact. Looking for international opportunities? The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians to ensure that all people have sustainable access to basic education and literacy through a variety of means. Read the full article to get ideas and learn next steps for becoming involved in an initiative to support education!
Posted by Kristina Ennis and Louisa Horne on Aug 31, 2019
October 24th is World Polio Day! What is your club doing to support Rotary’s goal ending polio forever?
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for over 30 years, and our goal of ridding the earth of this disease is in sight. We started in 1979 with vaccinations for 6 million children in the Philippines. Today, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic.
There are many clubs in the district who hold events to support fundraising efforts and awareness to End Polio Now on or around World Polio Day. What is your club planning? Let us know! Looking for some ideas? Read the full article to get some more World Polio Day ideas…
The Rotary Club of Dartmouth has held an annual charity golf tournament for the past 6 years.
On average these events have raised between $10,000 and $15,000 for worthwhile charitable organizations in our community. Between 2014 and 2017 the proceeds went towards the commitment made by the six Rotary Clubs in Metro Halifax to help make the first hospice in Halifax a reality.
With that commitment fulfilled the 2018 tournament “Swing Fore the Kids” was in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Halifax’s breakfast program, which serves over 60,000 free breakfasts and snacks at local community schools. Again, this year “Swing Fore the Kids” will support the breakfast program and will be held on September 11th at the Chester Golf Club.
The Rotary Club of Waterford Valley had our most successful car show to date on July 27, 2019.
We had 80% member participation, and ten additional volunteers. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary had a new high end cruiser and officer on hand all day, and they were a star attraction for young and old. Our program supported the Canadian Mental Health Association, Community Food Sharing Association, the Vera Perlin's Button Shop (a program in St. John’s that creates meaningful employment for persons with developmental disabilities), Canadian Blood Services, Organ Donor program, and Diabetes for a Day. It was a real fun day for the family.
Our club will be holding a Business meeting September 18th to set a plan of action to revitalize the club and have the past history of the club put online. I can honestly say It has been a privilege to be part of this remarkable club.
Roll with Rotary – Waterford Valley’s Car Show Success!
The Public Image team is looking for a Rotarian to join the team as an EDITOR for the monthly newsletter! This role would include collecting and editing articles for the monthly newsletter.
Please contact Kristina at kristina.ennis@gmail.com if you have a few hours a month to dedicate to editing articles for our monthly newsletter.
Irresistible Opportunity – Join the Public Image Team!
Join the Rotary Club of Bridgewater and District for the 1st Annual Walk for Water at 9am on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, at the Woodland Gardens Pond at the Desbrisay Museum, Bridgewater.
The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the global water crisis and generate funds to support a project that will bring clean water to families in a developing country.
Participants will walk ½ mile, fill their buckets, and retrace their steps to symbolize the burden that millions of women and girls in developing countries bear every day as they collect dirty water for use in their homes.
Thanks to North Sydney, Sydney Sunrise, New Minas Sunrise, Halifax Northwest and Harbourside, Sackville, Kentville, Exploits, St. John’s and St. John’s East (and their partner Clubs) for the 2019-20 District Grant submissions. These were reviewed by Stella Roy, Miriam MacLeod, Fred Hayward and Brian Smith (District Grants Sub-Committee Chair), forwarded to Rotary International, and approved in July. Projects include local youth centre facilities and programs, youth education and experiences, upgrades to community facilities, helping the homeless and international community assessment and water supply.
One of the first projects out of the gate this year, organized by Halifax Northwest and partnering clubs in HRM, was a collaborative project with Outward Bound Canada and Phoenix Youth Services to send ten at risk youth on an six-day canoe expedition through the Kejimkujik and Tobeatic Wilderness areas from July 22-27.
By participating in the District Grant program, our Clubs are expanding the reach of their activities with up to $5,000 from RI, and they are taking advantage of the Rotary International Foundation contributions from District 7820 clubs and members. In total, the District Grant program will facilitate over $100,000 in worthwhile service projects in the District for 2019-20.
RI Foundation News: 2019-20 District Grants of $36,000 Approved by RI
The Atlantic Division of the Rotary Leadership Institute's (RLI) fall session will be held in Truro on October 26th 2019. All registration will be on our new website https://rliatlanticdiv.org. The new registration process is faster and simpler to negotiate. In addition to material about RLI, you'll find a list of all the upcoming RLI sessions out to 2022.
Check out the website for details on RLI and plan to join us or make sure someone from your club attends RLI in Truro in October. It's an investment in membership. Research shows that there is more than a 50% improvement in retention rate for Rotarians who have attended RLI compared to those who have not. Contact us as rli.atlantic.division@gmail.com if you have questions about the Rotary Learning program.
The Atlantic Division of the Rotary Leadership Institute's (RLI) fall session will be held in Truro on October 26th 2019. All registration will be on our new website https://rliatlanticdiv.org. The new registration process is faster and simpler to negotiate. In addition to material about RLI, you'll find a list of all the upcoming RLI sessions out to 2022.
Check out the website for details on RLI and plan to join us or make sure someone from your club attends RLI in Truro in October. It's an investment in membership. Research shows that there is more than a 50% improvement in retention rate for Rotarians who have attended RLI compared to those who have not. Contact us as rli.atlantic.division@gmail.com if you have questions about the Rotary Learning program.
We started a quiz with the July newsletter – 3 questions were hidden in that issue and numerous people responded with the correct (and some not-so-correct!) answers. Since it was the first quiz, we gave three prizes and we received photos of a few of the recipients with their rewards.
This issue has three more questions – and one might involve a little sleuthing on the district Facebook site too! Send your answers to rotarylouisa@gmail.com by September 10th when a draw of correct submissions will take place for another allegedly awesome prize!
New Editors
We have new Newsletter Editors…Kristina Ennis from the Rotary Club of St. John ‘s East, and Kelly Hunt from the Rotary Club of St. John’s After Hours.
We also want to extend our sincere thank you to our editor from last year, Alana Hirtle. Alana took our newsletter to a new level and her talents are much appreciated.
Your district has many Rotarians who volunteer to make sure that clubs can thrive. We have four leaders who share responsibility for oversight of six core committees, as well as many sub-committees and individuals who serve you.
A list of these committees/subcommittees and other support roles follows – and we would love to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in any of these committees!
We have lots of opportunities!
Please send an email to Louisa at rotarylouisa@gmail.com if you would like to know more about any of them.
Chair of the Leadership Team/DG – Louisa Horne
Finance – Wendy Scammell
Public Image – Kristina Ennis
District Conference – shared with DGE
District Audit
Awards and Recognition
Data Management
Councils on Resolutions & Legislation
New Club Development
District Governor Elect – Ian Doyle
Strategic Planning
Training – Alana Hirtle
Foundation – Stella Roy
District Grant
Paul Harris Society
Friendship Exchange
International Services
Peace Fellowships
Polio
District Giving
District Grant Evaluation Committee
Stewardship
Foundation Training
District Governor Nominee – Alex Twells
Youth Services – Michael Craig
District Youth Exchange
District Interact
District Rotaract
Youth Protection Officer
District Youth Exchange
RYLA
Immediate Past District Governor – Rob Christie
Membership – Gail Gosse
Nominating
Past District Governors
RI Conference Support
Archive/History
Alumni
We do a lot of work on your behalf… and we have fun! Come and join us. A trivia question about this… name five of the ten areas of responsibility of the Foundation team.
Would your club like a club visit from a district team member to help “move the needle”?
We are waiting to hear from you! The District Leadership Team is here to help your club move the needle… on membership, youth, international service, partnership development, strategic planning - whatever you feel your club needs! Maybe you’d like a traditional program presentation or dinner keynote?
You name it, and we will do our best to help make it happen. Please let Louisa know what would be most useful to help your club thrive and we will do our best to identify the best talent to come for a visit. Email rotarylouisa@gmail.com with your wish list.
Your District Team is Here to Help Your Club Move the Needle!
The Brand Center of My Rotary is a great resource for graphics and images that meet Rotary’s brand guidelines and can be used by clubs for print materials, emails, newsletters or bulletins, or social media. There are many templates and “create your own” tools available.
If you’re looking to make some more custom images or graphics, the website www.canva.com is a great FREE resource! Make posters for events, social media images that are the correct size, business cards, brochures, postcards, etc. in one easy to use place.
The Facebook page Rotary Club Members Design Hub: Imagery & Graphics is another great resource. It is about 4500 members strong, and is a community of folks from around the globe who share graphics, ask questions about branding and bounce ideas off of each other!
If you have any questions or would like help with anything regarding public image, please contact Public Image Chair Kristina Ennis at kristina.ennis@gmail.com
August is Membership Month! How will your club celebrate this theme?
Maybe you could have a member celebration party! Even cake for breakfast would be good… to say “we’re glad you’re here” to each other and to acknowledge the great members in your club.
Or maybe … just maybe… you could explore starting a new Passport Club in your area! “Seriously?!?”, you say. “We can’t get new members in our own club now… why would we start a new one?” Exactly the point. Sometimes, we need to be courageous and recognize that there are more former Rotarians in our community than there are Rotarians – those people came to Rotary at some point and wanted to give back to their community but… there was something that didn’t work for them – and they left. Something didn’t click - time, location, culture, projects, expectations… who knows? Good news!! Now we have an opportunity to have a very flexible model to offer them...
What a great time to step back and think about your club and your approach to growing your membership, and exploring any declines you may have experienced. Perhaps nothing vexes the Rotary world today more than our loss of members. Declining membership is actually a symptom of other problems and unless we address these, we won’t see a change. People are leaving (or not joining in the first place) because what we have to offer doesn’t appeal to them. They simply don’t want to buy what we’re trying to sell. We’re not irresistible! To understand why this is, we must take a hard look at who we are, what we do, how we do it and fix what isn’t working before we expend energy bringing in new members.
With that in mind, let’s do a little thinking exercise...
As a former member of Rotaract and now a young Rotarian, I get asked quite a lot, “where do we find more young members like you?”
It may seem like young members are as elusive to catch as Pokémon, but with the right strategy and awareness, it’s not that difficult at all. The truth is, they are really all around us. They may be in your work place, they may be in your neighborhood, or they may be in those other social gatherings you belong to. Others may be active in our youth programs like Rotaract and RYLA, readying themselves for the challenges that lie ahead.
Attracting new members is pretty critical to our clubs. They are the lifeblood of our organization, bringing in fresh ideas and insights, and keeping our clubs alive and relevant. In turn, young professionals seek a sense of purpose and belonging, and this is exactly what your club can give them.
As we celebrate Membership Month in Rotary, here are my tips for attracting younger members:
More and more, prospective members find us via the RI home page (they click on JOIN at the top right on Rotary.org). Then the person provides personal data and history on the pop form. Your District Membership Chair receives an alert. With the work of your AG and Club Presidents we follow up to match the candidate with the club that seems to be the best fit (usually time and place of meetings). Assuming all goes well, the person is then vetted in the usual way. There are no short-cuts here, just a way to cast a wider net for prospective members.
Last year your District received 21 inquiries this way. We matched them with clubs. Some clubs deemed the candidate not suitable. Some candidates decided Rotary was not for them. Others are checking out a few clubs or are attending a club to learn more and have yet to decide. Some have joined up.
This link gives relocating members a way to get information on Rotary in their new community. Similarly, members who find their own Club’s time and place of meetings no longer works can gather information regarding other clubs for a transfer request. And of course, prospective members can find out about Rotary in their area.
Data Trends: Of the people in our District who clicked on JOIN, 87% heard about Rotary through a friend. That’s also the top way to reach people in Canada and even in the world. Locally (and nationally) the second way to attract people is via a Rotary event, and the third is via media (social and newspaper top this chart)
Spread the word: Clubs might add the JOIN link to their web page, blog, Facebook, newsletters etc. to help prospective, relocating/transferring members find Rotary Clubs.
Rotary Bulbs for Polio are available for purchase- DEADLINE TO ORDER AUGUST 30th.
For the past three decades Rotarians around the globe have been raising hundreds of millions of dollars to complete their lofty goal of eradicating Polio from the planet. During this time, Rotarians have helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries. This project, perhaps the largest of its kind ever undertaken by a service organization, has been hugely successful with only a few very small pockets of the disease remaining. Determined to complete this task and rid the earth of this devasting disease we are helping aid in this work by offering our customers the Rotary Tulip. Through your purchase of these beautiful Triumph Tulips, Vesey’s will contribute 20% of the purchase price to the Rotary Foundation - the body that manages the Polio Plus Eradication Program. We encourage you to do your part in supporting this amazing Rotary initiative as the purchase of a single bag of the Rotary Tulip will cover the cost of immunizing 8 children and therefore protect them from Polio for the rest of their lives.
$17.95 Tulipa. Height 16-20". Bulb size: 12cm+. Pkg of 25 20% goes to rotary Polio; Put “D7820 Rotary” in Memo
Bulbs will be shipped in Sept-Oct according to hardiness zone.
So many great outdoor activities happen in July. What was your club involved in?
From Stephenville to Halifax, there were fun parades. In Stephenville, the rain held off for the Friendly Invasion parade, celebrating the American military presence that used to be in the town. The cool temperatures did not cool the spirits of the community that turned out to watch the parade and then attend the BBQ and musical entertainment afterwards. The Rotary Club of Stephenville sponsors the parade – what a great way to reinforce awareness of Rotary in the town.
In Halifax, almost 100,000 people lined the streets on the hottest day of the year (so far) to see almost 200 entries in the Pride Parade. Halifax Harbourside was there… wilting in the heat but enthusiastic and filled with pride to be the first club in the world to participate in a pride parade 5 years ago. It’s a great community event and a wonderful way to build awareness of Rotary.
In St. John's, Rotarians from St. John's East, St. John's Northwest, After Hours, Waterford Valley and Avalon Northeast marched in the St. John's Pride Parade! Signal, the St. John's East #PIpuppy7820, even joined in the fun!
We are so fortunate to have Rotarians on our leadership team who can bring us new ideas and help open our minds to new ways of thinking. This article from PEI AG Dawn Alan offers one of those thought-provoking moments that all Rotarians should take time to read. The changes in urban areas across the continent also impact rural and small communities and the shift in priorities is highly relevant for all clubs across this district. As you consider what local projects to undertake, this may help - you may want to explore programs from local experts involved in wellness to prompt your thinking even more.
BIA 2.0; Shifting the Priority from Beautification to Community Wellness on our Urban Streets
A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is an association of commercial property owners and tenants within a defined area who work to create thriving, competitive, and safe business areas that attract shoppers, diners, tourists, and new businesses. There are over 50 BIAs in Atlantic Canada along and over 500 in Canada. BIAs can be found all over the world although their roots are in Downtown Toronto, 50 years ago this year.
BIAs improve their local economies through activities such as: street and area beautification, capital improvements and Place Making programs; promotion of the BIA and its businesses, tourism, shopping and service area; hosting neighbourhood festivals and events; and seeking ways to create more jobs and increasing residency in our downtowns.
The skilled individuals who manage these organizations are committed to positive change within their communities and look for opportunities to collaborate locally, provincially, and nationally.
Our downtowns and main streets are not only the economic engines of our communities, but they are the cultural, social, and iconic hubs - and, they are critical barometers of health, prosperity and vitality in every community.
From Beautification to Mental Health, Addiction and Homelessness
Rotary’s history informs many of today’s practices. Many traditions, while never officially mandated or sanctioned, are such a part of current Rotary culture that some Rotarians could not imagine their Rotary experience without these long-standing practices. Ringing a bell is one of these traditions that has been around for almost a century, but never mandated. Many clubs have a bell – and others do not. It’s a choice… so where did the tradition come from?
Another great resource is a 14 minute presentation by a UK Rotaractor, Chris Wells. It is funny and has some great ideas. My favourite is the idea of “dogoodery” – check it out! (Beacon really loves that word... because it starts with “dog"!)
Kudos to the Annapolis Valley Rotary Clubs for this fantastic example of how you can utilize RI brand tools to enhance your club's (or many clubs!) public image. Remember, you can find the template for this, and much more, on the RI Brand Center website.
Every District in our zone has been challenged to increase polio giving by 5% and the only way that can happen is for clubs to increase their contributions to polio. Everything in Rotary is about what clubs do! So… we thought it might be helpful to have a little incentive, so we have a contest for you!
There are 2 ways to win a dinner for your club!
All clubs that made a contribution of $100 or more last year, and that increases their contribution by at least 5% this year will have their club name put in a hat for a draw. One club name will be drawn and that club will win a dinner for the club, prepared and served by members of the District Leadership team.
All Clubs that gave less than $100 last year, and who contribute at least $1000 this year will be included in this draw too. There are 15 clubs in this category so let’s get going!
Of the clubs that contributed more than $100 last year, the one that has the greatest percentage increase this year will also receive a dinner for their club.
So there are TWO dinners on the line to be won. Who wants one of them?
Top ten reasons…with some reflections from Hamburg
It puts the “I” in RI in a very impactful way. Over 25,000 people from almost 200 countries in the same place is pretty cool. That’s what we saw in Hamburg and next year in Hawaii will be similar. When the flags from all the countries are brought in by youth and each country is introduced, there are roars of pride from the crowd… and there are country names many people have never heard of. It’s a bit like the United Nations or Olympics and is totally impressive! We had over 30 people from our district in Hamburg and in almost a week, as we were attending five plenary sessions and about six breakout sessions, and wandering the exhibit halls and streets, I did not ever see some of them! I did meet people from many other places and learned about amazing work being done around the world.
How is your puppy doing? Does he or she have a name? Has he or she been to any events and been seen on Facebook yet? The Rotary Club of Stephenville recently voted on their puppy’s name and decided on Finny, after a recently retired, long-time member of their club. Finny will be marching in the upcoming “Friendly Invasion” parade, along with Louisa and Beacon. Stay tuned for pictures of that event!
It seems that Sydney’s puppy (name unknown) might be a little bit naughty. He was out looking for Rotary wheels and found Kevin Armstrong’s car and got a little confused… he might have had a little accident on one of its wheels… hope there is no rust.
Harbourside’s puppy went to Hamburg and had some fun there at the International Convention.
So, a reminder – your puppy is meant to help you with Public Image activities and there is a contest that means your club could win up to $500 for your PI initiatives. Step 1 is to train your puppy by visiting every project your club has been involved in and taking a photo of your pup with the project – or with a photo or symbol of an international project… check out June’s article for more details. Trivia Question: What is Team Leader Louisa's dog's name?
Editor's note: This letter was circulated to all Districts earlier this month. More details will follow.
Dear Rotarians,
The Council on Legislation (COL) met 14-18 April 2019 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The English revised constitutional documents, that incorporate all the enactments adopted by the COL, are now available. The following three documents have been updated:
They have been posted on the Governance documents page of My Rotary and language versions will be posted as they become available. The Report of Action, sent in May 2019, can also be found on the Councils page of My Rotary. The revised documents will also be included in the 2019 Manual of Procedure, which will be ready for distribution by October 2019.
If you have questions about policies adopted by the Council, please contact your Club and District Support representative. If you have questions about the 2019 Council or future Councils, please contact Council Services at Council_Services@rotary.org. Best regards,
The time is getting closer for our visitors to arrive from Oregon and Australia to participate in our Friendship Exchanges. These are wonderful opportunities to meet Rotarians from other parts of the Rotary world, to exchange ideas and to gain new friends.
On August 8th, a group of 10 Rotarians from District 5110 will arrive in Halifax for a couple of days and then will fly to St Pierre for two nights of their wonderful French hospitality. The group will then fly to St John’s and then travel westward across Newfoundland leaving from Deer Lake on 22nd August. We have postponed our return visit to Oregon until next year. This new date will be determined later.
September 21st sees the arrival of our visitors from District 9790, Melbourne, Australia. They will travel through PEI, NS & the Annapolis Valley experiencing our wonderful scenery and hospitality. They will be with us until October 5th.
2021 marks the centenary of Rotary in Newfoundland and Labrador, and to recognize this milestone the District Conference will be held in St John’s. The District Board would love to hear from members interested in being part of the conference planning committee. We promise hard work and lots of fun. You don’t have to be based in St John’s to part of this committee. Please contact Alex Twells (Chair of District Leadership Team 2021) on alexdtwells@gmail.com if you have skills and time that can help or lead this committee.
Reminder – What Needle does your club want to move? And what help can the District provide?
The District wants to hear from every club about their “move the needle” goals and how we can help. We have talented people with expertise and experience in youth programs, international projects, strategic planning and more! What do you most want to shift this year? Louisa is not automatically scheduling visits to each club – rather, we want to have the person who will have most impact on your club be the one to visit you. Let us know and we’ll find someone to help you. Alternatively, Louisa or an Area Governor can visit your club to participate in an event, help with an award presentation or perhaps offer a program – whatever you’d find most helpful. We’d like to hear the “wish list” from all clubs by the end of July! Please send a message to Louisa at rotarylouisa@gmail.com. Check here for more ideas about what is possible.
The perfect opportunity to be part of the District team! No meetings! No conference calls! And you can do it all from home in your jammies!
District Alumni Chair.
We don’t have one and we’d love to have someone take on this important role that will give you a great entré into district leadership and connection with a great team.
So who are alumni anyway? Former exchange students, Interactors, Rotaractors, scholarship recipients, Adventures participants… they are all a valued part of the Rotary family. Your role as district alumni chair is to develop and maintain relationships with alumni in our district and to connect our clubs with alumni. Encourage Rotarians to build relationships with alumni and work with them on projects and fundraisers. When they do, it can lead alumni to become Rotary members. If nothing else, it connects them with capable leaders in the community – and it connects you to some great people.
Initially, Rotary conventions played a key role in determining the start date of our fiscal and administrative year. The first fiscal year began the day after the first convention ended, on 18 August 1910. The 1911-12 fiscal year also related to the convention, beginning with the first day of the 1911 convention on 21 August.
The next August, the Board of Directors ordered an audit of the International Association of Rotary Clubs’ finances. The auditors recommended that the organization end its fiscal year on 30 June to give the secretary and treasurer time to prepare a financial statement for the convention and board, and to determine the proper number of club delegates to the convention.
One of the goals of your District Membership Committee (DMC) is to share resources with our AG’s and their clubs. We’ve heard you say that sometimes there is too much information online (causing information overload 101) and other times it’s hard to navigate our sites to find what you want. Your DMC Chair recently received this article and shares it with you hoping that Rotarians find it clarifies the new types of clubs we are permitted (by RI) to have. Here it is:
By Jessie Harman, chair of the Rotary International Membership Committee and a member of the Rotary Club of Wendouree Breakfast, Victoria, Australia
Rotary’s new strategic plan is underpinned by four key priorities – to increase our impact, expand our reach, enhance participant engagement, and increase our ability to adapt. The emergence of new club models is evidence that Rotary clubs and districts are working actively to advance these priorities.
These new club models represent an opportunity to connect with a more diverse group of individuals – particularly those who are unable or unwilling to join our traditional clubs. While new club models have been emerging for some time, the 2016 Council on Legislation decision to promote flexibility and innovation has arguably accelerated their development.
A few thoughts from Doug Logan, Zone Assistant Coordinator for Membership, about Leadership
Over the years, I’ve seen many problematic approaches to Rotary leadership.
- People who think they have to do everything, or believe that if they don’t do it themselves it won’t get done properly. Too many of these people burn themselves out, walk away and leave a vacuum with no one to take over from them because they’d always done it all.
- Those who delegate (or do nothing), handing off all important tasks to others. Too many succeed at accomplishing very little, creating confusion and uncertainty because they don’t provide direction and support.
- Others who feel the need for control and insist that everything must be done their way. Often, these people’s focus on doing what they think is right means that they miss the opportunity to do the right thing. Worse, they can crush innovation and initiative.
- Laissez-faire leaders who leave everyone alone to do as they wish, resulting in confusion and lack of direction.
And leaders who think that it is all about themselves and satisfying their own ego needs, meaning that what gets done tends to be good for them – but not necessarily Rotary.
If you’re reading this bulletin on June 1, you’re probably not at the international convention in Hamburg, Germany. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the fun! You can follow all the action live on social media. Go to the social media convention page and check it out. Remember to use hashtag #rotary19 if you want to join in the conversation.
The Westville Rotary Club has looked into providing assistance to Venezuela, for immediate needs, primarily medical supplies. DG Rob has been in touch with the DG from that district in Venezuela, Alberto Camacaro Zerpa, and he would welcome any and all assistance.
Westville has a plan in place to forward $500 CAD funds to this Club to offer assistance to this country as an International project and we are wondering if other Clubs might want to match our contribution. Enquiries can be directed to our Club, President Charlie Parker or in-coming President Leonard White.
A good time was had by all who attended the 7820 District Conference this past month in Pictou County.
The Kairos Blanket Exercise was a thought provoking experience for the ± 80 people who participated on Friday morning. Throughout the two days, there were engaged speakers and opportunities to share best practices with our fellow Rotarians. RI Representative Greg Yank provided a commentary on RI’s mission and activities around the world; Foundation Chair Stella Roy brought us up to speed on the Foundation’s activities and polio stats for 2019. Senator Dan Christmas spoke to us about the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and how the Ivany "Now or Never" Report from 2014 addresses some of Nova Scotia's challenges by involving the aboriginal community. Incoming Leadership Chair Louisa encouraged us all to “be flamingos” and think of ways we can affect positive change, thereby moving the needle in our clubs.
Many thanks to the organizing committee for this year’s event. Mark your calendars now to join us in Sydney, May 29-31, 2020 for next year’s conference!
A new approach to club visits by District Leaders. What is your club’s wish list?
This year’s RI President Barry Rassin, has challenged Rotarians to come up with a Flamingo Challenge. Flamingos do a very interesting thing – one bird in a flock might decide to go the other way… and eventually the others turn and follow (remember last July's Rotarian mag cover?). That one flamingo has the courage to try something new. That’s what Barry is asking us all to do. And, we are asking your club to identify what would help you do something new to move your needle.
What does that mean? Simple – what aspect of your club do you want to see change and how could your district help you? It could involve any avenue of service – club planning, governance, youth, local service, international service, fundraisers, socials… what will help the club be more irresistible?
On May 25, a reunion was held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Avalon Northeast. A large turnout that included current, former and charter members plus lots of special guests got together at the Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre to celebrate.
In March 1989 a group of 35 community minded individuals achieved their goal of establishing a Rotary Club to serve the communities of Conception Bay South and Paradise. Eight charter members were in attendance at the reunion, who are no longer active members of the Club: Tim Chalker, Ken Corbett, Clyde Grantor Nev Hackett, Reg Lawrence, Kevin McCormack, Laurie Willar and Dave Young.
Six charter members are still members of the club and five of them were at the May 25 event: Past District Governor Don Sword, Doug Russell, Rick Spracklin, Bill Alcock and Sid Blundon. Charter Member Bob Jenkins also continues to be an active member but was not able to attend. All were thanked for their vision and commitment to Rotary and their community.
As Club President Alan Hatcher said that evening, “The Rotary Year theme 30 years ago was ‘Put Life into Rotary-Your Life’. I believe that this theme has transcended the Club throughout the past three decades of service above self.” There were many smiling faces as everyone enjoyed themselves.
Thank you to all who were able to attend. For those who could not, maybe next time!
In one sentence – the purpose of your District is to help clubs thrive! That’s it. Nothing more complicated than that. How do we do that? We identify talented people from across the district with a passion for helping clubs grow and be even more successful in their work. We support nine Area Governors from across the district to offer help to your clubs and we manage a grants program and youth exchange program.
More specifically, your District is asked by RI to have several committees that work for your clubs. Briefly, these include:
District 7820 is “gone to the dogs” for the 2019-2020 Rotary Year! The district wants to help YOUR club thrive, to “move the needle” on club irresistibility, and help you attract and retain new members.
The district has Public Image (PI) funds, and instead of purchasing annual theme banner/pins, your district will be supporting club PI initiatives. How would your club use up to $500 towards a PI initiative that will help your club thrive?
What’s a Ro-terrier puppy got to do with it? In support of a creative public image challenge, each club has been given a PI Puppy – they are your new buddies – and they are doggedly committed to building greater awareness of Rotary.
Step 1: Come up with a public image idea for your club. Send us a 100-150 words about how your club would use some PI funds and your plan to deliver your idea. Send your ideas to publicimage7820@gmail.com by August 31, 2019.
Step 2: Take your PI Puppy on a training tour! Submit photos of your puppy with all of the past and present activities your club has been involved in via email to publicimage7820@gmail.com and use #PIpuppy7820 on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). Have some FUN with your puppy – give them a name, dress them up if you’d like, take them on an adventure! Snap as many pictures of your PI Puppy as you can so we can share with the Rotary world all of the amazing things happening right here in D7820! Check out the list of ideas below in “PI Puppy FAQs”.
Step 3: Complete steps 1 and 2 by August 31, 2019 for ROUND 1 of the PI Puppy Challenge. After round 1, we will communicate the award winners and set a deadline for ROUND 2 in early 2020.
Some puppies already have names! Check out Toller from Yarmouth learning to ring the Rotary bell. Louisa took Beacon to DG training and he got to take a peek inside an iron lung.
Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience. Fellowships are open to Rotarians, family members, and program participants and alumni. Visit rotary.org/fellowships to find out how to join one of nearly 80 fellowships or start a new one.
Opportunities are available to learn and network with some great Rotary colleagues, and develop new skills that are useful in your professional life. The District Leadership Team is always looking for talented people to offer their skills to the many district committee and teams. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in a District leadership role, please let us know so we can discuss committee opportunities and learn about the talents and time you have to offer. Contact rotarylouisa@gmail.com for more info. Following are some specific committee needs right now, please read on:
Creative Blogger wanted! We are gone to the dogs! Beacon, the 2019-20 District Spaniel mascot, and his puppies have an opportunity for a creative writer to help them with their new blog, starting July 1. Some core content will be provided. Short, informative posts on a bi-weekly basis desired. Ability to write from a K9 perspective useful. Good sense of humour a definite asset. Contact rotarylouisa@gmail.com for more info.
Talk about a busy year for the members of my home club, the Rotary Club of Pictou! Not only did they coordinate the staging of the extremely popular musical “Mamma Mia”, they also were a key part of the organization of this year’s District Conference in Pictou. For three nights the “Mamma Mia” musicians and cast performed for sold-out audiences who were thrilled to hear the music and see the talented young musicians of Pictou County. Proceeds from the production will go to support projects in our community, as well as around the world. Rotarians in this club are very supportive of the Shelterbox program and continue to fund the purchase of the boxes. Pictou has been beautified in part through the planting of a red maple in the downtown area with six more plantings to follow. Our local 4-H club is supported through the purchase by the club of two baby changing tables. Our club recognizes the value and importance of contributing to community projects.
Correspondence received from our two RFE inbound groups this year indicate that they are very excited to visit us! District 5110 (Oregon) wish to visit NL & SPM, August 8th to 24th and District 9790 (Australia) wish to tour NS, September 22nd to October 5th. It appears that our tourist departments have a long reach. We would like to hear from more clubs and individual Rotarians who would like to become involved in this program and help to make our visitors welcome.
Our return exchanges will be to D5110 September 10-26, 2019. We have yet to determine dates to return to D9790 but March/April 2020 is suggested due to their extreme temperatures earlier although a great time to visit. The selected outbound team can make that decision.
May is Youth Service month across Rotary International, so it’s a great time to reflect on Youth Service in our District. We should be proud of the range of programs our Rotary clubs offer youth. Equally, we should be proud of what young leaders can accomplish with a just a little support and input.
Interact is for 14-18 year olds and is our largest program, with approximately 300 members in 23 Interact clubs. Interactors volunteer in their communities, make international connections, and develop leadership skills while making new friends. Two new clubs were chartered this year: Maple Grove (Yarmouth) and Northeast Kings (New Minas).
We also have 6 Rotaract clubs based mostly at universities, where young leaders ages 18-30 come together to exchange ideas with community leaders, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service. A new club was chartered this year at NSCC Kingstec and recognized as student organization of the year.
The deadline for the district conference registration has been extended until May 3, 2019. Please note that all registrations must now be paid by credit card, as there will be insufficient time to receive cheques by mail.
Our Conference Committee wants to thank everyone who has already registered as it makes our pre-planning so much easier for things such as meals etc. For those of you not yet registered, we encourage you to dust off your credit card, go to https://rotary7820.com/page/district-conference/ and REGISTER now!
Editor’s Note: In our April newsletter, we incorrectly identified the Rotary Club of Halifax as the sponsors of the “Toonies for Change” project. The activities funded by this program are the work of the Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest. We extend our sincere apology to the members of the Halifax Northwest Club for this error, and reprint the segment below:
The Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest is growing! It was wonderful to participate in the induction of five new members during my DG visit to the club. They are able to support their projects through the monies earned through their “Toonies for Change”. Concerned about the younger people in their community, the club supports the Edward Jost Children’s Centre and the Spryfield Urban Farm. This club has fun when they get together!
What a milestone! The Rotary Club of Windsor celebrates their 90th Anniversary this year. This club is able to give back to the community in many ways through the monies earned from their Toonie fundraiser. The local Food Bank, the “Food for Thought” breakfast and lunch program at the local school, the funding of 4 scholarships at Avon View High School and the Intouch Emergency Response Units that are supplied to seniors in the community are examples of the wonderful work being carried out by club members.
The 2019 R I Convention in Hamburg is just a month away, so, to refresh your memory and your longing for the lovely port city which will be hosting the convention, here is a link for you to see. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z25jW9l4hls .
Can’t travel to Hamburg? Register for Rotary Live Connect to livestream the convention to your computer or mobile device. Many General Sessions , Breakout Sessions and Ceremonies will take place during the Convention and if you are NOT able to attend, you can join the Convention through their Live Connect by registering at https://www.riconvention.org/en/hamburg/rotary-live-connect . Take a look at the page and you will see all that they will be broadcasting; it is truly quite a line up of events and meetings. This could be interesting to you too because you'll be able to tune in to the Breakouts you've missed! If you have never attended an International Convention, you can see what when on by going to the Live Connect site and looking back at a previous Convention.
Rotarian Lawrence Furbish has created more short membership videos which have been a huge hit at membership seminars and club meetings. The videos are a fun way to provoke conversation about important membership engagement topics. I encourage you to share these videos with club leaders who might use them as reflections on what we do.
At a recent Ronald McDonald House Charities Volunteer Gala, the Rotary Club of St.John’s Northwest was presented with the Ronald McDonald House Charities NL 2019 “Helping Hand” Award - House Programs. These awards honour Dr. Jack Hand who worked tirelessly to make Ronald McDonald House a reality in Newfoundland and Labrador. There are 6 categories of awards that are presented to volunteers who reflect a dedication and commitment to Ronald McDonald House and its mission of helping families of sick children when they need it most.
Rotary Club St. John’s Northwest has shown dedication through active participation in the house programs over the past 6 years. The club donated $50,000 in 2012 to the capital campaign and funds were specifically used to outfit the house kitchen. From the start the club committed to regularly participate in the “Home for Dinner Program” that provides home cooked evening meals for the children and their families who are staying at the house. Rotarians also volunteer each year at the house anniversary celebrations by cooking hotdogs and hamburgers.
Many thanks to all the amazing club members from Rotary St. John’s Northwest who volunteered their time for this great community service project. Your “Helping Hands” are really appreciated! Showing in the photo (L-R) are: Norma Elliott, Rotarians: Dorothy Sullivan, Heddy Peddle, Enid Strickland, Esraa AbouAmin
Each and every year NSCC Student Life honors and celebrates the work of its student leaders in the College by hosting the Student Appreciation Awards.
AWARD: Student Organization of the Year
This award recognizes the campus student organization that has positively influenced the NSCC student experience through the creation of opportunities for personal growth, social networking and professional development.
Award Criteria:
The Student Organization was relevant to the student membership; organized and delivered activities in a professional manner; successfully met the stated goals of the organization; and collaborated with other members of the college community to achieve success.
Eligibility Requirements:
To be eligible for a Student Life Appreciation Award in this category, nominees must:
1. Be a student organization officially chartered by their campus Student Association;
2. Be engaged in activities that are academic, athletic, social or community service related.
Three student groups were nominated across the College – and NSCC Kingstec Rotaract Club was named the award recipient. Congratulations!
[The picture shows the Rotaractors during a recent breakfast meeting with New Minas Sunrise Rotary.]
Are you fed up with trying to plan an international project? Too many ideas? Not enough ideas? Too complicated? Where do we start? Relax! Help is at hand. Your District International Service Chair (DISC) is just a phone call or e-mail message away.
Here are all the ways that your DISC can help you:
To decide whether or your project idea fits the criteria for a global grant, district grant or just direct funding;
Provide advice on the pre-planning for your grant application;
Direct you to resources to help you with project design;
Help you find an international partner for your project;
Help you identify an international project for your club;
Our district will be involved in two Rotary Friendship Exchanges this year and we are now accepting applications for participants. We are also in the discussion stage with two others for 2020.
Friendship Exchange is an international exchange program for Rotary members and friends that allows participants to take turns hosting one another in their homes and clubs. https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/friendship-exchange . Lasting friendships and international understanding are only some of the benefits of an exchange. Many of our members continue to correspond and at times exchange visits with friends in New Zealand, Brazil, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Australia, Vancouver Island and several areas in the USA where we have exchanged before.
If you haven't registered for the District Conference in Pictou County May 10 and 11, there's still time! We have added some videos to the District youtube channel to entice you to attend. Check them out!
And don't forget you need to register separately for the Professional Development session on Friday morning; the KAIROS Blanket Exercise is not to be missed! Open to everyone – but you need to register. For incoming Presidents and Secretaries, there is no additional fee (but you still have to register!). For other conference participants, partners and guests, the fee is $25.
Registration for the conference may be found here. See you in Pictou County next month!
The 1989 Council on Legislation vote to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide remains a watershed moment in the history of Rotary.
“My fellow delegates, I would like to remind you that the world of 1989 is very different to the world of 1905. I sincerely believe that Rotary has to adapt itself to a changing world,” said Frank J. Devlyn, who would go on to become RI president in 2000-01. The vote followed the decades-long efforts of men and women from all over the Rotary world to allow the admission of women into Rotary clubs, and several close votes at previous Council meetings.
The response to the decision was overwhelming: By June 1990, the number of female Rotarians had skyrocketed to over 20,000. By July 2016, the number of women worldwide had surpassed 250,000.
March has been busy for the District Team! TLC training days were held in Corner Brook, St Pierre et Miquelon, Sydney and Halifax last month. Response overall has been very positive on the new format, especially the hands on computer training in Clubrunner and MyRotary.
Upcoming TLC dates are April 13 in Truro, April 27 in Charlottetown, and May 25 in Grand Falls. Mark your calendars now and plan to participate in the all new Training for Leaders of Clubs this spring; it will be time well spent!
Imagine somewhere in the world, perhaps not far from where you are now, a Rotary Peace Fellow sits, listening to a lecture or learning about different paths to community development. And as they do, inspiration arrives. That idea – their solution to making the world a more peaceful, prosperous, and stable place – will move from thought to action one day. And when it does, when that fellow takes the skills and knowledge they learned out into the world, it might just change the world.
Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 100 fully-funded fellowships for upcoming social change leaders who want to study peace and development at one of our peace centers. Right now, we have 98 fellows studying in the U.S., Japan, the U.K., Australia, Sweden, and Thailand.
The Demetreous Garden is not only a place of beauty but also one that gives back to the community! Members of the Rotary Club of Dartmouth, with the assistance of a local architect created a unique Community Garden in Dartmouth. Readily accessible by the surrounding families, every bed in the garden is utilized over the growing season. Each year they also hold a “Swing for the Kids” golf tournament that enables the club to improve the lives of youngsters in the community.
The Dartmouth East Rotary Club is all about community improvement on a local basis while recognizing that they are part of the larger Halifax Regional Municipality. Members of the club meet to clean up Main Street in Dartmouth as well as support the Dartmouth North Community Food Centre. In concert with the other clubs in HRM, they financially support Hospice Halifax. They are able to support these projects through their Dartmouth Rotary 4 Change fundraiser.
We’re just a few months away from the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany, 1-5 June. To help you plan your convention experience, we’ve included important program updates in this issue of Convention News.
Additional tickets are now available for three popular lunch events. You can purchase tickets through the online registration system at www.riconvention.org.
• President’s Recognition Luncheon, 3 June — Celebrate a successful and productive 2018-19 with RI President Barry Rassin.
• President-elect’s Leadership Luncheon, 4 June — Join RI President-elect Mark Daniel Maloney as we look to the coming Rotary year and the 2020 convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
• Rotary Club Celebration Luncheon, 5 June — Join us in celebrating our dynamic Rotary clubs. The keynote speech will be given by author, trend forecaster, and Rotarian Michael McQueen.
For interest of District 7820, members of the Rotary Clubs of Halifax and Calgary helped set up these 4 clubs in Australia and New Zealand 98 years ago.
The Centenary of Rotary in Australia and New Zealand is now on the horizon for 2021! The campaign is underway to Raise Awareness, Inspire Engagement and create a Call to Action. There have been many items in the “pipeline” over the past four years laying the foundations for a bigger program. Excitingly these are now coming to fruition:
1. The $30 million youth vaccination program across 9 Pacific nations: “Give Every Child A Future” – this has been launched and initiated by 4 Centenary Clubs, RC Melbourne, Wellington, Auckland and Sydney. Our partners are the Asia Development Bank and UNICEF. Soon participation will be extended to all Rotarians. This will make a long-lasting difference in the Pacific Region.
Introducing "My Big Fab Rotary Dinner". Rotarians are asked to invite non Rotarians (minimum 4, maximum 8) over for dinner on April 3, 2019 (with alternate date of April 20, 2019). Each non Rotarian guest will be asked to donate at least $30 (payable to the club to benefit the Polio Plus Campaign) for a fantastic candlelight wine and dine event hosted by the Rotarian and Partner. Photos during dinner to be posted online. A great opportunity for public image, to introduce guests to Rotary, Foundation, and Polio...and have a lot of fun. With 1500 members x 6 guests each paying $30, potential for $270,000 to End Polio. If matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at 2-1, total for night could be $810,000...a great dinner event for a fantastic "Rotary Day".
“Be the Inspiration” is the theme of the 2019 district conference, and it could not be more appropriate! This year we have secured a number of speakers and guests who are inspiring leaders in their own lives, and the work they do to help others.
We are delighted to have Mr. Greg Yank and his wife Catherine as our Representatives from Rotary International. Mr. Yank is a member of the RI Board of Directors and a Past District Governor of District 6510. He has a long list of accomplishments in Rotary and in his private life that demonstrate his commitment to Service Above Self. He is a renowned speaker who inspires fellow Rotarians all over the world.
You will definitely want to hear our Youth Speaker, Miss Nina Davy, and her amazing story of how, at thirteen, she lost her best friend to cancer. Instead of dwelling on her loss, Nina chose to remember her friend by forming “Jena's Girls” an organization of young ladies that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help fight cancer and support those coping with serious health issues. She is the 2018 Nova Scotia volunteer of the year and may be the youngest Paul Harris Fellow! We have received a number of questions regarding the youth program. You may find the schedule of events here. Please note that the youth registration has been capped at 30 people, so register now to avoid disappointment.
You won’t want to miss this powerful experience! The KAIROS Blanket Exercise. Experience the history you did not learn in school!
The Blanket Exercise is based on participatory popular education methodology and the goal is to build understanding about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada by walking through pre-contact, treaty-making, colonization and resistance. Everyone is actively involved as they step onto blankets that represent the land, and into the role of First Nations, Inuit and later Métis peoples. By engaging on an emotional and intellectual level, the Blanket Exercise effectively educates and increases empathy.
On Saturday, February 16, 35 enthusiastic participants at the Southwest NS Training for Leaders of Clubs, or TLC, learned about technology, public image resources, the Foundation and more; they met some new people, and worked hard on their club action plans. Feedback on the new format was very positive, with Michael Fairn, Secretary, RC of Middleton saying: "No question the best TLC I've attended... on so many levels! ... I heard only good comments and praise from each of the Middleton attendees yesterday."
Upcoming TLC dates are as follows: March 9 - Corner Brook, March 16 - St Pierre et Miquelon, March 23 – Sydney, March 30 – Halifax, April 13 – Truro, April 27 – PEI. Mark your calendars now and plan to participate in an all new Training for Leaders of Clubs this spring; it will be time well spent!
An enthusiastic group of Harbourside Rotarians braved freezing rain to go on a field trip meeting to the Dalhousie School of Engineering. We heard from Dr. Graham Gagnon who holds the NSERC/Halifax Water Industrial Research Chair in Water Quality and Treatment. His team works with Halifax Water and Cape Breton Water and many others - and they are researching a disruptive UV-LED technology. Did you know that water issues kill more people than violence? The slide from UNICEF is a powerful image.
We are exploring a collaborative project with the Dal team, together with a Rotarian in India, who is a Dal Alumnus, to pilot the water purification devices in some schools in India - it could have huge impact! Masters student, Carolina, tested the devices in Nunavut - and she gave us a demo of how they work when we toured the labs. Thank you to Godfred for starting the conversation about a possible grant opportunity and for arranging the wonderful field trip!
We’re excited you’re joining us at the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany, 1-5 June. This issue of Convention News contains important program updates to help you plan your convention experience.
We have our first group of speakers!
• Steve Farber, Founder and Chair of the Extreme Leadership Institute
• Daniel Flynn, Co-founder and Managing Director of Thankyou
• Timotheus Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom AG
• Dr. Pia Skarabis-Querfeld, MD, Chairwoman of the Board, Medizin Hilft, member of the Rotary Club of Kleinmachnow
• Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
The Rotary Club of Amherst is instrumental in sending people around the world through their “Trip of the Month” fundraiser. This club has a long and committed association with Camp Tidnish and continues to support the camp through their lobster dinner fundraiser. Club members have truly made a difference in the lives of those folks who get to spend time during the summer at the camp.
Look for an aerial shot of Riverside Park to see why the Rotary Club of Middleton played a unique role in profiling their town as the “Heart of the Valley”. Through the efforts of the club members, a beautiful park has been created with trails, a dock and most significantly, the planting of maples to form a huge heart when seen from above. The profits from their very successful Rotary Goldmine enables the club to support many local charities.
The spring Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) session is being held in Dieppe NB on Saturday April 6, 2019 at the CCNB Campus, 505 Rue du College located off Champlain St in Dieppe, NB. The sign in desk opens at 8:15 am and the sessions will run from 9:00 am to about 4:00 pm.
Having Rotarians attend an RLI session has proven to be a major benefit for both the member and their clubs. The basic RLI program consists of series of three one day Parts. The material in each part is organized to gradually increase the participants' Rotary knowledge and leadership skill and are taken sequentially over a period of time. Anoverview of the RLI program and the three parts can be found on the RLI page of the Website.
Help us eradicate Polio while having a meal with your friends!
Join people around the world for the week commencing Saturday, February 23, to cook, eat, and socialize with friends.
Raise money (donations per meal, pass the hat, etc.) to help Rotary end polio. Check out wgmeal.com for ideas, to register, to donate, and report back. Triple your donation by not doing anything - The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will give $2 for every $1 raised.
Contact Tom Campbell, your Polio District Chair, at tom@afj.life for more information.
Registration is now open for the 2019 District Conference in beautiful Pictou County! In response to feedback from members, we have shortened the length of the entire conference to two days: Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11! Register Now athttps://rotary7820.com/page/district-conference .
We will get an early start on Friday morning where we encourage all of you to learn more about your roles and responsibilities as Rotarians, as well as an opportunity to hone your personal leadership skills. We are excited to have the involvement of youth from our various programs which include Interact, Rotaract and Youth Exchange, as an active part of our program. Come and see what the future face of Rotary looks like!
A small club doing great things! Over the past 10 years, the members of the Rotary Club of Stratford have raised over $75,000 through their annual road race to support the Mikinduri Children of Hope. The club has also initiated their Rotary book sale in which 50% of the profits go to support literacy projects in the community. They are currently in the middle of their newest fund raising project which is to offer free maps of Stratford to every household. The sale of advertising not only pays for the maps but will generate profits for club projects.
Community partnerships are an important part of the Rotary Club of Wolfville’s activities. Their contributions to the Sunken Lake Scout Camp have ensured that valuable programs for the youth of the area are undertaken. This year, they have taken the initiative to inspire Rotarians, not only in their club but throughout the District, to donate blood. The club annually sponsors the Rupert McNeil book prize to a deserving student. The club also knows the value of thanking their fellow partners and did just that by recognizing the Eastern Valley Hydro staff of Nova Scotia Power with a Certificate of Appreciation.
Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 professionals from around the world to receive fellowships to study at one of our peace centers. Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Fellowship develops leaders who become catalysts for peace and conflict prevention and resolution. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
We have the opportunity for two or three $1,000 to $3,000 district grant applications for THIS YEAR. It could be a small project that has to be finished by MAY 31, 2019 (this year) and begun no earlier than July 31, 2018. The club must match the money that they apply for.
Any club that is qualified for 2018-2019 may apply, and Doug Hill corgihill.d@eastlink.ca will help with the paper work and application if you need it. Don’t delay!
Past District Governor David Muise, who passed away in late 2017, was a Rotarian for over 40 years. A lawyer, former member of the provincial legislature and mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM), his life was a true example of service above self. His fellow Rotarians in the CBRM are working to create a lasting legacy in his memory by partnering with the community to provide an important piece of recreational infrastructure in Dave’s home town.
The David N. Muise Rotary Clubhouse is currently under construction at Open Hearth Park in Sydney. The building will provide change areas and washrooms for teams using the adjacent football field. The project is being led by volunteers from Football Cape Breton and managed by Nova Scotia Lands, the provincial Crown corporation that owns the Park. The total cost is $100,000.
The Rotary Club of Clarenville has a lot to celebrate this holiday season! Not only have they had a very strong year with many successful community projects and a great online auction fundraiser, they have also created long lasting and impactful partnerships with other groups in their community, such as the Girl Guides. Most recently a major partnership with the Kiwanis club has not only brought the local music festival into the fold of the Rotary Club's projects but has also brought an influx of new members to their club.
Vocational Service calls on us to empower others by using our unique skills and expertise to address community needs and help others discover new professional opportunities and interests. January is Rotary’s Vocational Service Month, a great time to leverage vocational service in your club projects and activities.
Here are five ways you can incorporate vocational service in your club activities:
Host a club meeting at your work place and share about your profession; take time to learn about fellow members’ occupations.
Use your skills and expertise to serve a community.
Practice your profession with integrity, and inspire others to behave ethically through your words and actions.
Work with local businesses to create mentorship, internship, or practicum opportunities to help young people achieve their career goals.
Guide and encourage others in their professional development.
Whether you’re ringing in New Year’s Eve from some fabulous party, or having a quiet evening at home in front of the fire, you probably have a New Year’s tradition or two. Common traditions in Canada include singing “Auld Lang Syne” to greet the New Year, and kissing someone you love as the clock strikes 12. Around the world, cultures welcome the rolling year with unique New Year’s traditions of their own. Here are some interesting practices you may wish to add to your list this year:
In Spain, it is customary to eat 12 grapes – one at each stroke of the clock at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Each grape represents good luck for one month of the coming year. In bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona, people gather in main squares to eat their grapes together and pass around bottles of cava.
November 28 was a red letter day for Rotary St. John’s East member Kristina Ennis. On that day, she was named the first ever recipient of the St. John’s Board of Trade Emerging Young Professional award, sponsored by RBC, at the Board’s 2018 Business Excellence Awards.
To quote Kristina: “The absolute joy that being part of Rotary International brings to my life, and the support that my employer ExxonMobil provides me to go above and beyond to take part in what I am passionate about, is second to none. It was the best afternoon…I can’t say thank you to everyone involved enough!”
We’re very excited too, as Kristina will be joining the District board in July 2019. We look forward to seeing much more from this young Rotarian in years to come!
Last year, the president of the Rotary Club of Wolfville, John Horton, passed away from cancer. Although John had been a member of the club for only six years, he was very active, already serving as Treasurer, Club Service Director, and Vice President. During the short time between his diagnosis and death, he received numerous blood transfusions in an effort to stabilize his condition, but sadly, John passed away on June 9, 2017.
The Club’s regard for John’s contributions was very high, and they honoured him with a Paul Harris Fellowship posthumously last December. In memory of John, the Rotary Club of Wolfville would like to stage a friendly blood drive competition between Rotary Clubs in District 7820. This yearly event will be held in cooperation with the Canadian Blood Service’s ‘Partners for Life’ program, and its intent is to increase blood donations to the Canadian Blood Service. The club with the largest per capita number of donations in each calendar year will win the competition, and thereby receive $1000 from the Rotary Club of Wolfville to be spent on the charity of their choice. The per capita calculation will be based on the number of members in each participating club on January 1 of each year, so clubs that recruit new members who donate blood will have an edge on the competition.
Rotarians from around the world will gather in Hamburg, Germany for the Rotary International Convention, June 1st to 5th, 2019. Will you be there too? If you plan to attend, take advantage of the early booking price and register now for just $395. Note: This price ends on Dec. 15th, so hurry to www.riconvention.org to sign up.
Barry Raskin, President, Rotary International writes: "a Rotary convention is an unparalleled opportunity to find a world of inspiration in a single city. This year, Hamburg, Europe's "Gateway to the World", will be that single city -- and your gateway to the world of Rotary. Begin your days with general sessions that inspire you, as well as a wealth of breakout sessions for every interest and every ambition. Then set out, with friends old and new, to explore this historic port city. You'll find classic and modern architecture, delicious multicultural cuisine, and a maze of canals waiting to be wandered.”
The project had its origins in a discussion at the 2017 District 7820 Conference in Wolfville NS. At a breakout discussion on youth, chaired by District Youth Chair Michael Craig, it was recognized that the vast majority of current Rotary programs in support of youth were directed at high-performers. Out of this discussion was born the idea of developing a project that would provide developmental opportunities for youth drawn from economically challenged communities, or other demanding circumstances.
Many of us joined Rotary to meet new people, or for a number of other reasons. But can we as individuals convey all that Rotary offers, to prospective new members? In the latest of the membership video series, PDG Larry Furbish enlists the help of Zone 24/32 Director Jeffry Cadorette to outline the many opportunities and benefits of being a Rotary member. Need some inspiration? Watch the video now!
Santa tends to make frequent pre-Christmas appearances south of his Arctic home, yet is rarely seen before the big day in northern regions! Due to this unfortunate irony, children living in the remote communities along the Labrador Coast don’t have a chance to pass on their Christmas list or have a chat with the guy in person. So started a tradition some 58 years ago by personnel of the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force stationed in Goose Bay. They would collect gifts for the children living on the coast, pile it all aboard a DeHaviland Single Otter on skis and head off to the coast. When ice conditions permitted, Santa would land on the harbour and hold audience and dispense gifts. When conditions were poor, gifts were often dropped by parachute!
The island of St. Pierre is a much cleaner place after members of the Rotary Club of St. Pierre & Miquelon picked up more than 550 kgs. of garbage along the roads of that beautiful place! This club knows the value of partnerships and engages frequently with the members of other service clubs to realize their goals for community involvement.
The membership of the Rotary Club of Sydney continues to grow with the recent induction of 4 new members! Congratulations! It was wonderful to learn that the club sponsored Lyndsey Prosper, from the Eskasoni First Nation, to participate in the Adventures in Citizenship trip to Ottawa.
This request was sent to me by Father Louis Atwine of the Rotary Club of Bushenyi in Uganda. Bushenyi was one of the Districts which participated in the Health Child Uganda project out of neighbouring Mbarara University of Science and Technology. I have attended meetings and spoken at the Rotary Club of Bushenyi as well as helping their health care system to get a rainwater collection system and a generator through Rotary. While there are some Rotary Clubs in District 7820 participating in the planned global grant for Kangaroo Mother Care in Mbarara, during my visit in July, Father Atwine indicated that if there could be assistance in obtaining equipment for Bushenyi, that would be greatly appreciated.
Have you been inspired to read about the activities of our clubs here in our District? Has it given you any ideas about what you and your club may wish to initiate? This month we are featuring the work of 3 clubs in Newfoundland and two in Northern Nova Scotia.
The Rotarians in the Rotary Club of Stephenville have partnered with the People of the Dawn Friendship Centre. To see the gardens in the backyard of their facility where medicinal plants, important to our Indigenous peoples are being cultivated was an enlightening experience.
We’re looking for stories for our December newsletter, to highlight some of the fun and meaningful ways in which your club celebrates the Holiday season. It can be an event held in November or it can be promotion of an upcoming event in December that people shouldn’t miss! Remember to send interesting photos (in jpeg or png format please) with your prepared article (as a Word attachment) to Editor Alana – alana.hirtle@cbdc.ca or DG Rob - rob.g.christie@gmail.com. Depending on the response, we may not be able to feature all articles in this issue, but will do our best to incorporate as many as possible. Ho Ho Ho!
I am pleased to provide an update on what our clubs in District 7820 have been doing since July 1, 2018:
District Grants: D7820 received $21,333 USD on Aug 1, 2018 because three years ago the members of our district gave $90,00 USD. We receive 50% of that back for our District to use for grants (D7820 uses the maximum we can for District Grants which is half of the 50%). 12 clubs applied and all received up to $2,400 CAD and matched it with club funds. They are working in Nova Scotia (Cumberland county, Middleton, New Minas, Truro, Yarmouth, Sydney, Bridgewater), PEI (Montague), NL (St John’s), and Internationally (Zimbabwe, Ghana, Uganda). These projects include community gardens, enhancing parks, dental help for youth, musical instruments, photography for the mentally challenged, micro research projects, and ceramic cooking stoves. They are “creating lasting change in our local communities, global communities and in themselves” as Rotarians lead and participate in the projects.
November 11, 2018 will mark a sombre anniversary; 100 years since the end of World War I, the “War to end all Wars”. As I read through the related articles in the November issue of The Rotarian, I was struck by the magnitude of Rotarians’ influence during that war and in the years since, especially in relation to the Rotary Representative Network and its work with the United Nations and other international organizations.
I was aware that Rotary Day at the UN takes place on November 10 each year, but I wanted to have a better understanding of why that is, so I did some further digging. With a nod to the Rotary Club of New York’s excellent research, I am pleased to provide our members with some background information as to how the UN came to be, and the role that Rotary played in it.
Of the many things we learned at the Zone Conference in September, one of the best take-aways for me was a list of tools that may be used to create fabulous documents such as posters, social media posts, PowerPoint presentations, etc. The list is lengthy, so I’m going to introduce you to three here which I think you’ll use frequently. I hope you enjoy checking them out as much as I did!
Canva.com – Create beautiful documents for any occasion. It’s drag and drop, with over 65,000 customizable templates. You may edit fonts, pictures, formats, etc. Sign up through Google account or an email/password combination.
Pngtree.com – 3.5 million free png files for download. Register through Facebook or Twitter. Offers 2 free downloads per day, every day.
Crello.com – like Canva, but with animation! 12,000 templates to choose from. Sign up through Facebook, Google, or email/password combination.
On October 25th District Governor Rob Christie officially announced the Nominating Committee's unanimous choice as nominee for the position of the District Governor-Nominee Designate for RI District 7820:
Alex Twells, a member of the Rotary Club of St. John’s East (shown here at the clean up of Cobbs Pond Rotary Park in Gander in July). Alex is now the choice to become District Governor for 2021-22. Congratulations, Alex!
Originally from England, Alex moved to St. John's with his wife, Laurie and three children, in 2000. Alex is an independent business consultant specializing in strategy, leadership and governance.He joined the Rotary club of St John's East in 2005 and has served in various club leadership roles included two terms as president in 2008 and 2009. As a co-founder of the Rotary Read A Long Program Alex became involved with the set up of a literacy initiative for elementary schools which started in St. John's and spread across the province bringing thousands of dollars of new books to school libraries and hundreds of Rotarian and non Rotarian readers into school classrooms. Since July Alex has been serving as Area Governor for Central Newfoundland and has also been assisting District Governor Elect Louisa Horne with the development of the District 7820 strategy. Outside of work and Rotary Alex is a keen tennis player, cook and explorer.
The District Nominating Committee was chaired by IPDG Don Sword and made its choice following a merit based search including a formal interview of candidates as per District and Rotary International rules. The Committee published formal invitations to District Clubs and Rotary members to suggest names for this position. Under Rotary International Bylaw Article 14.020.8, clubs meeting the criteria stated in that Article may challenge this nomination not more than 14 days after publication of the notification to Club Presidents.
The remaining fall session of the Rotary Leadership Institute is still available for you to check out and register for.
It will be held in Truro on October 27th at the NSCC Truro campus. We have had to cancel the September St. John's session entirely due to low registration and have also withdrawn the two special half day graduate courses we had planned for the Truro session for the same reason. It takes forward planning to put on any of these sessions, so rotarians need to register early. Deadline for Truro is Oct 20th.Please register here.
As you know, World Polio Day is October 24. District 7820 PolioPlus Committee Chair, Tom Campbell, offers the following suggestions for ways you may celebrate the day:
Pints for Polio - Collaborate with local craft beer pub, charge $20 to get in for a beer and munchies, and every $1 of a beer sold goes to Polio;
Have a flag raising at your city or provincial building. Most will have a flag pole where you may fly the End Polio Now flag for a day;
5K walk for Polio - similar to the CIBC run for the Cure. Walk and raise donations/pledges;
Invite 6-8 people to dinner at your home, and charge $25-$30 each. Prepare the meal yourself, and give the money raised to Polio.
There was a buzz about Membership at the Zones 24/32 2018 Conference in Montreal. Delegates know that our data shows that most Districts in North America have seen a decline in numbers. They also know we have imbalances of age, gender, and ethnicity. Themes of attracting and retaining members cropped up at many sessions.
One take-away I share is the membership session’s List of the Top 10 of Is Your Club Ready for Prime Time:
Review our traditions. Are they old-fashioned and exclusive? Examples included grace and anthems.
Up-date our lingo. An example is that is Sergeant-at-Arms has military overtones, might host or hospitality be fresher? Is our humor offensive or disrespectful?
Your district is preparing a new strategic plan for the next three years and your input is needed. When your Board meets on October 12-13, we are excited that we will have the benefit of a summary of views from across the district to inform our discussions.
If you have not already completed it, please do so at your earliest convenience. The survey has questions about the key areas of responsibility of the district - leadership development, youth programs, foundation, public image, membership and club health and governance. There are multiple choice questions and every topic has an open ended space for you to give suggestions and feedback on any aspect of the district's work. Your responses are confidential. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Click on this link https://www.questionpro.com/t/AK0X6ZcvS3, or cut and paste it into your browser if it does not take you directly to the survey. We expect that the survey will take about 7-8 minutes. We appreciate your help in this important task. It is only with your input that your district can effectively support your club in achieving your goals. We would appreciate receipt of your response by October 5th.
Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation create opportunities to help individuals and communities thrive financially and socially, such as:
Entrepreneurs use microloans to become street vendors, rickshaw drivers, weavers, and tailors
Entrepreneurs in rural communities can borrow money to buy livestock or plant crops, or get training in sustainable farming.
Rotary helps Tanzanians with albinism overcome stigma and superstition to find safety and a livelihood.
Closer to home, at the Zone Conference in Montreal Sept 20-22, former Prime Minister Paul Martin spoke of his foundation, the Martin Family Initiative, and their education based programs for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities.
Is your club looking for an interesting international project that has high impact, excellent accountability, ease of funds transfer and the potential for a great program? Here you go…
Who is involved? The MicroReseach team at Dalhousie University/IWK (www.microresearch.ca) has established an excellent relationship with the Rotary Club of Mbarara in Uganda and the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST). Charles Kazooba who is the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) at MUST, a Dal alumnus, is the local Rotarian in Mbarara who is spear heading the MicroResearch relationship there.
Rotarians in our District are “People of Action”, doing fantastic projects in their communities and across the world. We thought it a great idea to share, over the remaining 10 months of this Rotary year, projects that have been undertaken by every club in our District; we believe it is important to honour and acknowledge the work of our Rotarians. Each month we will feature four or five clubs and what they are doing as “People of Action”.
September is Literacy and Basic Education Month. Rotary.org reports that more than 775 million people worldwide over the age of 15 are illiterate. That’s 17% of the world’s adult population. Rotary’s goal is “to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.” Many programs are in place to support this goal, including training teachers and other professionals who work with vulnerable populations, formal student mentoring programs, and community based literacy programs.
Formerly known as the Zone Institute, we have renamed it the Zone Conference. So, what’s the same, and what’s different. The Institute was originally designed to motivate, inspire, and educate past, current and incoming district governors. That has not changed. We want and need as many past governors in attendance because we know there is a critical mass of that talent and leadership that can make an event magical. The pledge of the entire planning team is that the event will be worthy of your time and resources.
Clubs are invited to suggest eligible Rotarians for the position of District Governor Nominee Designate, “DGND” - the Rotarian who will advance through the District Governor chain of offices to become District Governor for 2021-22.
The Nominee shall assume the title of Governor-Nominee-Designate upon selection and shall assume the title of District Governor-Nominee (DGN) on July 1, 2019. The selection shall be made by Nomination Committee procedure following RI By-Laws and our District Manual of Policies and Procedures, Section 8*.
The suggested candidate must meet the qualifications specified in Rotary International By-law (“RIB”) 16.070*. The District Governor’s duties are specified in Rotary International By-law 16.090*. Further District Governor information specific to our District is found in the article Continuity, Consistency, Collaboration*. A Club must forward its suggestion to the Nominating Committee using the 2018 District Governor-Nominee Designate Suggestion Form.
All of these documents are available from the district website.https://rotary7820.com under the menu item "District Documents/DGN-D Nomination" .
All but two Clubs in District 7820 use Facebook as an element of their Public Image efforts.
Social Media channels, particularly Facebook and Twitter are being used by Rotary Clubs to share their activities with other Rotarians as well as with the publix.
Over the past the 4 years the growth in the total number of "Likes" to all Facebook pages operated by our Rotary Clubs has grown by over 210%. The growth by year is shown below.
Carrie Jones, Zone Public Image Coordinator has announced the Public Image Citation for our Zone 24 East. The awards will be given out during the Zone Institute in Montreal.
If you have a Public Image project that fits the criteria, please apply.
Yes, it is a new Rotary year and we should all take a moment to think about what we would normally do at the start of a calendar New Year, which is to make some New Year resolutions. What are your personal resolutions as a Rotarian as we commence our 2018 - 2019 year? Barry Rassin, our RI President for this year has encouraged us to make lasting change in ourselves, our community and the world. What are your resolutions for your club? Will you use this year to inspire others to join our wonderful organization and to truly make a difference in the world?
I look forward to meeting all of you as Irene and I spend time with yourand your clubs. I look forward to talking with you in some detail about the concept of S.H.A.P.E. an acronym I developed to provide a framework of how our clubs and District can move forward through this coming year.
Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is our new President of Rotary International for 2018-19., He has chosen as his theme, "Be the Inspiration" and shared with us attending the International Assembly in San Diego his vision that, "Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves".
President Barry earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System, where he continues to serve as an adviser.
Greetings from the beautiful Northumberland Shore! We are thrilled to be able to serve Rotary in the second largest District in the world.
Ten years ago, Rob joined Rotary as a Charter Member of the Rotary Club of Whitehorse Midnight Sun in District 5010, which, at the time encompassed Yukon, Alaska and Eastern Russia. Irene joined the club a few years later.
The new leadership team comes into effect for District 7820 on the start of the new Rotary year beginning July 1st. Find out more about them through their profiles.
They have already been active in the district planning for the year so let's show them our support.
Rotary International President Ian Riseley's theme for the Rotary year 2017-18 is "Rotary: Making A Difference" and DG Don Sword recognized several "Difference Makers" in our district at the 2018 D7820 District Conference held May 25-27 in St. John's.
Wilf McIsaac from the Rotary Club of St. John’s NW but he has been living in the Codroy Valley in Western Nfld for the past year. He is completing his term in June as our District Treasurer and he may be remembered as the most important Treasurer our district has ever had. Wilf is a banker, not an accountant, but he has led our district into a brave new era of sound financial management with modern banking tools and guided us as we adapted to a series of increasingly demanding financial requirements from Rotary International. Everyone within the district is in Wilf's debt for his leadership.
Wilf was presented with a Paul Harris Fellowship pin +1 and a framed "Difference Maker" award.
One of the purposes of the District Conference held May25-27, 2018 in St. John's was to celebrate the accomplishments of D7820 Rotary Clubs.
Clubs have until June 30th to complete enough of the goals in the four categories to be recognized with Rotary International President Ian Riseley's Rotary Citation. Since those awards will not be presented until the fall of 2018, District Governor Don Sword decided to recognize the ten (10) clubs that were currently eligible for that Citation (subject to the year end membership numbers) with a Governor's Citation!
The Rotary International Club Significant Achievement Award is given to recognize a particular club’s service project or activity that has had an exceptional impact. Rotary International stipulates that only one club per district, per year, is eligible to receive this award.
This year on Monday October 2, 2017 District Governor Don Sword attended the grand opening of what was the culmination of one of the most significant projects ever undertaken by a club in our district when the Inspire Learning Centre opened in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Rotary International President Ian Riseley was also in attendance along with many other special guests to celebrate the remarkable achievement of the Rotary Club of Summerside.
Past District Governor Stella Roy is a member of the Rotary Club of Halifax Harbourside, in Nova Scotia.
Since serving as District Governor in 2014-15, Stella has remained very active in Rotary at the district, Zone and internationally having participated in immunization days in Africa. As our District Foundation Chair she has led a very effective group from all around our district. She has also served as the Rotary Zone 24 East Polio Plus Coordinator.
The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service recognizes individual Rotarians who have demonstrated outstanding service to The Rotary Foundation. Each year, Districts may select only one Rotarian to honour for their commitment, enthusiasm, and passion for the ideals of Rotary.
At the District Conference in St. John's DG Don Sword presented to PDG Stella Roy, on behalf of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation, the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service.
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the idea of our Million Dollar Campaign and Celebration Dinner . It is an opportunity for us to show that we believe in the ideals of Rotary and our ability to "Do Good in the World".
The Rotary Foundation is a remarkable organization, with strong financial oversight, that allows Rotarians to achieve results in many ways by transforming our gifts into projects that change live both close to home and around the world. Its mission is to advance world understanding, good will and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty. Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact.
The leadership of District 7810 and 7820 wants to make the work of The Rotary Foundation better known, to raise the profile of the great work that is being done around the globe by TRF. Paul Harris said "Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves." Help us continue ensuring great results.
We are inviting you to become part of Rotary's life changing work by becoming part of our Million Dollar Campaign and Celebration Dinner.
District-Wide Exit Interview Survey – How Did We do?
100 former Rotarians were surveyed. 53% indicated that they left Rotary within 5 years of joining.
What’s the biggest reason why they left?
Come to our breakout session to find out!
This year, our District Membership Team conducted anonymous and confidential exit interviews with 100 former Rotarians who had left Rotary in our District since July of 2016. We asked them 10 open-ended questions and received honest feedback which you can use to help your club strategize for the future.
This breakout session, will take place on Friday, May 25 at the District Conference in St. John’s and will be led by District Governor Nominee and former District Trainer Louisa Horne, of the Halifax Harbourside club and District Membership Chair Wendy Scammell, of the St. John’s Northwest club.
New in 2018-2019, District 7820 will begin offering youth aged 15-19 the opportunity to go on short term (summer) exchanges. Under STEP, Rotary matches students in two countries for a family-to-family exchange. The families then plan a reciprocal exchange for the students in July-August, with the 2 students together in Canada one month and in the other country the other month.
For Rotary clubs, short term exchanges are much lower cost/effort than traditional long term (school year) exchanges. Rotary helps ensure a safe and secure exchange environment via our youth protection processes, but STEP does not require Rotary clubs to recruit volunteer host families. Club costs will be just $200 per student. All other costs of exchange are the responsibility of the student/family.
The application/selection period for Summer 2019 exchanges will be October-November 2018. For more information on how your Rotary Club can begin to offer short term exchanges to students in your area, please email Michael Craig, District Chair of Youth Service
All Rotary clubs have the power and resources of Rotary International and its award winning charity, The Rotary Foundation behind them. But how do you know if your club is one of the best?
The answer may well be subjective, but there are a few objective ways that Rotary International and our District 7820 have for clubs to see how they measure up.
Each year the RI President sets out a goal based Rotary Citation for clubs to strive for. Last year (2016-17) three clubs in our district achieved the Citation. (New Minas Sunrise, Sackville & Area, and Sydney Sunrise).
This year, as part of his annual theme of "Rotary: Making A Difference", RI President Ian Riseley has offered a club "Rotary Citation" as well. Clubs that achieve this year's Citation are high performing and balanced clubs that have achieved a variety of service and club management goals under categories that are based upon the overall strategic priorities of Rotary International:
Paying RI dues on time.
Recording volunteer hours and service project contributions.
Support and strengthen clubs.
Focus and increase humanitarian service.
Enhance Rotary's public image and awareness.
So far seven (7) clubs in D7820 have already qualified for this year's Citation! And there are three (3) clubs that are only one category away from qualifying! Plus other clubs in the district are working to achieve the recognition by the end of the year.
Clubs have until June 30th 2018 to complete and record their 2017-18 Rotary Citation goals and the actual certificate won't be available until the Fall of 2018, but I will be announcing the clubs that have achieved the Citation by the time the District Conference begins. Will your club be recognized? Please come to the District Conference to find out!
Rotary International’s Council on Resolutions (COR) meets online each year to vote on proposed resolutions submitted by clubs, districts, the RI Board, and the general council or conference of RIBI. The COR has the authority to adopt resolutions. Most adopted resolutions are then considered by the RI Board or the TRF Trustees.
The deadline to submit proposed resolutions from clubs and districts for the 2018 COR must be received by Rotary International on or before 30 June 2018, including the governor’s confirmation of endorsement. There are no exceptions to the deadline.
Join DG Don Sword and DGE Rob Christie and their families for the changeover garden party to be held at Rob and Irene’s home (110 Water Street, Pictou) starting at 2:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to join in the festivities and meet Rotarians from around the District. Light snacks and refreshments will be available.
It's a new Rotary year starting July 1st; be among the first to help 2018-19 District Governor Rob to kick off the new Rotary theme, "Be The Inspiration"!
The 2016 Council on Legislation (COL) was absolutely groundbreaking for Rotary and its clubs around the world.
The 2016 COL approved a number of changes to the old Rotary rules around attendance, meeting time, place and frequency and signaled a new era in Rotary marked by a recognition that change is needed for clubs to attract and retain quality members to remain vibrant forces in their local and world communities, well into the 21st Century.
Clubs within District 7820 have taken the change message very seriously. Here are some of the innovations that clubs within our district have tried or are currently implementing:
The Deadline to make your club's initial application for a District Grant has been extended to May 1st!!
Your District Foundation Committee have trained at least 80 Rotarians between November 2017 and February 2018 to ensure that their clubs are eligible to apply for a District Grant during the 2018-19 cycle and know how to do it.
There are grants of up to $3,000 CDN available if the club matches the funds from District.
The projects ideally should be completed by May 31, 2019 (unless an extension is obtained by February 15, 2019). Approved projects can begin any time after July 1 2018.
All proposed projects must be submitted through the Clubrunner grant module on the District 7820 website http://rotary7820.com Just log into the Member Area and select the "Grants" Tab.
The time is nowfor your club to support a local scholar in his or her application for a fantastic Rotary scholarship opportunities - The Rotary Peace Fellowships and the Rotary Scholarships for Water and Sanitation Professionals.
Rotary Peace Fellowship 2019-2020 - applications to the District due May 1st!
Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 professionals from around the world to receive fellowships to study at one of Rotary's peace centers. Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Fellowship develops leaders who become catalysts for peace and conflict prevention and resolution. These fellowships (50 master's degrees for 15-24 months and 50 certificate studies of 3 months plus 2-3 weeks of field study ) cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
The Selection Process includes Club, District and Rotary Foundation steps:
What if you could participate in a full day professional leadership session on “Transformational leadership in times of change” by someone who trains MBA students and business executives and not for profit leaders on programs costing thousands of dollars - and attend for FREE or for the cost of a nice lunch?
Well, as a Rotarian from District 7820, you have that opportunity!!
On Thursday, May 24th, the day before the District Conference begins, the Professional Development Day (PDD) takes place at the beautiful Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre in Conception Bay South. If you are an incoming President or Secretary the PDD is FREE (includes lunch and transportation to and from the Holiday Inn in St. John's). All other Rotarians may register for a low price of $35! You will even get a certificate of completion to give your employer to get the day off as professional development.
The 2018 District Conference is six weeks away and the excitement is building. Registration numbers show a great turnout from all around our District. You won't want to miss the opportunity to "Join Leaders - Exchange Ideas - Take Action!"
And don't forget to wear something white on Saturday 's "White- Out" to show support for Rotary's focus on promoting "Peace and Conflict Resolution!"
For just $20 you can buy a chance to win a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey autographed by 2017-18 Rotary International President Ian Riseley - just in time to go to the Rotary International Convention in Toronto June 23-27, 2018.
Tickets are now available! Just contact Avalon Northeast Rotarian Jerry Young:
The jersey was signed by RI President Ian Risley when he was at Camp Gencheff helping to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rotary on Prince Edward Island. Tickets will be drawn on May 27th at the District Conference in St. John's. The signed jersey will be sent to the winner in time to attend the Rotary International Convention in Toronto and, in particular, the Beyond Borders dinner at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Sunday June 24th.
Only 150 tickets are available so get yours NOW!
Proceeds from the draw will support the 2018 District Conference.
In February/ March 2018 our District 7820 was well represented in District 6990 (South Florida & Grand Bahamas) during our outbound exchange there. It was a very busy exchange. Our hosts were wonderful, and we stayed in several delightful homes and met a myriad of wonderful Rotarians.
The time is now for your club to support a local scholar in his or her application for a fantastic Rotary scholarship opportunities - The Rotary Peace Fellowships and the Rotary Scholarships for Water and Sanitation Professionals.
Rotary Peace Fellowship 2019-2020 - applications to the District due May 1st!
Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 professionals from around the world to receive fellowships to study at one of Rotary's peace centers. Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Fellowship develops leaders who become catalysts for peace and conflict prevention and resolution. These fellowships (50 master's degrees for 15-24 months and 50 certificate studies of 3 months plus 2-3 weeks of field study ) cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
The Selection Process includes Club, District and Rotary Foundation steps:
Earth day is April 22, 2018 and that is the day that RI President Ian Riseley marked on the calendar for Rotary Clubs around the world to aim for in his "Plant a Tree" Challenge. He asked every club to plant one tree for every member in their club. The final deadline is the end of this Rotary year - June 30, 2018.
RI Pres Ian did his part this Fall by planting a tree at Camp Gencheff, PEI.
Some clubs in D7820 have already planted their trees and others hope to complete the challenge by the start of the District Conference at the end of May.
As District Governor I have been fortunate to participate in a number of tree plantings.
During my official Governor's visit to the Rotary Club of St. Pierre et Miquelon in September, I cut the ribbon on the tree project at the airport with the help of the local Rotarians and visitors from my home Club of Avalon Northeast, Newfoundland.
Also in September, I was honoured to plant one of the dozens of trees placed on the trails near the Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre in Conception Bay South (the site of the Professional Development Day on Thursday, May 24, 2018) to mark Canada's 150th Anniversary. Then, in mid- February, after attending the outstanding Presidential Peacebuilding Conference on Environmental Sustainability and Peace in Vancouver, I participated in a tree planting project on Sunday morning at Everett Crowley Park with Rotarians from across Canada and the USA as well as Haiti, the Philippines and Argentina!
One of the favourite parts of being District Governor is being able to help induct new members into the family of Rotary. Recently I was pleased to be invited by President Brad Beckett to attend the Rotary Club of St. John's Northwest Club Assembly and help induct two wonderful new members - Meaghan Drover (daughter of former club President, the late Ed Drover) and Kim Christianson.
(see photo - L-R President Brad, Kim, Meaghan, and DG Don).
This year, most clubs in our district have been succesfully adding new members. From a start on July 1st, 2017 of 1521 members, the latest figures show a total membership in D7820 of 1594! Congratulations and please keep on inviting new members into Rotary. But we can't be complacent - past history shows that we will normally experience a club membership "purge" at year end. As a result, the net increase district-wide in recent years has been negligible or even negative. The challenge for D7820 and indeed all of Rotary in North America, has been retention, not recruitment.
District-Wide Exit Interview Survey Results
In order to find out the real reasons behind why retention of members has been such a challenge, your District Membership Committee has been working on a district-wide Exit Interview Project this year . One hundred former Rotarians, who had recently left their clubs, were interviewed by impartial interviewers by phone and were asked ten questions about their experience in Rotary and as a Rotarian. The interviews were done confidentially and the results have been tabulated so that no club or individual has been identified. The final project report will be available to all clubs once completed.
Committee Chair Wendy Scammell and District Governor Nominee Louisa Horne will be presenting on Membership issues including the Exit Interview Project results at a breakout session at the District Conference in St. John’s, taking place at the Holiday Inn in St. John’s from May 24-27. Register now for the District Conference - "Join Leaders - Exchange Ideas - Take Action". http://rotary7820.com/page/district-conference
Your District Foundation Committee have trained at least 80 Rotarians between November 2017 and February 2018 to ensure that their clubs are eligible to apply for a District Grant during the 2018-19 cycle and know how to do it. The deadline to make your application is April 15th, 2018!
There are grants of up to $3,000 CDN available if the club matches the funds from District.
The projects ideally should be completed by May 31, 2019 (unless an extension is obtained by February 15, 2019). Approved projects can begin any time after July 1 2018.
All proposed projects must be submitted through the Clubrunner grant module on the District 7820 website http://rotary7820.com Just log into the Member Area and select the "Grants" Tab.
Your Foundation Committee has made it easy for clubs to prepare their proposal by creating easy templates. The selection criteria are transparent but all qualified clubs must sign and submit an MOU.
It is with sadness that we report that Past District Governor (87-88), member of the Rotary Club of St. John's Northwest, Aiden Maloney passed away March 17th, age 97. He was very fine man and a great Rotarian. He had an award at his club for Young Professionals named after him. He will be sorely missed.
Aidan embodied the Rotary Four Way Test in his lifetime; a true Rotarian; a friend and mentor. RIP Aidan. Our thoughts are with his family.
Before the 2018 District Conference begins you won't want to miss the Thursday Professional Development Day (PDD) on May 24th at the Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre in the Town of Conception Bay South (outside of St. John's). That is where all Rotarians can take their leadership skills to the next level. It's free for incoming Presidents and Secretaries and only $35 for all other Rotarians. Lunch and transportation to and from the conference hotel is included in your PDD registration.
Beginning Thursday May 24th evening with Home Hospitality with Rotarians from the six regional clubs, an event not to be missed, the conference officially begins on Friday May 25th at the Holiday Inn and Conference Centre in St. John's. The conference has great keynote speakers, plenary activities, music, entertainment and lots of opportunities for district Rotarians to "Join Leaders - Exchange Ideas - Take Action"! For more details and to register go to: http://rotary7820.com/page/district-conference
The Rotary International President's Representative to the 2018 District Conference is Michael Webb from the Rotary Club of Mendip, England. Mike is a current director of The Rotary Foundation. You won't want to miss him speak. He will deliver an inspirational address on the 2017-18 theme "Rotary: Making A Difference" as well as a report on Rotary worldwide.
Here is the latest on the Friday and Saturday Breakout Sessions:
President Paul Crant of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown is pleased to announce that the club has sponsored a school based Rotaract Club at the University of Prince Edward Island. The club’s charter is on its way from Rotary International. The new club is meeting in the Don and Marion McDougall Hall at 2:00 pm on Fridays.
The charter club executive is:
Berk Erbas, President
Jeremy Xu, Vice President
Emily Caldwell, Secretery
Kai Chen, Treasurer
(President Berk (left) and Vice President Jeremy (right) met PEI Premier Wade McLaughlin at the Premier's Dinner on Feb 5th, organized by the Island Rotary Clubs.)
The Halifax Harbourside Rotary Club is looking for partners and support to undertake a mechanized borehole water project in Bawiu, a small village near Navrongo, in the Northern-most part of Ghana. This is the driest part of the country. The community is among the poorest in the region and lacks the necessary infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers.
The population of the community is estimated to be 1,012, a majority of which are youth. Improved maternal health education and programs, reducing infant mortality, have led to higher birth rates and population growth over the past 10 years.
About 70% of the economy in the Bawiu community depends on agriculture. The farmers rely on rainfall to water their crops and animals. The average rainfall for the community is 940mm per annum with most rain falling between June to September. The dry season is from November to March and in January, the driest month, there is only 1mm of rainfall. The mechanized borehole project will provide an opportunity for farmers to farm all year round, bringing an immense economic benefit to the community.
Are you tired of winter yet? Looking for an early Spring?
We have a couple of openings for the outbound exchange to Vancouver Island and western Washington state. Their district is looking forward to repaying the hospitality that we extended to their delegation last Fall.
Please contact PDG Tom McCaughey for an application at dgtom7820@gmail.com or (709)682-7259.
RFE’s are an inexpensive way to explore other districts, to meet some great friends and learn about their culture and their projects and to generally be treated as very welcome guests and not a tourist.
WASH inSchools (WinS) Challenge Grant awarded jointly tO
Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, D-6440 and Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, D-4250 (with help from D7820 and its member clubs!)
Great news!!! We won the competitive challenge grant. The Rotary Foundation has awarded $552,500 to our team of Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, Rotary Club of Antigua and Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club for a grant addressing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH* inSchools (WinS). *WASH - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
The competition was held between all Rotary clubs within five countries: Belize, Guatemala, India, Kenya and Honduras in two phases. During phase I, 46 clubs applied and 13 of them moved to the next phase. In phase Ii, 13 clubs applied, and four clubs were awarded grants. We are privileged to be one of the four winners.
The grant integrates two Areas of Focus: Water and Sanitation, Basic Education and Literacy. Rotary International has issued a global challenge to improve education quality and access – particularly for girls – by working with communities to provide improved WASH services, teacher training, and curriculum enhancement. It is important to leverage off from water and sanitation related efforts and connect them with health, hygiene and education. Further details are available at this link: https://my.rotary.org/en/wash-schools-target-challenge
In a few days, our outbound team representing Newfoundland, St Pierre and HRM will be beginning our exchange with D6990 in Florida and the Florida Keys.
Unfortunately, the Grand Bahama Island leg has been dropped primarily due to difficulties caused primarily by the hurricane last fall. Our contact has promised a full and entertaining visit throughout the rest of the district. The return team from D6990 will visit us in August.
Our return visit to D5020 Vancouver Island/ Washington state is scheduled to begin in Comox / Campbell River, BC on May 9th and end in Tacoma, WA. on May 24th. Unfortunately, some members of our selected team have had to drop out. We are now accepting applications from interested Rotarians. Contact PDG Tom McCaughey at dgtom7820@gmail.comor or (709)-682-7259
Led by the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty, our District has for the past 15 years worked with our partners in China and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea/North Korea ("DPRK") to demonstrate the goals and purposes of Rotary International and our Rotary Foundation in promoting world understanding, goodwill and international peace. During that time 11 humanitarian, sanitation and/or educational projects have been completed in the DPRK.
Love to have dinner? Like wine with a few friends? Laugh? Do all this and help eradicate one of the most detestable disease on the planet.
We are very close to eradicating Polio. We need help in getting over the top. Host a dinner and donate to Polio Plus through your local Rotary club. Your donation will be tripled by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. $1 vaccinates a child against Polio.
Thank you.
In February, as we celebrate the founding of Rotary on February 23, 1905, why not hold an event and join us in this amazing cause?
This is Holly White, handing in her final dissertation earning her a Masters of Arts in Peace and Conflict Resolution from the University of Bradford in December 2017. Holly is the first Peace Scholar from Newfoundland and Labrador and was sponsored by the Rotary Club of St. John’s Northwest.
Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 professionals from around the world to receive fellowships to study at one of our peace centers.
Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Fellowship develops leaders who become catalysts for peace and conflict prevention and resolution. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
February is Peace and Conflict Resolution Month within Rotary. It’s now time to begin preparing for our next applicants.
Here’s how you and your clubs can become involved:
The Rotary Club of Summerside, with support from the City of Summerside, recently had a new sign created and installed at the entrance to the Rotary Friendship Park. The park, especially in the winter with the freshly fallen snow, is perfect for a peaceful stroll with family or with a canine friend!
The sign was made possible by a generous donation from the estate of Hazel Halliday. Ms. Halliday was known to enjoy spending time in the Friendship Park.
In appreciation of her kind gift and her fondness for the park, the Rotary Club of Summerside chose to create a more permanent sign to properly grace the main entrance.
Posted by Hank Sartin Rotary International on Jan 15, 2018
Rotary International President-elect Barry Rassin laid out his vision for the future of the organization on Sunday, calling on leaders to work for a sustainable future and to inspire Rotarians and the community at large.
Rassin, a member of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, unveiled the 2018-19 presidential theme, Be the Inspiration, to incoming district governors at Rotary’s International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA. “I want you to inspire in your clubs, your Rotarians, that desire for something greater. The drive to do more, to be more, to create something that will live beyond each of us.”
Rassin stressed the power of Rotary’s new vision statement, “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.” This describes the Rotary that leaders must help build, he said.
Each year, The Rotary Foundation selects up to 100 professionals from around the world to receive fellowships to study at one of our peace centers.
Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Fellowship develops leaders who become catalysts for peace and conflict prevention and resolution. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
Starting with Rotary Club of Clarenville on July 10th and finishing with the Rotary Club of Happy Valley - Goose Bay on December 20th, I visited all 47 Clubs in District 7820 (48 including the E-Club). Pat joined me on over half of those visits. We have a very large and diverse district - NL, NS, PEI and St. Pierre et Miquelon - but it is filled with wonderful Rotary clubs in great communities.
I met with each Club's Executive or Board and I asked each Rotarian in attendance to describe their club using one word. The "word cloud" above reflects what I heard. The overwhelming number of word choices were positive ones. Just look at the words used most often - Community, Fellowship, Comradery, Service, Committed, Family and Fun.
Holy Spirit High School in Conception Bay South, is the fourth largest high school in Newfoundland and Labrador and up until this year, had never held a career fair.
New Generations Chair Rob Boychuk and his fellow committee members at the Rotary Club of Avalon Northeast thought that needed to change. So, they met with the school officials and teachers as well as the Interact Club of Avalon Northeast which operates out of that school. Several months of planning followed. The result was a hugely successful Career Fair held on Tuesday January 9th, 2018 for five classes of level II, grade 11, students enrolled in Career Development 2201.
Happy New Year to All from the District Foundation Team!
Half Year Update: At the half way point in the Rotary year we have trained 35 of 47 Rotary Clubs and 75 individual Rotarians for the District Grants Program for 2018-2019. The program is ready to accept grants from $1,000 to $3,000 (CAD) .
The Committee has entered all the qualified people in the District records but only eight (8) of the Clubs have returned their signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) back. If your club has not submitted its MOU then it will not be able to enter an application into the Grant program. So, please complete and submit your signed MOU!
The spring Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) session is being held in Dieppe NB on Saturday April 7, 2018 at the CCNB Campus, 505 Rue du College located off Champlain St in Dieppe, NB. The sign in desk opens at 8:15 am and the sessions will run from 9:00 am to about 4:00 pm.
Having Rotarians attend an RLI session has proven to be a major benefit for both the member and their clubs. The basic RLI program consists of series of three one day Parts. The material in each part is organized to gradually increase the participants Rotary knowledge and leadership skill and are taken sequentially over a period of time. Anoverview of the RLI program and the three parts can be found on the RLI page of the Website.
Depending on there being enough people who register in advance, all three Parts of the program will be offered. If there are not enough registered for any of the Parts before the cutoff date of Mar 21st, that Part will be cancelled.
Registration is all done on-line by clicking this link. The fee payable by cheque (or cash) at the door is $125. Breaks and lunch are included in the fee. When you register, indicate you are paying by cheque.
It is what sets Rotary apart from other service organizations. The concept of vocational service is rooted in the second point of the Object of Rotary which calls on Rotarians to encourage and foster high ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
Put these ideals into action by using your professional skills to serve your community, practicing your profession with integrity, and guiding others in their professional development. If you do any of these things, you are performing vocational service.
By January 1st all clubs in the District should have held their elections for their 2018-19 club officers. Holding elections on time and having a clear succession plan in place will help keep your club headed in the right direction for the next Rotary year.
December 31, 2017 was the deadline for election of officers and February 1, 2018 is the deadline for reporting the officers to Rotary International.
Current club officers can submit this information via the Club Administration section of My Rotary, ClubRunner, or by sending the information to data@rotary.org.
RI and District Dues
Invoices for membership dues from both the District and Rotary International will be sent to clubs mid-January, and are based on membership data in Rotary’s database as of 1 January 2018. Adjustments can no longer be made once the invoice has been issued.
Remember 2-2-2: Two dues invoices (District and RI), Two times a year (July 1 and January 1), sent to two different places - RI and the District.
The 2018 Convention in Toronto is the best opportunity in years for Rotarians from District 7820 to experience a Rotary International Convention. Many members say that they joined Rotary when they were inducted into membership, but didn't truly become a Rotarian until they had attended a Rotary International Convention. You won't want to miss the opportunity to join tens of thousands of Rotarians "Making A Difference" in Toronto.
And this event promises "Inspiration Around Every Corner"!
Why not join the over 125 Rotarians and Partners from District 7820 who have registered for the Toronto Convention already?
Remember:
Register by 31 March to take advantage of the pre-registration discount.
Hotel demand and prices are rising due to a separate event Toronto is hosting. Book your hotel room or arrange for other accommodation as soon as possible.
Check out the Host Organization Committee Events. The best ones will sell out fast!
And don't forget: D7820 Rotarians are eligible to register to attend the Rotary International Zones 24 & 32 "Beyond Borders" dinner Sunday, June 24th at the Hockey Hall of Fame!
Building a Culture of Leadership – Leading the Change
Who should attend: All incoming & prospective Leaders of your Club including Executive, Directors and Committee Chairs. The working sessions of the day are open to all members of the Clubs in each area and will be a fantastic opportunity for anyone who is interested in developing their own leadership skills to attend.
What we hope to achieve from the day: Focused and targeted professional development and leadership training that will useful for you as a leader in your clubs and at work!
What you’ll learn: Deeper insight into the Club leadership roles if you are currently or an incoming leader, orientation to some critical leadership competencies and a number of key strategic tactics to help you support your club achieve.
What the day will look like:
Role and responsibility orientation/learning intensives for current and incoming Club leadership including presidents, treasurers, secretaries and committee chairs outlining critical tasks associated with the various roles, leading practice examples and key dates.
Targeted leadership competency workshops around strategic thinking, dynamic engagement and effective communication.
Building a Culture of Leadership for All Leaders – you will learn about what it means to build a Culture of Leadership in your club and how it can create the right conditions to support Club growth and vibrancy.
Call to Action workshop – where you will learn strategies and tactics how to be impactful change leaders.
Fun sessions that will build your knowledge around Rotary in general, our youth work and the Foundation.
February - NL West March - SW NS NL West
February - NL East April - Northern NS
March - PEI April - Cape Breton
Watch your email inbox or check back at Rotary7820.com for the exact times and dates in your area!
Enjoy this city among friends at the Rotary International Presidential Conference on Environmental Sustainability and Peace on Saturday, February 10, 2018.
Only a few rooms left at the Hyatt Regency for the great price of $189CAD. Come hear amazing speakers like environmental scientists David Suzuki and Jonathan Patz, nuclear specialist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ira Helfand, Hiroshima Survivor, Jiro Kawatsuma, business leaders Bruce Karas and Maria Rodale, Rotary Peace Fellows Will Plowright and Glenn Raynor and life changers like Daniel Tillias, Jess Housty and Salvadore Rico. Check out their bios, the conference program and much more at www.environmentandpeace.com
EARLY BIRD RATE EXTENDED ‘til JAN 4th REGISTRATION CLOSES FEBRUARY 4th
I will be an engaged and active Rotarian in my club.
I will attend another Rotary club at least once before June 30, 2018.
I will invite someone to attend a Rotary club meeting, social or service activity.
I will help my club complete DG Don’s “P.I.P.E. Dreams” to build momentum and support for Public Image, Peace and the Environment in my club and our District.
I will register for and attend my local TLC “Training for Leaders of Clubs” - check http://rotary7820.com/ for details.
I will spend time looking at the District website http://rotary7820.com/ and I will share what I find out with my fellow club members.
I will become a monthly donor to the award-winning Rotary Foundation – and support the Annual Fund (Share) or Polio Plus. https://www.rotary.org/en/donate
I will go to Rotary.org, register for “My Rotary”, log in and check out my club’s goals on Rotary Club Central, my club’s projects on Rotary Showcase and the new “Rotary: People of Action” Public Image campaign in Brand Central.
This time of year can be a very lonely, emotional or sad time for many. For many elderly, in poor health, alone following the loss of a loved one, or living through a personal or family tragedy this time of year can be anything but joyful.
That's where Rotary Clubs and Rotarians in our district step up. In countless ways throughout our district Rotary through projects large and small will be bringing joy to those who need it the most at this time of year.
Throughout our District Rotarians will be serving lunch or entertaining at a seniors home, holding a Christmas party for children in need and putting a float in the local parade.
Santa must be real because wherever Rotary is, so is Santa bringing joy and presents to children. No one is left out when Santa and Rotary get together.
We Rotarians are, by and large, a pretty privileged bunch. Most of us are free to choose any menu item at our favourite restaurant, relishing the pleasure and freedom of dining out. Unfortunately, far too many within our district don't have that option. Their option may be whether to buy groceries or to pay rent. No one should have to make such a choice.
According to Food Banks Canada, the numbers for our district are jarring. In March 2016, food banks in Newfoundland and Labrador assisted 26,366 people (37.3% were children). For Nova Scotia the number was 23,840 (30.4% children). For Prince Edward Island the number was 3, 370 (35.5% chldren).
The need is all year round but at this time of year the need is particularly great.
The challenges of pregnancy and parenting can be overwhelming for any woman, and for young mothers experiencing social isolation, financial demands, and with limited social and family support, the challenges of motherhood are even more so.
In 1891, Captain Joseph McFee wanted to help the help the vulnerable in San Francisco, especially during the Christmas season, but he didn’t know where to get funding to do so. He remembered, during his earlier days in Liverpool, England, seeing a large kettle where passengers of boats that docked nearby were able to toss coins to help the poor. Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing, and encouraged the public to “Keep the Pot Boiling.” He collected enough to host a Christmas dinner for the poor.
It's that time of year when clubs should be holding their elections of the 2018-19 club officers. Holding elections on time and having a clear succession plan in place will help keep your club headed in the right direction for the next Rotary year.
December 31, 2018 is the deadline for election of officers and February 1, 2019 is the deadline for reporting the officers to Rotary International.
Current club officers can submit this information via the Club Administration section of My Rotary, ClubRunner, or by sending the information to data@rotary.org.
Wondering about how to do that new Leadership position within your club? Stay tuned for the dates, times and locations for the upcoming TLC (Training for Leaders of Clubs) in your area in 2018 and take your leadership, planning and technical skills in Rotary roles and programs to the next level!
The Rotary Club of Port Hawkesbury enjoyed its annual visit to the Coady International Institute where we met several wonderful international students who spoke passionately about their causes and projects in their respective home countries. They also spoke enthusiastically about the invaluable tools they were acquiring at Coady for peace and community economic development. In attendance were the Coady students, Rotarians and guests (including DG Elect Rob Christie), Richmond Academy Interactors and St. FX University Rotaractors.
In response to DG Don’s challenge to our Club (his P.I.P.E. Dream), we invited peace activist and community peace facilitator, Maureen St. Clair to be our guest speaker. Her message was powerful and resonated strongly with all those in attendance. A wonderful meal and a special moment was enjoyed by all.
Rachel MacFarlane, Fund Development Officer at the Coady International Institute wrote the Club afterwards saying;
I wanted to send along a quick thank you for spending time with us here at Coady last week! The participants, Marureen and I had a wonderful time! The Interacters shared with me that they all left feeling inspired to make positive change!
The Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) program is a wonderful and rewarding experience of visiting other districts and cultures, guided by friends in Rotary. Exchange participants take turns hosting and visiting one another, forging friendships that last a lifetime.
We have an outbound exchange planned from February 18th to March 3rd 2018 with District 6990 South Florida & the Grand Bahamas. My counterpart in D6990 has promised sun and beaches in February as well as lots of fellowship!
Their return visit here will be this summer (dates TBD).
Our outbound team of 11 Rotarians and partners was selected several months ago and unfortunately two couples recently have had to opt out. We are now accepting applications to fill those vacancies. Singles and couples will be considered.
PDG David Muise's funeral was held November 6th and was attended by a large contingent of local and district Rotarians. He will be greatly missed. We publish his obituary below, written in his own words.
DAVID NELSON MUISE 1949-2017
If you are reading this I guess I died. Believe me, it wasn't my choice. Someone will fill in the date, (November 2, 2017 at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital).
The Rotary Foundation recognized eligible clubs within District 7820 for their support for The Rotary Foundation in 2016-17.
Banners were provided to the top three per capita donations to the Annual Fund (Share):
1. Rotary Club of Halifax - US$235.05
2. Rotary Club of Kentville- US$218.00
3. Rotary Club of New Minas - US$188.77
Four clubs earned banners for 100% Foundation Giving. (Every dues paying member contributed a minimum of US$25 to the Annual Fund and the average contribution is at least US$100 to any Rotary Foundati gift designation:
Join the over 115 District 7820 Rotarians already registered to attend the 2018 Rotary International Convention in Toronto 23-27 June 2017.
If you register before the December 15 2017 deadline you pay only US$345 per Rotarian (US$70 per Rotaractor). The price then goes up to $420 ($495 after March 31st). The cancellation deadline is April 30th , 2018.
Many Rotarians say that they joined Rotary when they were inducted into membership, but they did not truly become a Rotarian until they attended a Rotary International Convention. And in 2018 in Toronto it is going to be so close to home!
Do you have a great Rotary story and great photos? Then, please share!
Rotary International has started what it is calling the People of Action Campaign where it is showing Rotarians doing what they have become known for; working together to make our communities better.
How Nigeria is working passionately to remain polio free.
by PDG Stella Roy
I have just returned from 10 days in Nigeria, with a team from Canada, USA and Denmark, led by Ann Lee Hussey, to immunize for polio. We went to Yola, Adamawa State in the northeast of Nigeria close to where the last four cases of polio were found in August 2016. We went to work with the Rotarians, the WHO, the Gates Foundation doctor and UNICEF. We also went to thank the health care workers for the all the work they do and the mothers for vaccinating their children.
At the current time a higher percentage of children are vaccinated in Nigeria than in North America which is a sad fact.
District Governor Don Sword is pleased to announce that Dr. Ian Doyle, Rotary Club of Sydney Sunrise has been selected as the District Governor Nominee Designate (DGND), to serve as District Governor in Rotary year 2020-21.
On July 16, 2017 clubs were invited to suggest names for this position on or before the September 30, 2017 deadline. The Nominating Committee considered those suggestions, interviewed the candidates and notified the District Governor of their recommendation which has subsequently been approved.
A dentist in Sydney, Ian has been a educator and mentor to many young professionals and a leader in his professional associations, provincially, nationally and at the international level.
A Rotarian since 1981, Ian has been president of two Rotary Clubs and a very active community volunteer. He and his wife Anne have hosted exchange students, attended numerous Rotary International Conventions and District Conferences. Ian has participated in 9 overseas humanitarian missions with plan for more. He is currently District Paul Harris Society Chair.
The last Friendship Exchange visitors have returned home to District 5020 (Vancouver Island & western Washington State and by all reports, their experience in Nova Scotia was much better than they had anticipated.
Comments received include “the best vacation we’ve ever had” ; “A wonderful exchange, beyond our expectations” & “We both had a wonderful experience and enjoyed the beauty of Nova Scotia, the warm welcoming and hospitality of our hosts and the camaraderie of our fellow Rotarians.”
The fall session of the Rotary leadership Institute (RLI) was held Oct 24th in Truro. There were 29 Rotarians who spent the day sharpening their leadership skills and learning more about their organization. This included three who successfully completed the training to become RLI facilitators. As always, feedback from the day has been very positive.
The next RLI session will be held April 7th, in Dieppe NB. All three parts will be offered if enough people register before the deadline.
Check out the RLI page, register for a Part and bring someone from your club to the next session.
By now everyone in the District should have heard about DG Don's P.I.P.E. Dreams for D7820.
In addition to seeking help from talented and committed Rotarians throughout the district to develop, by June 30, 2018 , sustainable district strategies for each of Public Image, Peace and the Environment, DG Don is asking each club to take some simple steps to build momentum and awareness of P.I.P.E. Dreams in our District. So far, the reaction from around the district has been very positive.
Clubs that are strong and are "Making A Difference" in their communities will automatically be recognized for their goals but they need to let Rotary International know about it by recording it on Rotary Club Central (RCC) , Rotary Showcase and Rotary Ideas. (To find these simply go to rotary.org and log into My Rotary )
Two things are mandatory.
Firstly, clubs must pay their Rotary International dues on time in July and January. Secondly, all clubs must report their volunteer hours and service project contributions in Rotary Club Central. The reason for this is that it will allow Rotary International to quantify our impact on our local and global communities. This is critical for Rotary International to attract and retain major partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation . It also helps Districts and Clubs tell their stories to their supporters. Every club has at least one member who is good at keeping records. Let the Four Way Test apply to your estimate of volunteer hours.
As you know, one of Rotary's goals is to eradicate polio. As of the end of October there have been only 12 new cases of wild polio in the world in 2017. That's down from 37 in 2016 and 74 in 2015. Thirty years ago there were 350,000 cases a year. The countdown to eradication is truly upon us.
But we still need your help. The final push to eradicate will cost US$1.5 Billion and to support that financial target Rotary International has pledged to raise $US 50 Million a year for the next three years.
Tuesday October 24 was World Polio Day.
Across the Rotary world there were celebrations, fundraisers and activities. But right here at home in District 7820 there were a number of special events to mark the occasion. For example, the St. John's East Rotary Club held a "Pints for Polio" fundraiser at the Qudi Vidi Brewery. It was a sold out event and raised thousands to END POLIO NOW. The E-Club of Atlantic Canada spearheaded an On-line World Polio Day event that started in the Atlantic and went across Canada with regional E-Clubs and special guests joining the meeting as each time zone reached 7 PM! What a great idea to raise awareness and money!
The Rotary Club of New Minas Sunrise had its county proclaim World Polio Day and the Rotary Club of Truro held a "Get to Know Rotary Day" and promoted World Polio Day as well. And many other clubs in our District supported World Polio Day in their own way.
World Polio Day may be over, but that is no reason for you or your club to do nothing until next year. Continue to raise awareness and raise funds to help eradicate polio. Encourage your club to make its own donation. Or, consider making your own personal donation to Polio Plus. Check our http://endpolio.org for more ideas on raising awareness, fundraising ideas and up-to-date information.
Please let our District Polio Coordinator, Tom Campbell, know what your club has done or plans to do to help eradicate polio. tom@afj.life
Our Rotary International District 7820 is joining forces with our neighbouring District 7810 (New Brunswick and part of Maine) to support the Rotary Foundation in our Districts.
We are pleased to announce the launch of a Million Dollar Campaign and Celebration Dinner. This is an opportunity for our Districts to show that we believe in the ideals of Rotary and our ability to "Do Good in the World".
The Rotary Foundation is a remarkable organization, with strong financial oversight, that allows Rotarians to achieve results in many ways by transforming our gifts into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Its mission is to advance world understanding, good will ad peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sutainable solutions that leave a lasting impact.
The leadership of Districts 7810 and 7820 want to make the work of The Rotary Foundation (TRF) better known, to raise the profile of the great work that is being done around the globe by TRF. Paul Harris said, "Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves." Help us to continuing ensuring great results.
We are inviting you to become part of Rotary's life changing work by becoming part of our Million Dollar Campaign and Celebration Dinner .
A highlight of the wonderful gala night at the Delta Charlottetown on Sunday October 1st , 2017 was the awarding of Paul Harris Fellowships (PHF's) to Rotarians from Island Rotary clubs. RI President Ian Riseley personally pinned every recipient with their 1st or multiple PHF recognition.
The Rotary Club of Charlottetown was chartered on October 1, 1917, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Halifax. It was club number 333 in the Rotary world. With 100 years of service the Club determined to mark the occasion with a Centennial Celebration and celebrate it did!
With Past District Governor Robert (Bob) Moffatt as Chair the Centennial Committee worked tirelessly to make the celebration worthy of the one hundred years of "Service Above Self". This article can't begin to list all of the accomplishments of a century, including sponsoring four out of the five other clubs on the Island. James W Macnutt even wrote a book - "A Century of Service of Rotary on Prince Edward Island". Copies are still available
Halifax Metro Rotary Clubs are welcoming about a dozen Boston Rotarians and guests during a the week of December 6th, the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion.
DG Don Sword will be attending these events and you are also welcome. We are working on a registration method so we can gauge the numbers of people attending these events.
If you have questions, please contact Ron Zwaagstra ronz@printpro.ca
At the time of this writing, the Rotary Friendship Exchange team from D1420 (Finland & Estonia) is halfway through their visit. A wonderful group of very interesting Rotarians and their guests with a diversity of backgrounds. This group has visited the Annapolis Valley and Prince Edward Island and along the way, the RC of Truro warmly welcomed them with a great BBQ lunch. Currently they have visited Pictou County and are on their way to Cape Breton. This group is overwhelmed with the generosity and hospitality of everyone that they have met.
As you know, one of Rotary’s goals is to eradicate polio. We are down to eight children infected in the world in 2017 so far. Please see the attached graphic. This is down from, literally, tens of thousands only a few short years ago.
This has been a year of major environmental disasters! Category 5 Hurricane's like Harvey, Irma, Joes and Maria made their way through the Caribbean with sustained record-breaking wind speeds and storm surges causing untold personal damage and suffering. The island of Barbuda is now considered uninhabitable as 95% of buildings were destroyed and there is no water or power. Places liked the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Florida to name just a few other location have also been hard hit.
As I am sure you all know, many of the cites along the Gulf Coast of the United States have been devastated by category 4 Hurricane Harvey with winds of over 130 miles an hour and over 50 inches of rain. It’s the heaviest storm on record anywhere in the U.S. outside Hawaii and it is still raining.
This severe rainfall has caused historic flooding along the Texas coast, including in Houston. Deluged towns in the region are in desperate need of aid as thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes. Cities like Rockport, Texas have been completely destroyed. The Greater Houston area with a population of over 6.5 million people (the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the United States) has had over 3.7 million people leave the region in the evacuation effort. Others remained trapped inside their homes, as entire neighborhoods were submerged.
Have you read your September issue of the Rotarian yet?
First of all, check out pages 48-51 and the feature article "Leap of Faith" all about the Syrian refugee crisis and the work of the Rotary Club of Amherst! Great article and great job by the caring Rotarians of Amherst. Truly an example of "Rotary: Making A Difference"! Go to https://my.rotary.org/en/news-media/magazines/rotarian to see the article online.
DG Don will be in Amherst on the official club visit on Monday, September 11, 2017 to congratulate the Rotary Club of Amherst in person.
Secondly, congratulations to PDG Pete Smith Mbah Ntiante who had the picture he entered in the 2017 "RI End Polio Now" Photo contest profiled in the September 2017 Rotarian Magazine. You can see it on page 7 of the magazine. Follow the link above for the online version.
If you want to see that District Conference promo video again please follow this YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzjEYfaB4-w (or just search YouTube for "2018 Rotary District 7820 Conference Promo Video"). Who knows, you might be inspired to join the many Rotarians from around our District to come to St. John's for a memorable conference. See you there!
On Monday October 2, 2017 Rotary International President Ian Riseley will be the special guest for the Grand Opening of the Summerside Rotary Learning Centre. This great project is a great example of Rotary: Making A Difference!
In 2013, after a year-long strategic planning process, the Rotary Club of Summerside recognized an opportunity to undertake a signature project. Through this process, the club determined that expanding the services of the city’s library would be the best way to positively contribute to the community. The old Summerside Rotary library had outgrown its space making it impossible to meet the needs of the seventeen non-profit user groups and educational institutions, as well as the library’s weekly staff programs.
In 2014, the Summerside Rotary Club purchased “the old post-office” from the federal government and began the process of transforming the space to the new regional Inspire Learning Centre. Rotary relied heavily upon its club members’ various skill sets to help with the fundraising, marketing, renovations and legal aspects throughout the process.
Through the generosity of the community and the contributions of all three levels of government, $2.8 million was raised to make the new Inspire Learning Centre a reality. Summerside Rotarians themselves contributed $300,000.
The Inspire Learning Centre now includes the library, meeting rooms and space for non-profit groups, taking up 15,000 square feet of the 27,000-square-foot building the Rotary Club had purchased. The federal government remains as a tenant in the remaining space. The Rotary Club of Summerside, with a history of making things happen, has once again brought a “legacy” project to life for the benefit of all ages and for future generations. Follow these links to read more about this signature Rotary project: http://www.summersiderotaryclub.com/Stories/inspiring-move-to-the-new-learning-centre
Rotary International has started what it is calling the People of Action Campaign where it is showing Rotarians doing what they have become known for; working together to make our communities better.
With that in mind, we would like to highlight some of the activities of the clubs and Rotarians in District 7820 by profiling our People Of Action on the front page of the District Website. It is our plan to replaced the current top scrolling banner on the website with pictures of our Rotarians in action around the region or around the world. To do that WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Please send Jim Goit (jbgoit@gmail.com) pictures of your club and members working on projects and we'll include them along with your club and project name in the next generation of the website masthead banner.
The Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is a series of one-day courses offered to help refine a Rotarian's leadership skills and increase their base of knowledge about Rotary. Courses are fun, topical, interactive, and geared toward busy business, professional and community leaders who want to become more knowledgeable Rotarians and more effective leaders in their vocation and their Rotary club. It is open to all Rotarians but is especially beneficial for newer Rotarians.
You can find out more about RLI and the various sessions by checking out our on line resources. Experienced Rotarians are the leaders of the sessions and you will meet others from clubs all over the Atlantic region.
The fall session of the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) will be held Oct 28, 2017 in Truro at the Truro Campus of the NSCC, 36 Arthur St. We are planning to offer all Parts of the training if enough Rotarians from District 7810 and 7820 register On-line registration is available by clicking this link. Don't delay as space is limited for each Part.
The cost of the course is still $125 which includes lunch and breaks. Hotel accommodation is the responsibility of the individual Rotarian.
The Rotary Club of Truro is also hosting a reception at the Best Western on October 27th starting at 7:00 pm for Rotarians in Truro for the RLI event on the 28th.
Participating in RLI has proven to be the defining moment for many Rotarians. Join us in Truro.
Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19. He will be declared the president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
As president, Rassin aims to strengthen our public image and our use of digital tools to maximize Rotary’s reach.
“Those who know what good Rotary clubs do will want to be a part of it, and we must find new models for membership that allow all interested in our mission to participate,” he says. “With Rotary more in the public eye, we will attract more individuals who want to be part of and support a membership organization that accomplishes so much good around the world.”
Rotary International has announced that Mark Daniel Maloney, of the Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, USA, has been selected by the Nominating Committee to be President of Rotary International in 2019-20. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if there are no challenging candidates.
“The clubs are where Rotary happens,” Mark believes. His priorities are to support and strengthen clubs at the community level, preserve Rotary’s culture as a service-oriented membership organization, and test new regional approaches for growth.
“With the eradication of polio, recognition for Rotary will be great and the opportunities will be many,” he says. “We have the potential to become the global powerhouse for doing good.”
Sunday October 1, 2017 will mark the 100th anniversary of The Rotary Club of Charlottetown being admitted into Rotary International on October 1, 1917. The entire year has been one of celebrating the Rotary clubs of Prince Edward Island “Making A Difference” for the past 100 years.
But now the Centennial Committee, led by Chair PDG Bob Moffatt, are holding a major event to cap off the celebration.
A Gala Dinner will be held at the PEI Convention Centre in Charlottetown on Oct 1st with special guest, Rotary International President Ian Riseley in attendance! This will be a “hot ticket” so you won’t want to miss out.
The event begins with a reception at 6 PM and the dinner at 7 PM. Tickets are only $75 per person. For out of province attendees please contact Joan MacFarlane of the RC of Hillsborough Charlottetown at centennialdinner2017@gmail.com to reserve a ticket and for payment details. The deadline for off island attendees to purchase tickets is Friday September 15th.
Plus, the organizing committee have arranged for a special room rate at the Delta for overnight visitors. Call the hotel for the special rate.
There are three Friendship Exchanges in the works.
In a little over a month, our first inbound Friendship Exchange will be visiting us from District 1420 Finland & Estonia on September 14th to the 26th. This group of twelve Rotarians will be visiting the Annapolis Valley, Prince Edward Island, Pictou /New Glasgow/ Stellarton/ Westville and then on to Cape Breton.
Our host teams have been busy planning and organizing some wonderful tours and events for our visitors. Please take the opportunity to meet with these visiting Rotarians when they visit your club or area. This itinerary and the bios of our visitors will be posted shortly on the District website.
Our return exchange with them will be in August 2018.
A Global Grant can be extremely worthwhile for the community it serves in another part of the world. But even successful projects can involve challenges.
These emails from the Befang, Cameroon project to provide a real life example of the challenges a project can face as well as the importance of knowing your host club and having good communication.
The Rotary Club of Stephenville's President Mel Dean and Rotary Club of Grand Falls member Greg Woolfrey were recognized with True Rotarian Awards during the Official Club visits by DG Don and Pat in July.
Consistent with the 2017-18 Rotary Theme these two worthy award winners are "Making a Difference"!
One of the most important roles of the District Governor is to visit the clubs to deliver the messages from the current RI President including the 2017-18 theme Rotary: Making a Difference and to help promote healthy and vibrant clubs.
DG Don and Pat visited the Western and Central Newfoundland clubs in July and also participated in the Sydney Ribfest. They were very well received and spent time in board meetings, club meetings, project tours and activities.
Some highlights included: RC Clarenville baked DG Don a welcome cake; the Rotary Arts Centre in Corner Brook; a productive visit with RC Humber; a tour of Rotary projects by RC Stephenville, the Rotary Gold Mine draw at Cobb's Pond Rotary Park in Gander and future Rotarian Tarragon Wilkes at RC Grand Falls!
Clubs are invited to suggest eligible Rotarians for the position of District Governor Nominee Designate, “DGND” - the Rotarian who will advance through the District Governor chain of offices to become District Governor for 2020-21. The Nominee shall assume the title of Governor-Nominee-Designate upon selection and shall assume the title of Governor-Nominee on July 1, 2018. The selection shall be made by Nomination Committee procedure as per RI By-Laws and District Manual of Policies and Procedures, Section 8.
To be eligible, the suggested candidate must meet the qualifications specified in Rotary International By-law (“RIB”) 16.070 (COL 2016). The Duties of a District Governor are specified in Rotary International By-law 16.090 (COL 2016). Further District Governor information specific to our District is found in the article Continuity, Consistency, Collaboration. These additional information resources are attached to this invitation. They will also be available on the District’s home page.
A Club shall forward its suggestion to the Nominating Committee using the Rotary International District 7820 District Governor-Nominee Suggestion Form 2017. This form is attached to this notice and will be available on the home page of the District Website.
Please note the required attachments to the District Governor-Nominee Suggestion Form 2017 that must also be fully completed and submitted:
Rotary International President-elect Sam F. Owori died unexpectedly on 13 July due to complications from surgery. Sam was a member of the Rotary Club Kampala, Uganda, for 38 years.
“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,” Sam said when he was nominated last year. “I feel immense satisfaction knowing that through Rotary, I’ve helped someone live better.”
Sam's term as Rotary’s 108th president would have begun on 1 July 2018.
“Please remember Sam as the outstanding, hardworking Rotarian he was,” said Rotary International President Ian Riseley. “In this difficult time, I ask you to keep his wife, Norah, the Owori family, and Sam’s millions of friends around the world in your thoughts.”
The Rotary International Convention in Toronto next June is creating a lot of interest. Already there are 10,000 Rotarians from around the world that have registered.
For Rotarians in Districts 7820, 7810 and 7790 here is a worry free comfortable way of attending the convention.
Rotary International 2017-18 President Ian Riseley
Rotary Club of Sandringham, Victoria, Australia
President Ian has been a Rotarian for over 40 years. He is a professional accountant, an environmentalist, vegetarian, an avid sports fan, and has tremendous support from Juliet who is the first RI Presidential partner who was herself a former District Governor in Rotary. Ian is intelligent, capable, and has a keen sense of humour. Ian is the kind of person who takes what he does very seriously, but doesn’t take himself seriously. He would fit in perfectly in District 7820!
Since 1949, Rotary International has had an annual theme which focuses our activities as Rotarians for that year. This is more for internal use than for the general public, for whom Service Above Self is a constant explanation of what drives us. According to RI President Ian Riseley, the 2017/18 theme of Rotary: Making a Difference represents what Rotary is and Rotary does, every day and in many ways. All those people who benefit from our great programs appreciate that Rotary exists to make a difference. Further, Rotary makes a difference to ourselves as Rotarians. We are improved as people by following the guiding principles that come from our mission statement and the Object of Rotary.
The world is a better place because of Rotary making a difference!
The 2017-18 District Governor Leadership team members officially begin their new duties July 1, 2017. Details for each of these individuals may be found on their profile pages on the District website.
Our District is fortunate to have a strong, team based, leadership plan. Please support them as they do the important work of Rotary.
The Professional Development Day will take place Thursday May 24 at Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre just outside of St. John's in Conception Bay South. Registration for both events will begin in January 2018.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, comments or wish to volunteer please contact Kathryn Atkin or Dave Works, Conference Co-Chairs.
The Rotary Foundation Regional Service Award for a Polio Free World was established by the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation in order to recognize outstanding contributions to the polio eradication effort and to encourage participation in the final eradication efforts.
This prestigious award goes to PDG Stella Roy for her "Above and Beyond? efforts in the fight to End Polio.
Making the presentation is Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinators, PDG Duncan Conrad and Rotary Foundation Trustee, Bryn Styles.
The Rotary Foundation Regional Service Award for a Polio Free World goes to PDG Stella Roy
Selecting “Club of the Year” is a difficult challenge for a district Governor. So many of you are doing great work in your communities, and many of you deserve the recognition. After much thought, I have selected the Rotary Club of Summerside to receive this recognition for 2016-17.
RC Summerside has just completed an enormous project for their community, the Inspire Learning Centre. I’m told that it took three years to plan and about a year to construct. The project involved the repurposing of a surplus Federal Building into a three-floor structure, which encompasses a traditional library, and space to support a variety of community needs. The club engaged the whole community in the planning and the financing and now have a wonderful facility, that will serve the residents of Summerside long into the future.
Accepting the award from DG Elva is Gord Coffin of the Rotary Club of Summerside. Congratulations.
Garth Gordon has been a member of the Rotary Club of Kentville since 1986 and in the years since has served the club in many capacities including President in 1991-92.
Garth’s first career was in the Royal Canadian Navy, after which he opted for a career in law. He retired from that profession in 2015 and was looking for a new challenge, and that happened to be when I was building a team for this Rotary Year and needed a District Secretary. How fortunate that Garth agreed the position was the challenge he was looking for.
As I mentioned earlier, Garth has served District 7820 incredibly well this year, putting his expertise to use in updating our governance structure, harmonizing it with RI policies, and providing related assistance to a number of clubs. Moreover Garth has agreed to fulfill a three year term as District Secretary.
Garth, please accept this symbol of my appreciation for all the wonderful assistance and support you have provided to the District, its clubs, and to me this year.
Louisa Horne
Inspired by her daughter Hannah’s experience as a Youth Exchange student, Louisa Horne joined the Rotary Club of Halifax in 2005 and has been a very active Rotarian ever since. She was President when her club was named Club of the Year, and has led Group Study Exchange and Rotary Friendship Exchange teams on international visits. She currently is our District Trainer, and our District Governor Nominee Designate.
Louisa is Director of the small business consulting practice of the Business Development Bank of Canada, and strongly believes in the exploration of best practices for continuous improvement. She has put her vocational experience and skills into action on behalf of Rotary and with Doug Logan has developed the Training for Leaders of Clubs program now in use in District 7820.
Doug Logan
Doug Logan joined Rotary with the New Glasgow club in 1997. Since then he has served his club and the District in many capacities, including as District Governor in 2008-09. As Governor he oversaw the implementation of the District’s current governance structure and led the development of a District Strategic Plan. On numerous occasions he has provided support to Clubs on leadership and governance issues.
Doug has over thirty years’ experience in leadership and management and has authored two books dealing with innovation and organizational change. Teaming with Louisa he has used his skills for the benefit of the District in developing the training for Leaders of Clubs Program.
Louisa and Doug, please accept these expressions of our gratitude for your extraordinary commitment to the preparation of our future leaders in District 7820.
District Secretary and Trainers Presented with Paul Harris Fellowships
The HEART OF THE DISTRICT AWARD is given to a Past District Governor who provided great service to the district during his/her year as district governor and who continues to contribute in an outstanding way to the work being carried out by District 7820.
The recipient of the award for 2016-17 is PDG who served the district very well during his year as governor making major improvements in process and increasing our presence on social media. As past district governor, he has been the “go to” person for technical advice on Clubrunner, the RI website, manager of the district website and editor of our district bulletin.
This recognition is in appreciation for all that Jim has done for the district.
The Rotary Friendship Exchange program gives Rotarians and their families the opportunity to host and visit Rotarians around the world. In addition to experiencing other cultures and making lasting friendships, an exchange provides a strong foundation for carrying out other international activities and service projects.
Registration activity for the 2017 District Conference is very busy right now, with only a few weeks remaining until we gather as Rotarians at the Old Orchard Inn in Greenwich, Nova Scotia. Drawing upon all the Annapolis Valley Clubs for volunteers, District Governor Elva and our Conference Committee are ready to educate, connect, entertain and feed delegates from across our District and beyond. Please check the Conference website for registration information, and forward questions on anything (we have lists for travel, food allergies, etc.) to conference.registration@outlook.com.
Hotel spaces are going quickly, and the Old Orchard Inn staff can assist if you need other accommodation options close by. Home Hosting spots for Thursday evening are also filling up quickly, and we expect to close off registration for this favourite Conference activity by May 24th.
The Presidential Citation process is in its second year of being "all electronic". It IS the first year that the deadline for completing all the requirements is at the END of the Rotary Year.
The District Dashboard tells us that many clubs have a way's to go to meet the requirements, however, CONGRATULATIONS to the Rotary Club of Wolfville - MudCreek who first to meet all the requirements. DG Elva recognized them at the District Conference. The Rotary Clubs of Sackville & Area and Sidney Sunrise have now also reached the goal.
For the positions of the District 7820 Representative to the Rotary International 2017, 2018 and 2019 Councils on Resolutions and the 2019 Council on Legislation and Alternate Representative.
Further to the Invitation to Clubs to suggest names for these positions sent to clubs on February 13, 2017, clubs submitted three suggestions before April 15th, 2017. The Nominating Committee considered those suggestions and notified the District Governor on April 24th, 2017 that they nominated
PDG Doug Logan, a member of the eClub of Atlantic Canada (a Satellite Club of the Rotary Club of Halifax Harbourside) for the position of District 7820 Representative to the Rotary International 2017, 2018 and 2019 Councils on Resolutions and the 2019 Council on Legislation, and
PDG Greg Coldwell, a member of the Rotary Club of New Minas Sunrise for the position of District 7820 Alternate Representative to the Rotary International 2017, 2018 and 2019 Councils on Resolutions and the 2019 Council on Legislation.
It's only a month away! Rotarians from across District 7820 are encouraged to register soon for the District Conference at the Old Orchard Inn. Events begin with Leadership Training on Thursday June 1st and then things are“ Moving Boldly Forward” into the full Conference Friday, Saturday ending on Sunday. Have a look at the full program.
You won't want to miss it. Check out the website and register on-line today.
Amherst Rotarian Morris Haugg had some great advice to share about fostering "Fellowship" in Rotary Clubs and he took the time to share it with the Editor of the Rotary International Rotarian Magazine. It has been published in the May issue. Check it out. Congratulations Morris. Great advice!
District Rotarian's Letter to Editor Published in Rotarian Magazine
There was a small but interested group for the first of the technical sessions that was held on April 12. We shared tips on how to more effectively use Clubrunner to better manage member information or communicate with Rotarians. We also talked about website design and integrating Facebook with the Club's site.
In the second session we'll explore how to easily use RI's Rotary Club Central to help meet the requirements for the RI Presidential Citation and manage club planning. Other topics will be covered as participants ask.
There is a whole range of tools available to make the work of the club's officers and committee chairs easier... you just need to know they are available and how to use them. I'm open to questions and suggestions for topics so the sessions can be interactive. Based on requests and interest, additional sessions will be scheduled.
The sessions is open to everyone interested and will be held on Wednesday May 10th from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM ADT. Please register at https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/6045538623097389570 so that you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training.
There are lots of tools available to help with effective operation of a Rotary Club. Let's learn about them. Contact me if there are specific questions or topics you'd like to see covered. If I don't know about it, there are others we can find who can help us.
To the Members, Rotary International District 7820 Incorporated:
In accordance with District By-Law 11, this is to advise that a Meeting of the Members of Rotary International District 7820 Incorporated will take place more than forty-five (45) days from today's date, at 3:30* PM on Friday, June 2, 2017 at the Old Orchard Inn, Highway 101, Greenwich, Nova Scotia.
Rotarians had reason to celebrate recently as they were on hand at RI headquarters for the induction of Joop and Susan Ueffing as the first members of the
Arch Klumph Society from District 7820.
Arch C. Klumph founded the Rotary Club of Cleveland, Ohio, USA, in 1911 and was the 1916-17 Rotary president. Addressing the 1917 convention in Atlanta, Georgia, he eloquently promoted the idea of "endowments for the purpose of doing good in the world." That year, the Rotary Club of Kansas City, Missouri, made the first gift, of $26.50, to the fledgling fund. When the endowment had grown significant enough to require administrators to manage it, The Rotary Foundation was born, and Klumph was selected as one of its first trustees.
The Arch Klumph Society (AKS) was created in 2004, during Rotary International's centennial celebration, as a meaningful way to recognize the Foundation's highest-level donors, those who have made a donation of US $250,000 or more to the humanitarian programs of the Rotary Foundation.
Joop and Susan where they were joined by 12 other couples from across zone 24 who were also inducted in what was called the AKS Canada Day at the AKS Inductions at RI Headquarters. This was the largest number of AKS members ever inducted and Joop and Susan are the first ever AKS members form D 7820.
Supporting the Ueffings at the induction was a contingent of Rotarians and their partners from D 7820, including A/RRFC Stella Roy, RRFC Duncan Conrad, District Foundation Chair, PDG Greg Coldwell and Claudia, PDG Tom McCaughney and Shirley, DG Elva Heyge, and Shirley Robertson, a friend of DG Elva's from Vancouver.
Are you a club leader? Is your club struggling but you’re having a hard time figuring out why?
This video presentation by Zone Membership Coordinator, Ian Ferguson, may help you focus your efforts where they will be most effective. Ian presented to our District Membership Committee recently and it was recorded live and uploaded to our District YouTube channel to share with clubs in the district. See link below:
Like many clubs in District 7820, the Rotary Club of Amherst has a very active project to help settle Syrian refugees in their community. Rotary International has profiled the excellent work of the Club in their online and print media with a great videos highlighting the important role of Rotary in these efforts. Congratulations Amherst Rotarians! https://www.rotary.org/en/rotarians-nova-scotia-embrace-syrian-refugee-family
Rotary Club of Amherst Gets RI Profile with Refugee Project
Rotarians from across District 7820 are encouraged to register soon for the District Conference at the Old Orchard Inn, hosted by Valley Rotary Clubs. With only 7 weeks remaining until events begin with Leadership Training on May 31, things “ Moving Boldly Forward” as we say in the Conference Theme. Please see the District Conference website for information about the program, registration and accommodations. If you have questions about any aspect of the Conference, please email us at conference.registration@outlook.com
Here again is a summary of the Keynote Speakers over Friday and Saturday’s sessions:
RI President’s Representative Stephen Brown,
“Rotarians Partnering to Help in Afghanistan”
Rose Adams,
“Breathe”
Ron Denham,
WASRAG, “Hope for Millions”
Bryn Styles,
“A Foundation to Build On”
Peter Bevan-Baker,
“The Happy Dentist”
Partner and Youth Program Information: The Conference Web Site features new information about both the Partner Program and Youth Program (YE and Interact). Partners can sign up for Home Hosting on Thursday, and take part in tours of local wineries, Grand Pre National Historic Site, and lunch in Port Williams on Friday, followed by the Blues, Brews and Barbeque main Conference social event. On Saturday, there will be more sightseeing, some down time in the afternoon, and the District Governors Dinner in the evening.
Youth delegates (please ensure these are registered on line) will be housed at Acadia and take part in a mix of main Conference activities and off site travel and study of water related issues. We hope to have the younger folks develop some water service project proposals to share with their home clubs after the Conference is complete. And please remember that these and other Rotary Youth activities will benefit from your Club’s contribution to the Silent Auction goodies for the Conference – See you all soon.
PETS & SETS has evolved to be a Professional Development opportunity for all leaders and aspiring leaders – and the content is not just for your Rotary life – it’s for your whole life!
We are so excited to be presenting this professional development day, focused on “Generous Leadership”. This is truly an opportunity for you to participate in Vocational Service as you explore ways to develop valuable leadership skills that will be of benefit for your Club and your workplace. Check out the accompanying flyer and sign up today!
Note that even if you have already registered for the conference, you need to register for this day separately. If you are not attending the conference as an incoming President or Secretary, the fee is only $25 for your lunch – an exceptional opportunity for you to benefit from this workshop for the cost of your lunch!
Your Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) committee has been actively working on the three upcoming exchanges this year. All will be inbound at roughly the same time but in separate areas of our district. All areas of our district are expected to be involved in exchanges in 2017
Applications for Outbounders in 2018 will be available shortly for these exchanges. First choices will be given to those Rotarians and partners from the areas that the teams are visiting. Should openings still be available, invitations will be extended on a district wide basis.
Representatives of the committee will be available to visit and explain to members and clubs the benefits of involvement in Friendship Exchanges. Details of exchanges will soon be sent to the clubs that are expected to be involved.
Although not all can directly participate as an outbounder, the hosting, entertaining and touring with Rotarians from other Districts are rewarding and provide wonderful opportunities for fellowship.
D1420 Finland & Estonia Their inbound team will be here from 9th to 22nd of September and will tour PEI; Northern NS; Cape Breton and HRM
D6990 South Florida & Grand Bahamas; Will visit from approximately 10th to 24th September 2017 and will be touring Newfoundland but will also join DG Don Sword on his official visit to St. Pierre et Miquelon on 15th Sept.
D5020 Vancouver Island & Washington State; Inbound early October 2017 (final dates TBD) and will visit HRM; South Shore NS; Yarmouth; Valley
Interested in learning how to more effectively use Clubrunner to better manage member information or communicate with Rotarians? Need to spruce up your club's website? Want to learn how to easily use RI's Rotary Club Central to help meet the requirements for the RI Presidential Citation?
There is a whole range of tools available to make the work of the club's officers and committee chairs easier... you just need to know they are available and how to use them.
There are two on-line technical discussion sessions coming up during April and May that may be of help. I will lead these discussions and will cover topics of interest to Rotarians who are responsible for some of the technical day-to-day management activities of their Rotary Clubs. I'm open to questions and suggestions for topics so the sessions can be interactive. Based on requests and interest, additional sessions will be scheduled.
The two planned sessions are open to everyone interested. They will be held on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 and Wednesday May 10th from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM ADT. Please register at https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/6045538623097389570
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the training.
There are lots of tools available to help with effective operation of a Rotary Club. Let's learn about them. Contact me if there are specific questions or topics you'd like to see covered. If I don't know about it, there are others we can find who can help us.
Taking Training in our District to the Next Level.
The District has a new two-part training strategy to help our current and future District’s leaders and clubs be the best they can be.
The first part is the Training for Leaders of Clubs (TLC). Introduced in 2016, TLC replaces the old Mini Conference. Gone is the “talking heads” lecture style of the past – replaced with interactive workshops, focused training and even some games! We are half way through TLC for 2017 and according to the evaluations District 7820 Rotarians love TLC!
Look under UPCOMING EVENTS on rotary7820.com for details of the TLC in your area and to register for Charlottetown (April 8), St. John’s (rescheduled to April 22) and Sydney (April 29) and Happy Valley-Goose Bay (May 6).
The second part is the new Professional Development Day on Thursday, June 1 at the Old Orchard Inn, prior to the District Conference. This replaces the old PETS and SETS day. This day is a high quality Leadership training session lead by a world class facilitator, Crane Stookey as well as District and Rotary International leaders. Attendance is a must for incoming Presidents and Secretaries but any current or future Rotary leader may attend.
If you are an incoming President or Secretary, your registration to attend the Prof Dev Day is Free (it’s already paid by your club and District). For any other Rotarian the cost is $25 (to cover the lunch). Please note: Anyone who attends the Prof Dev Day must register separately, even if they have already registered for the District Conference. Look under UPCOMING EVENTS on rotary7820.com for details of the event and registration details.
DGE Don Sword.
Move Aside PETS & SETS – It’s Professional Development Day!
Put away that snow shovel, think Apple Blossoms, and join your Rotarian colleagues at the Old Orchard Inn in early June. As of March 24, we have about 70 delegates registered, and “the Old O” rooms are about half booked. Please make your plans now - Just go to the District 7820 Conference website. Please contact Registrar Gord Hankin or Conference Coordinator Holly Thompson conference.registration@outlook.com with any questions or special needs.
Home Hosting, a chance to meet other Rotarians where they live.
Friday Rose Adams: Breathe
Ron Denham: Hope for Millions
Bryn Styles: A Foundation Worth Building On
Blues, Brews & Barbeque, with the Mark Riley Band
Saturday Stephen Brown: Rotary International Update
Peter Bevan-Baker: The Happy Dentist
Governor’s Banquet, with The Spinney Brothers
Sunday Memorial Service and Closing Brunch
Finally, a reminder to Club Executives, that we are seeking contributions from all over the District for the Youth Program Silent Auction. This is a great chance to show off your local businesses, restaurants and tourist sites with a gift certificate, and raise some money to support youth programs. Please ensure that Youth Exchange, Interact or Rotaract members are also registered early, so we can plan to welcome them at the Conference as well.
RI research and member clubs' experiences have shown that when clubs have more freedom to decide how and when they hold their meetings, who they'll invite to become members, and what member engagement means, their ability to attract new members and keep current members motivated increases. The 2016 Council on Legislation voted to give Rotary clubs more flexibility than they've ever had. The changes in policy affect when, where, and how clubs meet and the types of membership they offer. RI has now published a number of resources to assist clubs who are considering flexible rules. These resources are found at: https://my.rotary.org/en/club-flexibility.
We have also prepared a District resource. The new “flexibility rules” require clubs to amend their by-laws to implement them. To simplify this process our District drafted a short alternative by-law paragraph by which a club (incorporated or not) may delegate authority to implement flex rules to the Club’s directors on notice to its members.
This a one-time by-law change for clubs. When adopted, the club’s directors can easily implement, amend or cancel flex rules on notice to its members. RI approved this paragraph and the Nova Scotia Companies Office has accepted it when filed by two clubs. Find this paragraph in the article “7820 - Checklists for Rotary Club Constitution Review” through the link on the District Website home page - District Documents / Club Constitution Review Documents – 2016.
Feel free to contact me if you have questions.
Garth Gordon
District Secretary
rotarydistrict7820@gmail.com
Although our district has participated in Rotary Friendship Exchanges for several years, many of our members are unaware of what they are or how to get involved.
A self-funded international exchange opportunity for Rotary members and partners to discover diverse perspectives and establish international service partners, RFEs are a great way to travel, to learn how others live, make lifelong friends, discover cultures and communities in a unique way all while enjoying Rotary Fellowship while being hosted in homes of Rotarians.
Come to Greenwich this June to be inspired and meet your District 7820 Rotary friends and family at the 2017 District Conference. We have over 40 delegates registered now, and the Inn has been busy taking accommodation requests. Put away that snow shovel, read through our Conference Program and make your plans to be with us for Apple Blossom Time (well, just after) now - Just go to the District 7820 Home Page and click on District Conference or go directly to 7820conference.com
We want to preview the Keynote and other Speakers and events: Our RI President John Germ has named a President’s Representative to visit with us, to talk about what Rotary International is doing, and to meet as many individual Rotarians as possible. Steve Brown, a member of the Rotary Club of La Jola, California, has served as one of 15 Trustees of the Rotary Foundation and has extensive experience in the many initiatives funded through the Foundation. He has been hands on with projects in Afghanistan and Africa, visiting there frequently and supporting programs that link students from primary to university with their counterparts from around the world. Steve is a lawyer by vocation, and lives in the San Diego area with his wife Susan, who will also be visiting us. If you want more information on Steve, look at his Rotary web site: www.stevebrownrotary.com
Clubs are invited to suggest eligible Rotarians for the District Representative to the Rotary International 2017, 2018 and 2019 Councils on Resolutions and the 2019 Council on Legislation (COL). The term begins July 1, 2017. The COL will convene for the purpose of amending the constitutional documents of Rotary International. The selection shall be made by Nomination Committee procedure as per RI By-Laws.
Any club in the district may suggest a candidate for Representative, but if a club suggests a Rotarian who is a member of a different club, the Rotarian's club must agree in writing for the nomination to be accepted. Clubs must provide a brief (one page suggested) resume indicating their candidate’s background and reason he or she should be selected.
To be eligible, the candidate must be a current member of a club in the District and must have served a full term as District Governor as at July 1 , 2017.
Join your Rotarian colleagues at the Old Orchard Inn this June for the 2017 District Conference. As of mid-February, we have over 30 delegates registered (thank you everyone – this really helps the organizers) and the Inn has been busy taking accommodation requests. Please make your plans now - Just go to the District 7820 Home Page and click on District Conference or go directly to 7820conference.com
Who: All incoming Club Leaders – Executive, Directors, Committee Chairs – AND aspiring leaders – AND members interested in making your club irresistible… even if you came last year, come again! The learning will be different!
When: Saturdays in 7 locations – check your invitation or the District website for details for your area
What will happen at this interactive TLC day of learning?
Professional development and leadership training that will useful in clubs and at work!
Separate Breakouts about the roles and responsibilities for Secretaries & Treasurers – learn about the most important tasks of your role, and review best practices and calendars of key dates; Advanced Treasurer session for those interested in establishing a foundation.
Effective Meetings for Presidents, Directors and Committee Chairs – learn how to chair a great meeting that is fun and productive … and that members won’t want to miss! Simply irresistible!
Annual Club Planning for All Leaders – you will learn about Effective Planning and actually work on your club’s plan in this working session – this will get you started on the necessary planning for July 1.
Foundation, Youth and Membership – critical information that all club leaders need to know.
Your District membership committee has been busy updating club membership resources on our district website and we invite you to take a look at the presentations, surveys, checklists, membership plans, and lots of other useful documents for your use. Some of these documents have been generated by clubs in the district while others are published by Rotary International. Use what works for your club in your community. They are accessed through the "Member Resources" menu on the front page of the website.
If you’d like some help with making your club IRRESISTIBLE, please contact your membership committee member in your area (http://www.rotary7820.com/Committee//membership) or contact your District Membership Chair, Wendy Scammell at wendy@briantscammell.ca.
Registration for the 2017 District Conference is Now Open !
The 2017 District Conference Committee has launched the new Conference Website, and is ready to begin welcoming registrations from District and Club Representatives, and from individual Rotarians, Youth and Partners. Just click HERE to go to the Conference Website page 7820conference.com
DG Elva Heyge is pleased to announcement of the appointment of Gail Gosse to the role of Assistant Governor for Central Newfoundland for the 2017-18 Rotary Year.
Gail has a long history in adult education including several years as Dean of the School of Business Studies at the College of the North Atlantic (CNA) Qatar campus, Academic Program Developer at Memorial University of NL, Campus Director at three CNA Campuses on the Avalon, teacher and supervisor in the Division of Adult Education, of the Department of Education (worked throughout the province).
She joined Rotary in 1998 and was President in 2007-2008. Gail has been in most every Board position. She is a three-time PHF recipient who had a special spot for community projects and for membership. She tries to "be there" to mentor other members and other clubs when she can. She enjoys working with other Rotarians to co-present at workshops so we all can grow.
DG Elva Heyge is pleased to announce two new Assistant Governors to take up duties for three year terms.
Jim Gould assume the role of Assistant Governor (AG) for Central & Northern Nova Scotia for a three year term starting July 2017. He will be shadowing current AG Rob Christie this winter to get familiar with his duties.
A recently retired banker with CIBC, Jim has lived and worked in small communities all over Atlantic Canada.He was President of the Rotary Club of Truro in 2014-15.
Leanne Scoville has agreed to serve as Assistant Governor for Eastern Newfoundland for three years, beginning July 1, 2017. To help prepare for this role, she will begin immediately to job shadow the current AG Carman Carroll.
Leanne was president of the Rotary Club of Avalon Northeast in 2014-15.
Coming Soon: Registration for the 2017 District Conference at the Old Orchard Inn in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley will be available in January, and the Conference Committee is hard at work to make a great event for Rotarians, their Partners and Youth involved with Rotary.
Keynote speakers confirmed at this point include:
Rose Adams - lawyer, entrepreneur and community involveist - a Rotarian who speaks about how to adjust to change, enhance leadership and respect for others, something she calls "BREATHE".
Peter Bevan-Baker - someone you hear frequently in the media speaking in his role as Leader of the PEI Green Party, Peter has an ability to encourage people to face challenges, build community and respect our environment with a balanced life style - "Be Happy".
Ron Denham - Ron is a Canadian Rotarian who has been instrumental in creating the Water and Sanitation Action Group - WASRAG, one of the most successful of the Rotary International Action Groups. He can speak to us about current water and sanitation issues facing developed countries and how Rotary can best to respond.
Mark your calendars now: The Conference begins with Leadership Training on June 1; regular Conference sessions begin first thing on Friday June 2 and end about noon on Sunday June 4.
Watch for our 2017 District Conference Website launching in January for details.
District Governor Elva Heyge is pleased to announce Ms. Louisa Horne as District Governor Nominee Designate (DGND) for District 7820.
Louisa is an educator, entrepreneur and business leader. A former geologist and teacher, independent certified management consultant and certified business coach, CEO of national educational companies, Louisa is now Director of the national small business consulting practice for BDC, the Business Development Bank of Canada, where she leads a team of Portfolio Managers.
Calling all Prospective Club Leaders! Save the Date!
Training for Leaders of Clubs – TLCs – Spring 2017
If you will be a member of the executive or board of your club, or plan to Chair a committee next year – or if you are just thinking about serving in one of these roles, TLC is for you! We will be offering this training opportunity in seven locations and we hope you will save the date. Learn best practices about being a Secretary or Treasurer. Develop your skills in leading effective committee meetings. Engage in planning activities for your club to help you have a great year in 2017-18. All this and more!
Participants last year had this to say – “I wish all of our Club members had attended”. “Planning together to create an irresistible club was just what we needed.” “Great session of value to any Rotarian”. How can you pass up the opportunity this time?
If you came last year, you will learn more this time. If you did not come last year, well, don’t miss this round of training sessions aimed at all club leaders. Stay tuned for more details. For now, please share the date with your club and mark it in your calendars.
This year, Rotarians from the 6 Metro Halifax/Dartmouth/Sackville Clubs are travelling to Boston to spend a day of activities with Rotarians from Boston and surrounding areas culminating in the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Boston Common on December 1st. A tree is sent from Nova Scotia every year as thanks for the help Halifax received from Boston in the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion. This year’s 45 foot tree is from Ainslie Glen, Cape Breton. Among the music entertainment for the expected 20000 plus people in attendance will be Cape Breton’s THE TOWN HEROES.
Election & Reporting of Club Officers Reminding your clubs about the election of the 2017-18 officers will get them headed in the right direction for the next Rotary year. 31 December 2016 is the deadline for election of officers and 1 February 2017 is the deadline for reporting the officers to Rotary International.
Current club officers can submit this information via ClubRunner (Club or District version) or My Rotary. Clubs can also send the information to data@rotary.org.
The District Directors have updated Section 5 (Communications) of the Manual of Policies and Procedures (MOPP) to reflect the changes made by discontinuing the District Admin office. The resolution and notice follow. The amended MOPP has be placed on the website under District Documents.
Update to District Manual of Policies and Procedures
The Rotary Friendship Exchange to District 7820 Nova Scotia, 2016, has been a fantastic success. We were honoured to be met on day one by the District Governor, Elva Heyge who welcomed us warmly. Also present was Louisa Horne, GFE organiser and drivers Don Gray and Dave Penny, the latter two would also be hosts. Banners and gifts were exchanged.
Cramming our luggage in and settled into our modes of transport, Dodge Vans, we were on our way and out of Halifax the roads opening up onto smooth highways. We passed between corridors of lush forest on either side of the road, indeed an ongoing feature of days ahead, as we journeyed toward our first destination of Lunenburg.
We arrived in Lunenburg in time to have lunch with the Lunenburg Rotary Club and enjoyed their hospitality. Upon completion the group had a tour of the area (either walking or via horse drawn carriage) and then met and dispersed with the various hosts.
At the 1917 International convention Rotary President Arch Klumph proposed to set up an endowment " for the purpose of doing good in the world ." In 1928 it was renamed the Rotary Foundation, and it became a distinct
entity within Rotary International.
So obviously the Foundation turns 100 this year, and that is worth celebrating. Why ? The reasons are numerous, but first, really what does the Foundation do for Rotary?
Some grade five Sydney students at Brookland Elementary gasped with joy when Luke MacDonald and Neil Clarkson arrived at their temporary location at Shipyard Elementary School.
Brookland's bottom floor was completely destroyed, as were all the contents during a flood that devastated south end Sydney on Thanksgiving Day. Amongst the items lost were three Spark Brain Bikes, an integral part of the students' and teacher's daily routines.
Luke sprung into action as soon as he heard the bikes were lost. He immediately contacted Run For Life's John Carson who made the surprise happen. Luke recruited Neil and away they went from Halifax to Cape Breton, assembling the bikes at a stop along on the way.
The Brookland students and their teacher are extremely touched by this generosity. It made a difficult situation a lot easier.
Rotarian Diane Griffin, a member of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty, has been appointed to the Senate of Canada.
Diane has always played a leading role in her Rotary club, as we are sure she will do the same in the Senate as well.
Diane is a former deputy environment minister for PEI and has served as Executive Director of the Island Nature Trust. She volunteers on the board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada and has received the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal and the P.E.I. Environment award. Diane is also a published author, publishing a book called Atlantic Wildflowers.
I am forwarding a notice from the Rotary Club of Ottawa announcing the open period for Clubs across Canada to reserve a spot for a student sponsored by their Club to attend the annual Rotary Adventure in Citizenship (AIC) program. Many of you have received this directly and a fair number of Clubs participate in this program already, but I wanted to send a note to encourage all Clubs to consider applying for one of these spots and sending a student from your local high school to attend this conference.
The impact of Hurricane Matthew will be felt in our district as well as in Haiti & the Bahamas for a long time. Many Rotarians have asked how they can help.
Following a special district board, I will share with you what we learned about the impact of the storm and the ways in which you as Rotarians could help, if you so choose.
Posted by Michelle Johnston-Lazaratos on Sep 28, 2016
Dear Rotarians of District 7820,
I am thrilled to introduce you to our Inbounders for 2016-17 from Districts 7820 and 7810. This year, 7820 is hosting 8 students from Belgium, Germany, Argentina, Spain, Taiwan, and France, and has sponsored 8 students to go outbound to these same countries. The photo is from the recent Inbounder Orientation that was held at Camp Gencheff in PEI.
This farm tractor is ready to ship to Cameroon. It will be delivered to an agricultural area in the foothills of Mt Cameroon where potatoes, carrots, peanuts, coffee and the like are grown. Presently the tractor they are using is old and in need of replacement. The village has 55,000 residents and rely on this harvest. Their children play a large role in tending to these crops.
It will cost $6,000 Canadian to ship this tractor on a RO-RO vessel to Cameroon. On arrival the R.C. of Limbe will deliver the tractor to the Awing Village.
Please email PDG Pete with your commitment.roboil@ns.sympatico.ca
The Board of Directors is pleased to announce some changes in the administration of District.
With the expiration of the contract with Shallaway for general administration services on September 1st, the Board took the opportunity to distribute the general communication and administrative duties back to the volunteer board members such as the District Secretary.
As of September 1st, general inquiries to District previously handled by the Admin office will be handled by the District Secretary (rotarydistrict7820@gmail.com). A listing of the full District team is always available on the website (District Info, Organization Chart) if you require specific assistance in particular area.
Do you want to work on membership for your club but don’t know where to start?
Have you brought in new members only to have them leave again in a couple of months?
Are you a Club Membership Chair but don’t know what your job is?
Your District Membership Committee can help!
We work with your Assistant Governor and have training and experience in membership development and retention. We have LOTS of resources and great presentations that we can offer to your club, your board or your membership committee.
This is a very special year in the Rotary world - The Rotary Foundation is 100 years old and as you know, it represents the financial mainstay of the worldwide Rotary movement.
In order to celebrate this special event, we are now inviting submissions for a one time District Grant of $5,000, to be funded from this year’s available DDF.
If your club and at least one member of your club is District Grant qualified then using the District’s Club Runner website, Initial proposals should be submitted for review by no later than 15th October and the full completed applications must be on the website by 31 October 2016.
There are many interesting places around the world that we in District 7820 would love to visit and explore. On the other hand, Atlantic Canada is in itself such a beautiful and exciting place to live and so many people around the world want to come and see what we have to offer. Rotary Friendship Exchanges allow us to visit and host lifelong friends that we haven’t met yet.
I am busy coordinating the Womens Peace Tables Worldwide Campaign.
Since taking on the task in June we have close to 100 Tables being planned in more than 40 countries worldwide. And we have just begun.
I am heading to Bradford England this week to present in a panel discussion on Women, Peace and Security and then on to Dublin to the Global Launch of the Peace Tables Campaign. (Join me!) www.facebook.com/groups/106002293154794/
I have just put the challenge out to Rotary and my goal is to have every club in the world dedicate a meeting in October to Peace.
From Peter Kyle, Chair, Rotary Peace Centers Committee: "Susan, I have just read about your Peace Tables initiative. What a great concept. Good luck with this initiative - I hope it gets widely publicised and adopted!" Join our FB group: www.facebook.com/groups/106002293154794/
2016 Council on Legislation. In April the 2016 Council on Legislation, “COL”, made several changes to Rotary International’s legislation including the Standard Rotary Club Constitution. The changes are summarized in the Essential Changes for Clubs and Districts published by RI.
Some of the key changes affecting clubs include:
the ability to change meeting schedules,
to change attendance rules and for members to attend regular meetings by online participation. Clubs are still expected to forward attendance reports to the Governor.
The Club Treasurer is now a permanent member of the club board.
There is now a requirement that Directors should provide written minutes for all board meetings and those minutes should be available to all members within sixty days of the meeting.
Do you want to travel and genuinely experience other cultures guided by new Rotarian friends? If so, then consider a Rotary Friendship Exchange. Expenses are minimized as participants in an RFE take turns hosting one another, often forging friendships that last a lifetime.
The experiences and memories are incredible. Who else has a Roadrunner Award? Ridden dune buggies? Flown in balloons? … all the while being treated to personal tours of historic and cultural significance that most tourists would never get an opportunity to experience.
It's time to begin the process to nominate and select a District 7820 Rotarian to be District Governor in the 2019-20 Rotary year. That may seem like a long way off, however I can tell you from experience that the time goes quickly and there are several steps in the years before the successful nominee becomes District Governor.
The leadership group acts as a team and the successful District Governor Nominee Designate (DGND) will immediately be part of the decision making group for the district as soon as this fall. This is really part one of a four year journey with successive one year terms as District Governor Nominee (DGN), District Governor Elect (DGE) and ultimately as District Governor (DG) - each position comes with their own responsibilities, training and experiences.
It is said that the journey is more important than the destination and in the case of the District Governor "journey", that is certainly the case. It has been a journey to remember.
To help with those memories, I've put together a selection of pictures taken during the year. Check out the photos at https://flic.kr/s/aHskD9u7Cu.
The album is (more or less) in chronological order starting from Ribfest in Sydney in July 2015 and ending with the Club turnover celebrations we attended in Pictou and Windsor recently. There is so much in between! I've tried to get everything in, but see if you can spot your club or event in the group.
Thank you to everyone who had helped Barbara and I have what we will remember as a wonderful year. It was a GREAT YEAR TO BE A ROTARIAN. Please continue to be a "Gift to the World".
Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris, believed that serving humanity is “the most worthwhile thing a person can do,” RI President-elect John F. Germ said, and that being a part of Rotary is a “great opportunity” to make that happen. Germ unveiled the 2016-17 presidential theme, Rotary Serving Humanity, to incoming district governors on 18 January at the International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA.
It is very important to update your club's membership data before July 1. This can be done on either your club's Clubrunner site or, if you do not have one, the District Clubrunner site. If you are in the habit of updating membership information only on the RI site, you will need to go the extra step and also update the District Clubrunner rotary7820.com
Remember, the RI Semi Annual Report (SAR) is produced from information on file as at July 1. NO CHANGES can be made to your club invoice once the report is produced. The invoice is generated based upon the number of active members shown as of July 1 and you must pay what is shown. To ensure the information is correct, be sure to update your member data before JUNE 20.
If you do not have, or cannot remember your password, simply go through the login process and when the window to enter your email address and password appears, click on the line at the bottom referring to new or lost passwords and follow the instructions.
This is my last DG message for the 2015-16 Rotary year and Barbara and I thank everyone for a great experience during my time as District Governor. We have had some truly outstanding experiences travelling to visit all the Rotary Clubs in District 7820. It is both humbling and eye opening to see all the great work that Rotarians are doing in our local communities and around the world.
Thank you to all those who hosted us in our travels, drove us from meeting to meeting, proudly showed us their community projects, allowed us to celebrate with them and to those who welcomed us into their clubs.
Thank you to the members of the District Team who supported our efforts during the year. I think we made some great headway on a whole number of fronts and I'm happy that I am leaving the DG position with the District on such a positive upswing. We have a great team and a great succession path. I see nothing but good things ahead.
Thank you to the members of the Rotary Club of Truro who have been so instrumental in helping to put on a GREAT District Conference but were also there to support Barbara and me in other ways when we needed it. The club is strong and moving forward.
The DG experience is unique in Rotary. It has been my privilege to be your District Governor for 2015-16 and I have been inspired to continue to serve Rotary in any way I can. Thank you again, and continue to be a Gift to the World!
I'm sure that many of you know that the Council on legislation has recently met and that there were significant changes proposed to the way Rotary Clubs could operate.
A document is now available that highlights all the changes for you. Clubs have until mid August to Object to any changes.
Have a look at the full note from Rotary International listed with this message. It would be a great time to start a discussion in your club, review your own bylaws and bring them in line with the new RI model.
The 2016 District Conference was by all measures a great success as the word cloud above would indicate. In a follow-up survey, participants gave their opinions on speakers, facilities and entertainment. A summary of the results is available and will be used to improve future conferences
We have all witnessed the drama and devastation of the ongoing fires in and around Fort McMurray and many people in District 7820 have direct connections to people impacted by the fire.
At the District Conference held from May 12-15th there were several fundraisers and clubs were offered the opportunity to make pledges to the cause.
PDG Duncan Conrad put together a package that includes a one night stay at the Delta Prince Edward, Charlottetown, a Duncan's Island Tour and a 1000 Paul Harris Credits to be transferred to the successful bidder. The tour and hotel are valued at $600.00 CDN and the Paul Harris credits are worth $1000 US. After some spirited bidding, the successful bidder was Rob Christie of the Pictou Club. Thank you Rob! And thank you for your generosity Duncan!
In addition, PDG Pete Smith donated an oil panting by Rotarian George Lewis, an artist who is famous for his artworks that are often donated to Rotary causes. Tickets were sold and the draw was made on Saturday evening. Dan Currie from the Rotary Club of Pictou won the draw. 50% of the $950 raised will going to the Red Cross for Fort McMurray Fire Relief Fund; the remaining half will go to support Pete's work in The Cameroon.
The Rotary Clubs of Truro, Lunenburg, North Sydney, New Waterford, St John's NW, Yarmouth, Stephenville, Windsor, Dartmouth, Waterford Valley, Sydney Sunrise, Avalon NE, Sackville & Area, New Minas Sunrise and the E-club of Atlantic Canada pledged a combined total of $9,000. RI President's rep pledged $1,000 (US) or about $1,250 CDN. Charlie A'Court performed at the Gala donated 25% of his CD sales that night to the effort as well.
In all a total about $11,900 was pledged during the Conference. Outstanding! And we know that other clubs and Rotarians will want to be involved. The details on making donations follows.
Each year Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact clubs can earn a Presidential Citation from the Rotary International for achieving goals that strengthen Rotary and their clubs. Activities include growing your membership, developing sustainable service projects, giving to The Rotary Foundation, and building awareness of Rotary in your community. The goals are designed to help clubs achieve a balance in activities.
The Citation is to honor the efforts of the many clubs that have worked hard toward their Rotary goals.
Requirements are a bit different each year, reflecting the change in priorities of the President. The 2015-16 version included goals around the use of electronic tools, for example, and not surprisingly the process itself was driven by the on-line Rotary Club Central planning tool.
The Citation was issued in three levels: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The Gold citation recognizes those who met the high bar of all seven goals; silver citations were awarded to those achieving six goals, and Bronze goes to those who have attained five (including, in all cases, the mandatory goals).
It is the practice for the district to name one of our clubs for the Outstanding Club of the Year Award. This is a very difficult task as there are so many great clubs doing extraordinary things.
To be eligible, the criteria specifies that the successful club must be eligible for the RI Presidential citation and have shown an increase in membership during the year. Clubs are then judged on their Membership Development, Service Projects, Support of the Foundation and Service beyond the Club.
Always busy, PDG Pete Smith (Rotary Club of Port Hawkesbury) is the 2015-16 recipient of the District 7820 Heart of the District Award. The presentation was made at the Governors's Gala banquet at the District Conference on May 14th by DG Jim Goit.
The Heart of the District Award is given to a PDG who provided great service to the District during their year as District Governor and who continues to contribute in an outstanding way to the work being carried out by District 7820.
After returning from an NID in Cameroon and having seen the condition of the hospitals and clinics in that country, Pete decided to do something. Since then he has continued to arrange shipments of containers of hospital and miscellaneous medical equipment to Cameroon (now working on number 16) and he has also been responsible for shipping several rebuilt school buses to the country.
Pete has also designed and built a mold for a water purifier for use in Cameroon.
Pete has been awarded one of the highest offices (Honourary Chief) and has been given a piece of land in Cameroon where he plans to build a small community center.
Pete Smith is deserving of the Heart of the District Award. Congratulations Pete.
Rotarians can help in Equador by responding to the medical needs of those suffering from the recent earthquake.
Health Partners International of Canada currently has 100 Humanitarian Medical Kits ready to be shipped. HPIC is sponsored by the Canadian pharmaceutical manufacturers and thus has access to top quality Canadian medications and medical supplies.
I serve on the Board and fully endorse HPIC's ability to provide necessary essential products. HPIC can supply $10 wholesale value of medication for $1. All in Canadian funds. This leverage make our contributions go further.
HPIC is also working with World Vision Canada in Angola in response to a yellow fever outbreak.
For more information on these emergencies and how to contribute please visit www.hpicanada.ca
The Board of Directors for District 7820 established a task force to review the approach to district conferences in response to a request from the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty. The District Conference was last studied in 2002 and the recommendations in the report written at the time had largely been adopted.
The terms of reference and membership for the task force were set and a report of the findings was due by April 30, 2016. The task force was composed of the following Rotarians: PDG Doug Logan (Chair), PDG Greg Coldwell , PDG Gord Hankin, DGN Don Sword, PP Dave Works, AG Carman Carroll, AG Ann Sherman, and PP Tom Davies.
The report of the District Conference Review committee was received by the District Board in February and after review was accepted by the Board of Directors on March 17th 2016.
The April 1st deadline for completion of requirements to qualify for the 2015-16 RI Presidential Citation is rapidly approaching. As all is recorded on Rotary Club Central, it is easy to see that many clubs are closing in on meeting the requirements.
The On-Line Tool adaption area is one that seems to be giving many clubs problems. All club members can help achieve the citation with a few simple activities.
Of the several options, the three easiest to complete are "50% of Club members logging into My Rotary", the "Create or Contribute to a Rotary Ideas project" and have at least two Rotarians "Join and Contribute to a Rotary Discussion Group".
Most every Rotary Club has a collection of club banners that has accumulated from either being brought by visitors to the club or from club members who travel, visit clubs around the world and bring banners back. There are various ways that these banners are displayed or stored. However, over time it can become a problem to manage them.
Wayne Gillis from the Rotary Club of Truro has developed a great system for this purpose and with banners collected over 90 years of service, it works well. Watch the video that was made after the club's 90th Charter night celebration when the system was put to use to put the banner collection away until the next time it is needed.
In the video note Rotary International Director Julia Phelps and Immediate Past District Governor Stella Roy helping to put the banners away.
A new Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group - ESRAG has been formed that may be of interest to many in our district.
The Board of Rotary International approved a proposal to establish the Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group (ESRAG) on 23 October 2015. The purpose of the action group is to "Assist Rotarians in implementing service projects, building awareness, and inspiring action toward environmental sustainability -- particularly reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the global warming humanitarian crisis."
Michael Angelo Caruso is District Governor elect for District 6380 in Michigan and he delivers an great message to his fellow DGEs at the 2016 RI assembly in San Diego on how to talk about Rotary.
DGE's from around the world were in San Diego Jan 17-23 for their training at the 2016 International Assembly.
Here DGE Elva officially meets RI President Elect John Germ. Many may remember John from when he attended the Million Dollar Dinner in Halifax in 2014.
The 2016 District 7820 Conference Registration is open!
The conference committee has been busy putting the final touches on the program for the 2016 District Conference that will be held in Truro May 12 -15. Check out the 7820conference.com website for lots of details including the program, speaker profiles, links to accommodation sites and much, much more. When you're ready, click on the on-line registration button.
There are a few very important items that you should know:
Online registration must be completed by every Rotarian, Rotaractor, Interactor & Youth Exchange student who is attending.
Presidents and Secretaries Elect must register even if their club is paying for them. Instructions for them are on the registration page. Please read them carefully.
Hotel accommodations are not included in the registration fee and delegates must make their own arrangements.
We look forward to seeing you in Truro. If you have questions about registration, please contact the Conference Registrar, Gord Hankin at gord@hankin.ns.ca or Deputy Registrar, Don Mackenzie donmackenzie@outlook.com
District 7820 has a strategic plan and monitors a number of outcomes to help indicate the success of various initiatives toward district goals. Every quarter the outcome measures are updated and compared to the annual goals. In this way the various committees can adjust their activities if necessary.
The district is making good progress and has already exceeded some of this year's objectives which is great! We are close to the membership goals for the year due to the hard work of many people and are one of the few districts in our zone that are growing in members.
On the Foundation category however, donations to the annual fund are off by about 40% compared to last year. There is still time to make gains on this before the end of the Rotary year and Rotarians are encouraged to include the annul fund in their giving plans.
Are you getting all the news from Rotary clubs in Atlantic Canada? Are you using Facebook? There is an easy way to get a summary of the most interesting news from the clubs in our District and from Rotary International. Like the District Facebook page.
Every day, clubs post their stories, events, awards news, project and fundraising ideas to their club Facebook pages. A selection of those are shared with the District Facebook page. IF you have liked the District page you'll get a notice of those posts when you log into your personal Facebook account. You don't have to search or "like" all 43 clubs (there are only 10% that don't have Facebook sites) and you don't get overwhelmed with information. The District team filters it for you. You can always check further with a particular club if you want to.
There are almost a million Facebook accounts in our district so it's a great way to get your clubs message out as well.
The long battle to eliminate polio from the world is paying off. The World Polio update as of the week of November 25, 2015 is as follows:
In 2015, wild poliovirus transmission is at the lowest levels ever, with fewer cases reported from fewer areas of fewer countries than ever before.
In 2015, 57 wild poliovirus cases have been reported from two countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan), compared to 305 cases from nine countries during the same period in 2014.
Pakistan: One new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case was reported in the past week, with onset of paralysis on 1 November. It is the most recent WPV1 case in the country, from Kamari town, Karachi, Sindh. The total number of WPV1 cases for 2015 is now 41
Afghanistan: No new wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported in the past week. The most recent case had onset of paralysis on 27 October, from Nangarhar. The total number of WPV1 cases for 2015 remains 16.
A group of friendly invaders from Canada’s Atlantic coast were in Roswell earlier this week as part of a Rotary exchange. The Rotarians were from District 7820 Atlantic Canada, which includes clubs from the provinces of Newfoundland-Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia and the French island Les Iles de Saint Pierre et Miquelon.
From left: Tom and Shirley McCaughley, Newfoundland-Labrador; Marg Chisholm, Nova Scotia; Anne Gillis, Prince Edward Island; Sonya Piercy, Newfoundland-Labrador; Frieda Burger, Nova Scotia; and Don Chisholm, Nova Scotia. (Timothy P. Howsare Photo)
The next in a series of Rotary Foundation webinars presented by the Zone 24 Foundation team is now open for registration:
If you are one of the many Rotarians that have already registered for this webinar - thank you - if you have not registered we hope you will take the opportunity to participate.
LEAVING A ROTARY LEGACY
Date & Time Tuesday, November 24, 2015 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST (Pacific Time)
You and your organization rely on the smooth flow of communication between members to share important information. If your emails are being blocked or identified as spam, it creates a disconnect in your organization because important details may be missed. All email clients now have automatic spam filters that rate every incoming message according to set criteria to determine whether or not they might be spam.
District Governor Jim Goit and Nominations Committee Chair, Immediate Past District Governor Stella Roy are pleased to announce the choice of Rob Christie, member of the Rotary Club of Pictou and Assistant Governor for Central and Northern Nova Scotia, as District Governor Nominee (Designate) for the 2018-2019 Rotary Year.
Rob was the unanimous choice and impressed the committee with his preparation for the position and his obvious commitment to Rotary.
Every three years, Rotarians meet at the Council on Legislation (COL) to review and vote on proposed legislation. The Council gives us a voice in how our organization is governed. District 7820 sends one representative to this meeting to represent members interests. This time our representative is PDG Duncan Conrad.
Engagement with the Rotary Foundation will change lives. Watch this video to see how your donations to the Rotary Foundation will support life changing projects in your local community AND around the world.
Rotary International has recently made some changes to the ideas.rotary.org site that Rotarians in District 7820 can take advantage of.
The Rotary Ideas website helps clubs connect for funding, volunteers, partnerships, and in-kind donations. Where once they had to rely on Rotary to make this connection, clubs can now post their needs and find projects to support by themselves. Rotary Ideas emphasizes partnerships in addition to funding.
Financial donations made to a Rotary ideas project can now go directly to the Rotary International Foundation and Rotarians logging in through their MyRotary account will get full Paul Harris credits in addition to income tax receipts for Canadian donations. All donations to the end Polio cause are also eligible for the 2:1 matching from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Canadian Government.
DG Jim and Ron Zwaagstra, President of the Rotary Club of Sackville & Area have been working with Kristin Brown from Rotary International for the past year to make changes to the system that will allow financial donations to go directly to the Rotary Foundation. The Pedaling for Polio Tour de 7820 site was used as a test case and is the first Rotary Ideas site to do this.
Donations collected during DG Jim and Barbara's club visits have already been been sent to the Foundation and recognized on the Pedaling for Polio Site. More are being added. Clubs and individuals are encouraged to make their own donations to Polio directly on the site. Help us End Polio NOW.
Pedaling for Polio: The Tour de 7820 Donation Site Goes Live
In November 2013, a group of singers from Halifax Harbourside got together to rehearse some Christmas carols that would be performed at Costco to raise funds for the Salvation Army Red Kettle drive. They had so much fun doing this that they decided they should continue rehearsing a broader repertoire and invite members from the other clubs of the Halifax area. The goal would be to promote Rotary through music and they would call themselves Four Way Harmony.
Two years later, the group has grown from 6 to 12 members, and they have sung at club functions, charter nights, seniors homes and the 2015 District Conference in Halifax. Any monies raised through donations are split evenly between the International Fellowship of Rotarian Musicians (IFRM) and local HRM projects which support the mission of the IFRM. The group would welcome any opportunities to sing at club event or non-Rotary function; after all, it’s about spreading the message of Rotary!
Posted by Michelle Johnston-Lazaratos on Oct 19, 2015
If your club is intending to participate in Rotary Youth Exchange for students departing/arriving in September 2016, please confirm with Michelle ASAP as student interviews and selections will need to be completed by mid-December.
If you have any questions about Rotary Youth Exchange or require any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact Michelle at 902-314-6680 or michelle.lazaratos@nrc.gc.ca .
Call for Club interest in 2016 Rotary Youth Exchange
What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway.
My question is: Would you have made the same choice?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:
'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?'
The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'
The Rotary Club of Summerside is underway with a major project, creation of the Rotary Regional Community Learning Centre in Summerside, PEI. As part of their fund raising efforts the club is using Social media to attempt to gain wide support.
"This space will provide an excellent venue for an expanded Regional Library, programming, and supports for literacy, numeracy, e-learning, entrepreneurial education and a host of other needs not currently being met in a satisfactory way," - Georgia Ellis, Rotary Club of Summerside President.
We have acquired the former federal building at our 57 Central Street in downtown Summerside and with financial support from ACOA in the form of an $800,000 contribution from the Innovative Communities Fund, we are working smart to make this community development a successful, signature project for Rotary.
As you are aware, the Rotary International Council on Legislation will meet in Evanston in April of 2016. The proposed changes to the Legislation contained in the link below were proposed to the 2016 Council by clubs, districts, the general council or conference of RIBI, and the RI Board. Each item was received by Rotary before the 31 December 2014 deadline. The RI Board, working on the advice of the Constitution & Bylaws Committee, has found this legislation to be regular. Each of these Items will be debated and voted upon by the Council on Legislation Representatives from each district around the rotary world.
As your representative I am sharing these proposed changes with you so that you can get and understanding of the scope of the proposals which the Council will consider during it’s meetings in April. this document contains some 181 proposed resolutions and reenactments which the council will consider. I intend over the next several months to give you some highlights of the items proposes and of course a summary of the results of the debates and the decisions taken after the Council meets in April. In the interim I have attached a link to
During the club visits I have been taking the Rotary cycling jersey along to promote the Tour de 7820 and the End Polio Now cause. Many Rotarians have asked if there was a T shirt style and women's sizes and if they can get their own. The answer is YES there is and YES you can... And they are now available to order.
The special ordering website has been opened. Just select the style (Cycling Jersey or Running T, in Men's or Women's) and size for the shirts that you want . Then check out. The shirts are made to order and it takes 6 weeks from the time the site is closed to when the shirts arrive so please be patient. The order all comes in to the Bike Monkey in Truro before being shipped out to you.
Can you imagine what it must be like not to be able to read to your children or grandchildren? Most of us take the skill so much for granted. Yet.. Worldwide, more than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate and 67 million children have no access to education.
In our own district, the 2003 International Adult Literacy Skills Survey (IALSS) data showed that more than half of adults living in the Atlantic region have below level 3 literacy and/or numeracy skills (minimum skills level suitable for coping with the demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society) and would have difficulty meeting the challenges of everyday life and work. What can Rotary do to help this situation?
Think about attending the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) and become informed in what Rotary and Rotarians really do. Although named "Leadership" institute it is geared towards teaching Rotarians more about Rotary. Even if you do not aspire to being a "leader" in your club, it is a great program for all Rotarians.
RLI offers 3 learning sessions that are each a day long and must be taken in order. You are introduced to how Rotary and clubs operate, meet Rotarians from other clubs and learn how they do things. Click the graphic above and register today.
District 7820 now has an Eclub that meets online and it's members are full Rotarians. Click on the graphic above to see our website (where we meet every week) and send your friends name and email address and your recommendation to PDG Gord Hankin
Matching of funds for donations made by Canadians to the Polio Eradication Initiative will be matched by the Government of Canada two dollars for every dollar raised by The Rotary Foundation (Canada).
This is amazing! When you include the ongoing 2:1 match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a $5.00 donation becomes a $25.00 contribution toward ending polio.
There has NEVER been to better time to making a donation toward the End Polio Now campaign through the Rotary Foundation. Donations can be made through the Rotary International website by clicking the GIVE link and selecting Polio and the cause.
We are almost there! Let's finish the job.
New Matching Program for Donations Toward Ending Polio
The Rotary Satellite Eclub of Atlantic Canada Stratford has received approval from Rotary International.
A "Satellite" club is a "division" of an existing club but operates independently of it's parent club but under the supervision of the parent. It's members are full Rotarians with all the privileges of full membership.
An "Eclub" is an "electronic" club that meets online on a website and carries on it's Rotary activities via the internet.
Our membership currently stands at 10 but we anticipate gaining enough new members in the next few months to become a fully chartered club.
Please drop in to our website (http://rotaryeclubatlanticcanada.org/ ) and take a look around. Join and register on our Forum and participate in our weekly programs. All are welcome.
If you do know of someone who may be interested in joining our Eclub, please send their information to the Eclub secretary Cindy Titus.
Facebook is one of the three primary Social Media tools that Rotary Clubs find most useful to communicate their messages concerning the good works of Rotary, both internally to other Rotarians as well as to external audiences. 80% of Clubs in District 7820 have their own Facebook pages while 25% have Twitter accounts.
The District Facebook page follows all the District club pages and regularly shares posts that are judged to be potentially of interest across the District. By integrating all of the Club pages, the District provides a one-stop-shop for people following Rotary Facebook communication in our area.
One of the priorities for District during the year is to increase the use of social media by Rotary Clubs and also increase the reach that the media has into the community.
K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran, a business leader from Colombo, Sri Lanka, takes office on 1 July as the 105th president of Rotary International – a global network of 1.2 million volunteers dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges.
Ravindran, a member of the Rotary Club of Colombo, says a top priority will be to strengthen clubs by attracting men and women committed to improving communities worldwide through volunteer service.
From supporting local food pantries to providing clean water in remote villages, Rotary clubs join forces to carry out impactful and sustainable projects at home and abroad. And Rotary members often are both first-responders and re-builders when major disasters strike, because Rotary clubs are present in every corner of the world.
As I begin my term as District Governor, I ask you to reflect on this year’s Rotary International theme “Be a Gift to the World”. What an inclusive and inspiring theme! We all have gifts we can contribute, regardless of our means, position and profession. It’s not only material gifts but gifts of our time and talents that are important. Through Rotary we can use those gifts for service to our communities, our region and around the world. By the giving of our gifts, we will also get a level of personal satisfaction by knowing that we are helping others in need.
It’s an exciting time in Rotary. Membership growth in our district has been very positive; we have new clubs and many new projects. There are new tools to help us communicate as Rotarians and be efficient as clubs. We really are on the verge of eliminating polio from the world - an exceptional gift indeed. It’s truly a great time to be a Rotarian.
As Barbara and I start our journey around the district this month we are excited by the opportunity to meet our fellow Rotarians and see firsthand the work of Rotary in your club. We look forward to sharing with you some of the gifts we have as Rotarians and talking about how together we can do even more. Together let’s make 2015-16 a great year to be a Rotarian.
Rotary’s new member benefits program gives all Rotarians access to discounts on a variety of products and services selected with their interests in mind.
Discounts & special offers
When Rotary Global Rewards launches in July, the program will include discounts on car rentals, hotels, dining, and entertainment. More products and services from companies around the world will be added throughout the year. Check back often to see what’s new in Rotary Global Rewards.
How it works
Anyone can view the offers and discounts on Rotary Global Rewards. But only Rotary club members who are signed in to their My Rotary accounts can redeem them. You can access and redeem rewards from your computer, smartphone, or tablet.
If you have not already done so, create a My Rotary account now so you’re ready to take advantage of the new member benefits program when it’s available. If you need help creating an account, see the How to Create a My Rotary Account quick guide (PDF).
Rotary support
If you have questions about specific offers, please contact the company directly. They have the most knowledge about their discounts. Contact information is available on each company’s website.
For issues with the website, please send an email to the Rotary Contact Center.
On June 12th, District 7820 welcomes its newest Rotary club to a century-old tradition. The Rotary Club of St. John’s After Hours hosts its official charter event on Friday, to become the forty-seventh Rotary club in the District and the sixth in St. John’s
Click on the graphics below for the Video presentation
Click HERE to see all the past and future YouTube videos from D7820 Including the speakers at the 2015 District Conference.
June Paddle Talk
This is my last newsletter to you as your Governor for 2014 - 2015
As I reflect over the year that has sped by I feel so proud all of the great work our district does in our communities both locally and globally.
Every week I hear of a new project or new idea to help others less fortunate than ourselves
News:
Several clubs have reached Milestones
St John’s NW celebrated 50 years in style with 2 charter members and several 40 years plus. Sponsored by the RC of St John’s
Middleton celebrated 60 years sponsored by the RC of Kentville and Wolfville in the presence of Honorary Member and Premier of Nova Scotia Stephen McNeil. The museum in Middleton has an exhibition on Rotary for the remainder of the calendar Year. Drop by and see it.
Sydney celebrates 95years sponsored by the RC of Halifax
Wolfville celebrates 80 years sponsored by the RC of Windsor
New Charter
We have grown as a district and have a new club RC of St John’s After Hours, sponsored by the District. Thanks to all the work and Mentorship of Membership Chair Paul Roy, PDG Tom McCaughy, AG Bruce Templeton and President Kelly Finlayson. This club is a new generation of clubs that meets with no meal at 5.30 in the evening and is one of now 6 clubs in the St John’s area.
Membership Chair , Foundation Chair step down
A big thank you to all the work that Paul Roy has given the district in the last two years as District Membership Chair. He took his role very seriously and was there when any club asked for information. He has left the district in a strong position going forward.
ElvaHeyge can never really be replaced. We will always remember her legacy of setting the policies in place for the “Future Vision of the Rotary Foundation” Our District, Global Grants and Peace Fellow Scholarships are very well organised. We have just completed our FIRST Global Grant Scholarship for Matt Hefler to go to the UK thanks to Elva and President RC Halifax Harbourside Donna Clark. Elva has worked for over three years in this role and continues on to do great work as District Governor Elect. Thank you Elva
Youth
Thanks to Bob Monroe of the RC of Sydney ‘s guidance our Interact clubs have increased again and Cape Breton still leads the way in this area
Michelle Lazaratos of the RC of Charlottetown has worked tirelessly for our Youth exchange is in need of more committee members if people have an interest.
Lorraine Ennis has led our Rotaractors and we look forward to RYLA on the Rock in August.
Polio
We are close to our goal at $150,000 with more to come. Thank you Bruce. You have championed this initiative
Thank you to PDG Gord Hankin for all his work with the Webpage and this newsletter. Gord is on the computer daily for the District, Thank you to Kathryn Atkin at the District office, PDG Duncan Conrad for his constant support and work with membership, PDG Bob Moffat for his work on the Awards and Audit , David Mullins as Grant Chair, PDG Doug Logan as Peace Scholar Chair and Thank you to the Board who have worked tirelessly for you this year.
I leave you in great hands with DGE Jim Goit, he is a delight to work with and will continue to work hard for the District with his wife Barbara at his side.
I am looking forward to going back to help with the work our club RC Halifax Harbourside does in our community but thank you all for making me so welcome in your communities this year. You will always be welcome in Halifax
Between 19-22 May, we are introducing several updates to the Club & District Administration pages that will make your administrative tasks easier:
Quick links: You’ll be able to designate favorite links from the Club & District Administration section and access them from your My Rotary dashboard. See an example.
Terms of access: Incoming club and district officers will have access to club and district information by 1 June. Most outgoing club and district officers will retain access to the information for 12 months.
Overall redesign: Related activities will be grouped together on Club & District Administration pages. See an example and the new landing page.
Click " READ MORE" below to see the 8 conference graphics created by MacLeod Allen Creative Services representing the different speakers during the conference.
Get your own Rotary Cycle Jersey and join DG 2015-16 and other cyclists work towards ending Polio. The Jerseys are made to order in batches and will take six week to be delivered after the site closes. Go to https://ppr.louisgarneau.com/BIKEMONKEY_ROTARYCLUB_5LG0116-Copy3 to order.
tudents from Israel and Palestine sat together at a local art studio in Encinitas, California, USA, one day last summer, drawing portraits of one another and learning how to live in peace.
Kelly Mellos, an organizer of the project from the Rotary Club of Encinitas Coastal, says that drawing someone who is sitting so close helps break down social barriers between the young people. "They see how many similarities there are between them," she says. "And they begin to understand we are all just people. There is a respect and trust that builds."
DG Stella is honoured to have PRIP Ron Burton and his wife Jetta to be the Rotary International President's rep at the 2015 District conference in Halifax. Ron and Jetta are no strangers to District 7820 as they attended the 2007 Zone Institute held in Halifax in 2007.
The Rotary Club of Avalon Northeast recently honoured the memory of the Late PDG Trevor Atkin. Kathryn recently sent me the following:
Hello everyone - I just wanted to share with you something very special. Our Rotary Club has chosen to remember Trevor and his contribution to the club in a very special way. The Club has had a granite bench made and installed inside the gazebo at Topsail Beach. All of you will know that the beach held a very special place in Trevor's heart and he and Bess spent, if not every day, then almost every other day walking the beach and the surrounding trails. In fact, they became a fixture and became known in the neighbourhood as the "Man with the little black dog".
At its October meeting , the RI Board of Directors modified Rotary’s calendar of special observances to designate specific months to highlight the Areas of Focus. As a result, Rotary’s special observances are: January: Vocational Service February: Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution March: Water and Sanitation April: Maternal and Child Health May: Youth Services June: Rotary Fellowships July: Start of New Rotary Year September: Basic Education & Literacy October: Economic & Community Development November: The Rotary Foundation December: Disease Prevention and Treatment
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager shot in the head for speaking out against the Taliban in support of girls' education, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014.
Yousafzai, whose father is a Rotarian, shares the prize with Kailash Satyarthi, a native of India who has worked to combat the exploitation of children for financial gain, according to an announcement in October from the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
A club in Australia cooks up sausages as part of the World’s Greatest Meal.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Susanne Rea
Susanne Rea saw how social media propelled an event to raise money for polio eradication, and figured she could use the same tools to encourage Rotary clubs around the world to hold similar fundraising meals. To date, clubs and districts have raised over $1 million for Rotary's polio eradication campaign through more than 600 dining events.
Members of the Rotary Club of Sunyani East, Ghana, explain how their club began, and why Rotary is the best place to find fun, companionship and service.
For more than a decade, Rotary's membership has lingered around 1.2 million. That means that for every person who joined during that period, another person left. Last year, membership hit a 10-year low, at 1,185,000, though we've since rebounded, raising the figure this year to 1,207,102.
For RI President Gary C.K. Huang, that's not good enough. He hopes to increase membership to 1.3 million by the end of his term.
A member of the Rotary Club of Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan, immunizes children against polio at a camp for internally displaced persons in Waziristan. No type 3 polio has been reported in Pakistan -- or anywhere worldwide -- for more than two years.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Rotary Club of Rawalpindi
Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) are approaching a significant milestone: the eradication of type 3 wild poliovirus.
The last case of polio caused by the type 3 virus was reported in Yobe, Nigeria, on 10 November 2012.
This year, Rotary is participating in #GivingTuesday on 2 December, a global day of giving supported by 10,000 organizations worldwide.
Invite your club to get involved by giving online. Online giving is the easiest and most efficient way to give to the Foundation and the causes you care about most. As an added incentive, President Gary C.K. Huang will send special video messages to the club and district that make the most individual online gifts to The Rotary Foundation on #GivingTuesday.
Share why you support the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook by using the tags #GiveTheGift and #GivingTuesday. And replace your profile picture with our proud donor image!
You can also round out Rotary Foundation Month by adding this presentation, which highlights #GivingTuesday, to your weekly program.
Contact annualgiving@rotary.org if you questions or feedback about participating in #GivingTuesday.
A few of us are looking at trying to organize bicycle events for Rotarians and friends to be held in the Truro area in the early summer of 2015 and then again in 2016. We are thinking about offering different rides at each event, perhaps 25, 50 and/or 100 km and proceeds going toward the End Polio Campaign. There could be team jerseys like the one shown.
If it were organized, would Rotarians come?
Let Jim Goit (jbgoit@gmail.com) or Ron Zwaagstra (ronz@printpro.ca) know if you’d be interested. Please pass this message on to people you know who like to road bike.
Once again this year, I invite you to join us in New York City at the Rotary-United Nations Day on Saturday, November 1, 2014. In addition, Canadian Rotarians can participate in a UN Tour Friday am and a Special Canada Session, hosted by the Canadian UN Ambassador on Friday afternoon, October 31st.
Three experienced Rotarians make up the Executive of District 7820 for 2014-15. Each brings their own experience and skill set to the job of helping our District be successful during the year.
At the District Conference this past weekend, Cindy Titus was inducted as the first member of the eClub which currently is a satellite club of the RC of Stratford. Congratulations Cindy!
L-R Stratford President Elect James Pineau, AG Ann Sherman, Cindy, Stratford President Pam Borden, District Membership Chair Paul Roy.
Some of you may have missed the poll on the mid month bulletin. We asked if you were registered for the conference. Click HERE for the results.
District Governor's Comments May 2014
We are rapidly winding down the year of "Engage Rotary Change Lives "before we "Light Up Rotary". Although I think that our theme this year is one that will live throughout Rotary's history.
There are a couple of very important and exciting events that are happening before we install DGE Stella Roy and I fade off into the sunset. Three weeks to go before Claudia and I, the conference committee, and all the clubs from western Nova Scotia are your hosts at the 99th annual conference being held at the Old Orchard Inn. Educational seminars , top notch inspirational speakers ,outstanding entertainment ,delicious food and nectar of the vines are just a few of the activities waiting for you May 22-25. Not to mention the opportunity to make some interesting new friends. If you have not already done so please register for the whole or part of the conference. If you have trouble finding a room please get in touch with the committee . SEE YOU THERE.
As most of you are aware Rotary has a theme for each of the months ---- well almost all , May does not have any formal distinction except in a number of Districts it is conference month plus the on going training for next year's executive's. This tells us the Rotary year is drawing to an end . A year which for Claudia and I was filled with very exciting club visits ,highly interesting and humanitarian projects which are enhancing our communities and hopefully alleviating the pain and suffering of those less fortunate than us the world over. We have less than two months to finish all those lofty goals that we set out to accomplish a mere ten months ago. I had six goals that I intended to complete this year which I will go into more detail next month, five have basically been successfully completed. Membership is the one area where we may not reach the lofty heights we set out to achieve. On the positive side membership will be up year over year and for this I thank everyone for their efforts especially membership chair Paul Roy.
There have been at least two clubs that have increased their numbers dramatically , one has achieved this by getting their community involved with what they do . A lesson here I think for all of us. It is much easier to bring members in than to get them involved and retain them. How do you make members feel part of the club, convince them it is the work they do that gives Rotary the power to eradicate polio, build schools ,drill wells , and all the other good work we do locally and around the world.
Having said that someone asked you to a meeting and introduced you to a world of service ,why don't you do the same?
Thank you.
Greg Coldwell
District Governor
Participate in YOUTH EXCHANGE and become young again !
Ever wanted to know more about Youth Exchange? Is your club currently involved, been involved in the past and would like to jump in again, or want to get involved for the first time? As part of our mandate from the District to foster and grow the Rotary Youth Exchange program in 7820, there will be a one day information, training, and strategy session on YE on May 22, prior to the District Conference. Youth Exchange Officers from all clubs currently active in YE will be there. We would like to open the session to any other Rotarians interested in getting involved at either the club or District level. If you are interested in attending or would like more information on Youth Exchange, please contact Michelle Lazaratos, District Youth Exchange Chair at michelle.lazaratos@nrc.gc.ca .
Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Port Hawkesbury and PDG Pete Smith for winning first prize in the zone photo contest, International Service Division.
Rotary is receiving significant international media coverage this week for its role in the historic polio-free certification of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia region
Would you, or someone you know, like to become a Rotarian but don’t live near an existing club or can’t attend regular meetings? Perhaps you, or someone you know, are thinking of leaving Rotary because you are moving, or because of family and/or work commitments.
Click on the logo to the left to read the latest "Visions" newsletter from TRF. Take special note of the item on page 4 by our own PDG John Williamson.
District 7820 sends congratulations to AG Mark Linehan on his appointment.
New Provincial Court Judges to Sit in St. John’s and Stephenville
The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Justice, and the Honourable Felix Collins, Attorney General, today announced two new judicial appointments for the province. Lynn E. Cole was appointed to Provincial Court in Stephenville effective March 6, while Mark T. Linehan was appointed to Provincial Court in St. John’s effective March 4.
District Project
Awing Village – 2014
Cameroon
Our District is preparing to send another container to Cameroon.
We are seeking some hospital equipment for the Awing hospital such as (1) Operating Table, Stretchers, Admitting Table, Wheel Chairs, and Mattresses. In addition we will be loading school supplies such as writing material, solar power calculators, musical instruments, children’s summer clothing. Bicycles will be collected also to help fill available space. The 20’ container is located in Burnside, Dartmouth and accessible during weekdays. Please email PDG Pete at roboil@ns.sympatico.ca if you wish to assist.
This will be a total of fifteen containers that have been shipped to Africa containing hospital, school and water equipment. You can all be proud of these successful projects which continue to bring relief to the communities. Almost every club in D7820 has contributed, and our District is well known in D9150 with their local advertising and the four school buses we shipped in 2010 proudly displaying D7820 and Canadian Flag.
Rotary, giving Service Above Self
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of PDG Trevor Atkin ( 98-99) this past Thursday Feb 27 2014. Trevor was a dedicated Rotarian and wonderful friend to many in this district. He will be missed. Our condolences go out to Kathryn and family. ( http://www.barretts.ca/book-of-memories/1814922/Atkin-Trevor-J/obituary.php )
News from our District Governor
We may be in the midst of the coldest time of year but Rotary is sizzling in the District. From Youth services Vicki Chalker and her committee are hard at work planning and preparing for an exciting District wide RYLA for Rotoract in 2015. The Riverview Interact club made the floor of the Nova Scotia Assembly by way of a special resolution presented by MLA Alfie MacLeod for their work in international service. Being recorded by Hansard this now becomes a permanent record in Nova Scotia history . Congratulations to the Riverview club and Rotarian Bob Munroe their mentor. Still on the issue of Youth services, the Yarmouth Rotary club is sponsoring a Interact club in the local High School and the charter has been applied for. Finally this past week St. John's clubs presented DGE Stella Roy with a cheque for Polio Plus that will help vaccinate 187,000 children . Congratulations to AG Bruce Templeton and St.John's Rotarians.
On the membership front PDG Tom MaCaughey has been the driving force behind the formation of an after hours club in St. John's . At their first gathering this past week a number of potential new members were present. Best of luck with this Tom and hopefully this will be a template for many more. Membership chair Paul Roy is busy generating interest in a e-club .
DGE Stella Roy has started training of next years Presidents and Secretaries . Mini conferences have begun and I would encourage you to attend the one being held in your area . It is a great way to meet Rotarians from other clubs and hear very informative and interesting speakers.
March is literacy month . Probably not on the top of most clubs agendas , but certainly a problem within our society and also world wide and why it is part of our foundations six areas of focus. So how can motivated clubs promote and celebrate Literacy month. Please consider the following,
(1) create awareness
(a) Schedule a speaker on a literacy topic .
(b) Present a literacy recognition to teachers, students, or civic leaders who have promoted the cause of literacy in the community.
(2) Undertake a project
(a) Do a basic literacy project
(b) Do a functional literacy project.
If you have not already done so please go to the million dollar dinner web site " http://www.youareinvitedtodinner.com " and have a look.
Please consider registering for all or part of the district conference. www.rotary7820.com
DG Greg
News from our Membership Chair
We all know the great work that Rotary does and it makes us feel good.
In order for our clubs to do more good unto our local and global communities we need more members. Our District has been a leader the past three years with membership growth in Canada. This year to date we have not been as successful. We have just completed our eight month of our Rotary Year and the District is at the same membership number we were at July 1st. 1601 members. Only 14 of our 46 clubs are showing a membership growth. Many clubs are the same membership number and a few clubs are in declining membership. The district has a goal this year to grow by 1 % that would mean adding 16 new members for the year. We can not achieve this with out your clubs help.
Rotary is very good at bringing in new members however we have not been very good at keeping them. People join Rotary for Rotary’s ideals.
People don’t leave Rotary. They leave clubs that do not live up to the new members expectations. They key is to get the new members engaged. We suggest you assign a mentor to help the new member understand Rotary and the mentor helps them get involved in the committee they are passionate about. New members joined Rotary to serve.
In other exciting news the membership committee is at the beginning stages of forming an E-club in the District. James Pineau of the Rotary Club Of Stratford PEI will be the chair. We ask that you take notice of announcements from the district and let us know of potential new members who may be interested in joining this exciting new concept in Rotary.
Your district membership committee is happy to make club visits and help your club identify ways to attract and keep members. The tools are there. Your club may only be one piece away from being a vibrant and growing club.
Together we can make our goal and have growth again for the fourth year in a row.
Crowdsourcing has become very popular over the past few years. Rotary in now taken it one step further and created a Crowdsourcing page for your club projects. Take a look at http://ideas.rotary.org/ and get help with your project.
EVANSTON, Ill., USA (Dec. 23, 2013) — K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran, a business leader from Colombo, Sri Lanka, will be the 105th president of Rotary International – a global network of 1.2 million volunteers dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges./div>
On December 3rd, the Interact Club of Riverview Rural High School celebrated 29 years of service both locally and internationally. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sydney, the club’s approximately 50 members weekly donate their time to assist a variety of community organizations and not for profit groups and events.
United Airlines has announced the airline's third annual 10-million-mile giveaway, benefiting nearly three dozen nonprofits that provide services to people and communities around the world. Individuals can vote online for their favorite of 35 organizations and, by doing so, determine how many "MileagePlus" award miles each nonprofit will receive.
>United will give each of the organizations, which include Rotary International, a minimum of 25,000 miles. The airline will award the remainder of the 10 million miles based on the percentage of the total vote count each nonprofit receives.
In early voting, Rotary is in second place. Rotarians are asked to help Rotary reach the top by voting oncedaily at www.10millioncharitymiles.com through December 31. The award miles will be distributed in January, 2014.
On Dec 4 , the St. John's Board of Trade held it's Business Excellence Awards. Over 600 business leaders were present when leading businesses were selected and publicly presented glittering awards. In the category of Customer Service and Reliability, the award was presented to PDG Tom McCaughey's firm Service Master Clean of St. John's.
Congratulation to Tom, Shirley and their whole team for winning this very deserved award for business excellence.
If you are not aware of this ongoing contest with Aviva Insurance please help us out. We are in the semi finals of this contest. If we make it to the Finals we are guaranteed a $5000 prize up to as high as a $150000 prize. We have a lot of work left to do in our Port Hawkesbury Community Park project. I am putting a call out to all Rotarians to go to the link below and register and then vote for our project once per day for the next 10 days. There is some very worthwhile projects in this contest but I would love your help to aide us in completing our Community Park Project. It only takes a second to vote once your register. If you have more then one email then register with each email and vote that many more times.
It is my pleasure to announce that the duly appointed nominating committee has selected Elva Heyge, Past President of the Rotary Club of Kentville, as our District Governor Nominee Designate for District 7820 for the year 2016-2017.
Any club wishing to challenge this selection may do so in accordance with RI bylaw 13.020.8 as outlined below by directing such challenge to District Governor Greg Coldwell (gcoldwell@district7820.com) and copied to the chair of the nominating committee, PDG Tom McCaughey (dgtom7820@gmail.com)
This must be received in writing on or before Tuesday, December 17, 2013.
Should no challenge be received by this date, Elva Heyge will be declared as nominee for District Governor 2016-2017 .
The DG Selection Committee is pleased to announce the choice of Elva Heyge of the Rotary Club of Kentville as District Governor Nominee (Designate) for the 2016-2017 Rotary Year in accordance with our by-laws. Elva was chosen over two other very capable and impressive candidates for this position.
Four new Rotarians were welcomed in the Rotary world by Club President Margaret Butt.
The candidates, Laurie Skinner, Julie Sheppard, Katrina McLaughlan and Roger Barbour have come along for a number of weeks, were carefully taken through an interview process and then asked the question “Do you still wish your name to go forward.” Happily, none of them ran for the door!
The Rotary Club of St. John’s East grew by 10% this morning
As part of the Rotary Club of Halifax’s 100th anniversary celebrations the club awarded 5 Paul Harris Fellowships to five non Rotarians living in Halifax Regional Municipality at a dinner held on 28th November 2013.
Attached is the December issue of the monthly Zone newsletter. Inside you will find thoughts on the real value of Rotary's new branding campaign and on what the "family of Rotary" entails. You'll also find also an update on Associate Membership, and a primer on WASRAG, the Water and Sanitation Action Group that started right here in our Zones. And yes, it's the end of the year; time to think about charitable giving, especially to our Foundation. Included are some tips to make sure that your charitable giving works for you -- not the tax man
Through the Me to We/Free the Children foundation, we are raising 500$ which supplies a school with new books and furniture. We are hoping to have it go towards a school in Pakistan to further support Malala's education for all movement.
Action Requested: Engage Rotary: remind your clubs to work towards the 2013-14 Presidential Citation
District 7820
Dear District Governor Coldwell:
I am writing to provide you with important information about the 2013-14 Presidential Citation. Please share the following information with your clubs.
On Friday Nov 1 and Saturday Nov 2 the D7820 District Team met in Halifax for their fall review and strategy session. An excellent series of discussions took place under the watchful eye of District Trainer Meriam MacLeod.
Following is a link to the November issue of Beyond Borders, our Zone newsletter. Inside you will read about satellite clubs, the very first e-alumni association, an update on the Hurricane Irene grant, info on the Paul Harris "Little Red Schoolhouse" and next year's Zone Institute in Toronto, a listing of those Rotarians we have lost this year, and much more.
I had the fortunate opportunity recently while traveling on business to Dublin Ireland to take in District 1160 Ireland conference in Dublin Ireland on September 28.
I am looking to update the list of Rotary Clubs in District 7820 that have a Facebook sites so every club can be linked to the district page. By doing this, Club postings can be easily shared district wide.
Members of the District Social Media team are always looking for postings of interest to share, however clubs are free to post their own stories, events etc on the District page directly as well. Let me know if you or someone in your club would be interested in joining the team.
Let me know if the list below is incomplete. There are a few clubs with "group" sites we are unable to link to unfortunately.
I am also interested in Clubs that use Twitter.
Rotary Club of Avalon Northeast
Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty
Rotary Club of Corner Brook
Gander Rotary Club
Rotary Club of Grand Falls
Rotary Club of Halifax
Rotary Club of Halifax Harbourside
Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest
Rotary Club of Kentville
Rotary Club of Middleton
Rotary Club of Port Hawkesbury
Rotary Club of Sackville & Area
Rotary Club of St. John's Northwest
Rotary Club of Stephenville
Stratford Rotary
Rotary Club of Summerside
Rotary Club of Truro
Rotary Club of Windsor, NS
Rotary Club of Wolfville - Mud Creek
Rotary Club of Yarmouth
Thank you.
Jim Goit (jbgoit@gmail.com) District Social Media Chair
District Governor Nominee
There is an interest from District 5020, an international district comprising Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, and Western Washington State, USA, to visit NS/PEI in the fall of 2014 and for the NS/PEI team to go west in the spring of 2014.
The dates for the NS/PEI team to go to District 5020 are June 1-15, 2014. They will come to NS/PEI Sep 24-Oct 9, 2014.
This RFE is only open to the Clubs in NS/PEI. Please notify me of your interest by Nov 6, 2014by email at evelinadunlap@yahoo.com
Kindly indicate the name of your club and whether you will travel with a partner or alone.
Rotary regards,
Evelina Dunlap
RFE Co-ordinator District 7820
RFE to District 5020 (Vancouver Island and Washington State)
At a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of New Waterford, Basil MacGillvary received the True Rotarian Award from DG Greg Coldwell. Shown here are left to right AG Kevin Armstrong, Basil MacGillvary, President of the New Waterford Rotary Club Heather McNeil, and Greg Coldwell.
Don Hill of the Rotary Club of Pictou recently received the True Rotarian award from DG Greg Coldwell. Shown here receiving the award with club President Heather Murphy.
EVANSTON, Ill. (18 October, 2013) — Emmy-winning actress Archie Panjabi, best known for her role as Kalinda on the hit series "The Good Wife," will talk about her volunteer work in support of polio eradication during a special program co-hosted by Rotary and Northwestern University's Center for Global Health on Oct. 24 – World Polio Day 2013 – in downtown Chicago.
Joan MacFarlane, left, a member of the Rotary Club of Stratford, presents a welcome gift to her friend, Claudia Stern, a member of the Rotary Club of Hobart, during a dinner meeting hosted by the Rotary Club of Stratford last week. The reunion took place when 11 Rotarians from Tasmania, hosted by Rotary clubs in Kentville, N.S., decided to visit P.E.I. as part of a Friendship Exchange.
Where are we in the fight to end polio? What have we accomplished? How can we make history together? Find out on World Polio Day.
To mark World Polio Day on October 24, Rotary and Northwestern University’s Center for Global Health will host a live-streamed global status update on the fight to end polio, featuring invited guests including Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners, celebrity ambassadors, polio survivors and Rotary members.
Recently I sent an email to Rotarian Peter Akote in Cameroon to advise me on the status of our four Nova Scotia school buses which our District shipped in 2010.
Recently I participated in a global think tank session with presentations and discussions about what the Future of our United Nations Millennium Goals will be after we reach the year 2015.
Page 3 of the latest "ROTARY LEADER" http://www.rotaryleader-en.org/rotaryleader-en/en201309#pg3tells of the terrific success St.John's Rotarian Bruce Templeton had in raising money for PolioPlus through leveraging contributions related to his best-seller "THE MAN IN THE RED SUIT". And it's not just history! Seems COSTCO CANADA was so astonished at selling 8000 copies in Newfoundland last year that they have ordered another 10,000 for sale in late October at their 80 Canadian stores!
Halifax - Dartmouth - Sackville Rotarians note -
On Sunday November 3rd Bruce will be at COSTCO Halifax signing books ( 1-5 pm) and a share of the revenue will continue to go to PolioPlus - As Bruce says "The 2 for 1 match by the Gates Foundation is just too good to miss!" (and the book makes a great Christmas present).
"The Man in the Red Suit" continues to make history.
Once again this year, I invite you to join us in New York City at the Rotary-United Nations Day on Saturday, November 2, 2013. In addition, Canadian Rotarians can participate in a UN Tour Friday am and a Special Canada Session, hosted by the Canadian UN Ambassador on Friday afternoon, November 1st.
CORNER BROOK — When he was an 11-year-old farm boy growing up in rural Nova Scotia, the local Rotary Club gave Greg Coldwell a purebred, short-horned calf for all the work he had done with the 4H Club he was involved with.
The letter notifying him of the gift said that the local Rotarians hoped this female calf would become “the cornerstone of your herd.”
The calf became more than a possession for Coldwell, a longtime Rotarian himself who is visiting Corner Brook this week as the organization’s district governor for District 7820.
It became a pet. It may have broken his heart to have to take his cow to auction two years later, but Coldwell has since gained an appreciation for the tough life lessons that gift from his Rotary Club taught him.
“You never know what kind of an impact you are going to have on someone,” Coldwell told members of the Rotary Club of Humber during his address Tuesday evening.
Coldwell governs a district that covers most of Atlantic Canada, including the Magdalen Islands and St. Pierre et Miquelon, with the exception of New Brunswick. He said the district’s membership has grown to 1,600 in recent years, but would like to see even more people offer their time and resources to bettering their local communities and the world through the organization whose motto is “service above self.”
He spoke about, as a Rotarian, having seen the gratitude of a little girl confined to a wheelchair who got to play like other kids at a Rotary park with accessible playground equipment or someone from Guatemala whose community now has a steady source of clean drinking water.
He said further growth of the organization happens only with strong local Rotary clubs that have enthusiastic members and strong leadership with a plan.
“Rotary needs each and every one of you and each and every one of you has something to give to Rotary,” he said.
It is up and running! I encourage all Rotarians to go to www.rotary.org and take a look at the new site and also login to the new "My Rotary" section which replaces the old "Member Access".
Expression of Interest – Administrative Support Services - Rotary District 7820
This constitutes a call to those interested in providing Expressions of Interest for the provision of a proposal for contract services as identified in the following, terms of service, time requirements and specific service requirements for the operation of the Rotary District Administrative Office (Support Service).
DG Greg Coldwell and the District New Generations / Youth Exchange team would like to hear from Rotarians who might be interested in organizing a year-ending tour for Youth Exchange students in 2014.
The format for such a tour is currently under review and may or may not be similar to the Cross Canada Tours offered in the past. Accordingly there is a unique opportunity for input from those expressing interest in becoming involved with tour arrangements.
For further information, or to indicate your interest, please contact District Youth Exchange Coordinator Michelle Lazaratos: Michelle.Lazaratos@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
RI recently announced that there will be changes to their site in August. My informants tell me that the main page will be set up for non-Rotarians and what used to be "Member Access" will be the page for Rotarians. You may have to re-login to access this. My advice is to go there soon and check and get it set up correctly so that when you need something you do not have to go through the learning stages while in a hurry to find something....... Gord
Are you a District 7820 Rotarian who rides a motorcycle? Please contact me in Nova Scotia. Clarke.paynter@ns.sympatico.ca. We have a number Nova Scotia members that ride We plan rides and are currently planning a 5 day and 4 night ride to Quebec the second week of September.
International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians
The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. Click HERE to see how you can help
Are you interested in hummingbirds? Report hummingbirds in your area and assist in a research project based in Ontario but branching out to all Canada.
On June 30, the Wolfville Rotary Club gave out its first Paul Harris Fellowship recognition to a community group. In fact, it was a rock and roll band, Men Will Be Boys.
Spokesman Stephen Peters said the club, “proudly offered this prestigious recognition offered by Rotary International, to the 10 past and current members of the band Men Will Be Boys.”
As Rotary clubs continue to promote diversity in their membership, Rotary is marking a milestone. Anne L. Matthews, a Rotarian from South Carolina, USA, began her term on 1 July as the first female vice president of Rotary International.
In yet another sign of Rotary’s growing diversity, Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI), an organization formed in the 1910s, is poised to inaugurate its first woman president.
Lyon, France – April 24, 2013 – Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today its commitment to provide 1.7 billion doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to support the Global Polio eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) strategy to eradicate polio this decade. The doses of OPV will be delivered through 2017 for GPEI polio vaccination program.
The District Executive Leadership team was confirmed at the District Conference in Halifax. A brief introduction of Greg Caldwell, Stella Roy and Jim Goit follows. They all look forward to working with the full District team and members of the Rotary Clubs around District 7820 to have a productive Rotary year.
The following information just arrived from an excellant source.
Perhaps you've heard that the RI website is being redesigned. It will be much different from the current site. In fact, there will be two sites.
The first site, the familiar rotary.org site, will be directed toward non-Rotarians. Of course, Rotarians will be encouraged to have a look at it from time to time, but it will be largely a PR effort.
The second site will be: http://www.rotary.org/myrotary. This site will be specifically for Rotarians. It will require password access (just as Member Access does now) and will contain all the documents, forms, etc. that we're accustomed to using. I've seen it only in beta test form, but it looks really good.
Target date for rollout of the new sites is 1 August.
Logan MacGillvray from Bedford Nova Scotia, was a keynote speaker at the recent District 7820 Conference, at the Westin, in Halifax.. Logan is the Founder of “Listen to the Children: A Journey of Sharing” Charity. Logan has received multiple awards both locally and abroad since he started working with cdpeace.
Logan started working with cdpeace when he was 10 years old in 2008. Inspiring others to realize they can make a difference, Logan has campaigned across Canada and beyond to support children in Sierra Leone. With the guidance of cdpeace, Logan worked with many volunteers to ship two 40-foot containers filled with building, school supplies and sport equipments. Logan depicts this journey in a short documentary/music video and he is now raising funds to build a multi-purpose Centre for children at the cdpeace headquarters in Mayagba , Sierra Leone. Logan’s documentary “Listen to the Children” can be viewed at http://www.listentothechildren.net/
Most, if not all, of the Rotary Clubs across District 7820 answered the $100 per club challenge raised at the District Conference a few weeks ago in Hlaifax.
Pledges may be forwarded to:
Centre For Development and Peace Education (cdpeace)
70 Tamara Drive
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
B2G 2T3, Canada
How to honour your conference pledge for Logan MacGillivray
During Australia’s colder months, emergency shelters often fill to capacity. Many homeless people searching for a warm bed are turned away, handed a piece of cardboard and a blanket for the night.
Thank you, Australia! Its government will provide $80 million from 2015 to 2018 to help finish the job and achieve worldwide polio eradication.
It was Australia's Sir Clem Renouf who, as president of Rotary International in 1978 and 1979, led the international campaign to vaccinate every child against polio. As a result of these early efforts by Rotary, the global community came together in 1988 to launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Australian Government commits to $80 Million for Polio
According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, more than 2.9 billion people worldwide have been affected by disasters since 2000. How can we assist communitiesimmediately following a disaster?What type of support does Rotary provide to help resurrect devastated regions?
Dr. Doug McMillan ( Rotary Club of Halifax ) has been to Africa and brought back a wonderful idea on a new international service project involving maternity issues of child delivery and care for the mother and child.
Yesterday, global leaders and philanthropists signaled their confidence in a new polio endgame strategy by pledging close to three-quarters of the plan’s projected US$5.5 billion cost to eradicate polio within the next six years.
At the Vaccine Summit that is being held in Abu Dhabi, Minister Fantino has announced that the Canadian Government will commit $250 million between 2013-2018 to the Polio Eradication Effort.
Congratulations to all Rotarians who helped to influence the government.
Delegates from Rotary’s 532 districts are gathering in downtown Chicago 21-26 April to consider changes to the policies that govern Rotary International and its member clubs.
The 2013 COL is now over. Click HERE for Daily reports from Rotarian Doug Vincent and the final report from RI.
The photo below shows the last of the official GSE teams ready to leave for D3310 in Singapore ( Malaysia). Leaving the 18th May - 16th June. Their District Conference is in Phuket in Thailand.
Back row Marko Simmonds (Halifax NW), Team Leader Louisa Horne (Halifax Harbourside), GSE Chair Joe Donachie (Amherst), Front Row - Angela Day (Halifax), Jillian Stoyles (St.John's NW), Angela Keddy (Halifax Harbourside)
SOUTH BERWICK — A South Berwick woman is among 12 Rotary International members who will be honored Friday at the White House as "Champions of Change."
Ann Lee Hussey, a Rotarian and polio survivor, has spent the last 12 years leading teams of volunteers to developing countries to immunize children against polio.
The Champions of Change program was created to allow the White House to feature groups of Americans who are doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.
“Collectively, these Rotary Club members have touched the lives of thousands of people – whether by improving health and providing health services, preventing hunger, supporting our poor communities, empowering unemployed, addicted, or homeless adults, or caring for students," said Paulette Aniskoff, deputy assistant to the president and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Hussey has led 14 teams and participated in an additional seven immunization campaigns. Her work has taken her to Chad, Mali, Bangladesh, Niger, Nigeria and remote areas of Egypt and India. She recently helped provide 600 wheelchairs for Nigerian polio survivors.
"Through her work with the Rotary, Ann Lee has demonstrated an incredible commitment to eradicating polio by traveling to far corners of the globe to administer vaccines. She has prevented thousands of people from getting the disease while offering heartfelt support for those who have fallen victim to it," Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said in a prepared statement. "We all have something to learn from her courage, compassion and tenacity. As a survivor of polio herself, she has found strength in her struggle and has used it to quite literally make the world a better place."
Come to the District Convention and meet this Rotarian
On March 14, 2013, I and my grandson Cameron arrived in Douala, Cameroon from Canada. Our Rotary mission had many purposes, we intended to complete a Polio immunization clinic, review a recent school bus project, see progress or completion of eleven Primary school latrines and hand over much needed school books to these schools. My secondary mission was to impart in Cameron the Rotary spirit of giving Service to others so he may continue in the work D7820 started in 2003. I also intended to bring back other projects which our District clubs may participate in.
The Rotary Club of Pictou will be performing Sweet Charity at the DeCoste Center in Pictou on April 4, 5 & 6 at 7:30 PM. Tickets available at the DeCoste Center.
Come one, come all to this great event and fundraiser.
Sweet Charity performed by The Rotary Club of Pictou
Rotaractor and Polio Plus supporter Sarah Halliday at Memorial University named TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellow in Advancement for 2013-14. Click HERE for the whole story about the activities of this wonderful Rotaractor.
Arts major awarded prestigious advancement fellowship at Memorial
On Saturday, May 4, 2013, Rotarians will host our annual fundraising dinner and dance at Marble Mountain in Steady Brook. This year we have themed our event "Disco Ball" and the evening will present a chance to relive the fun of the Disco Era as we enjoy a themed evening of Dinner, Auction, AND Dance. Prizes will be awarded for best dressed table.
Dear Club: Presidents, Incoming Presidents and Incoming Secretaries
Please promote this information to all your club members. Thanks.
District 7820 is pleased to provide a 3 hour evening session on Rotary information and fellowship. This would be a great evening for Incoming Club Presidents and Secretaries,... but is open to all Rotarians who want to know (more) about??????
District Governor Tom and all the District Convention Committee are pleased to announce that Joop ( Joe) Ueffing of the Rotary Club of Kentville has won the Early Bird Draw for two nights accommodation during the conference courtesy of the Westin Nova Scotian. Congratulations Joe.
Joop ( Joe ) Ueffing wins Conference Early Bird Draw
Rotary International, Bill Gates, and fellow supporters gathered on the steps on Capitol Hill today to advocate for the fight to end polio. We are “this close” to ending polio. Share your voice and together we can make history. http://www.endpolio.org/advocacy
Dr. Bruce Aylward happened to be in St. John’s for a family visit.
He lives in Geneva. While he was home for a very short time, we sat down and talked his global work and Rotary’s commitment to Polio Plus.
He was aware of our local efforts from the book “The Man in the Red Suit” and that through the matching grants,he can now immunize another 150,000 children. He took the book back to Geneva!
The Cross Canada Tour is in need of a female Chaperone to travel with the tour this summer. If you are interested and available, please contact DG Tom McCaughey dgtom7820@gmail.com or CCT Coordinator Mike Ross rotarytrip@hotmail.com for more information.
Overview: This session has been created especially for Rotarians interested in ensuring their speeches have the greatest possible impact. It will be of special interest to current and future Rotary leaders; to Rotarians whose profession requires public speaking; and to those wishing to advance their career prospects.
It has been brought to my attention by The Rotary Foundation (Canada) that a number of people are using old forms with an old address that they have stored on their computers. This is causing a delay in the materials intended for The Rotary Foundation (Canada) and shortly will result in forms being returned to sender.
Please take a look at all your forms and make sure that they have the correct mailing address. New forms may be obtained at www.rotary.org, www.trfcanada.org or through the Member Access site,
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION (CANADA) c/o 911600 PO Box 4090 STN A, TORONTO, ON M5W 0E9
New Canadian address for sending Foundation donations
Michael R. Bloomberg today announced a $100 million donation to support polio eradication efforts through Bloomberg Philanthropies. The donation will help fund the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) six year plan to eradicate polio. Click HERE to read the whole story
Bloomberg Philanthropies to Donate $100 Million to Help Global Initiative to End Polio Forever
Most of us will never be able to claim 68 years of continuous service to any organization but the Rotary Club of Truro's Lorne MacDougall can do just that.
Surrounded by family and friends, Lorne received special recognition for his long service to Rotary from Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka at the Club's 87th annual Charter Night Ceremony held on the evening of February 21st. The framed letter from President Tanaka was signed by 14 past RI presidents and was presented to Lorne by Rotary International Director Bryn Styles.
Still a faithful and regular attendee of the the Club's weekly Monday meetings, Lorne just celebrated his 95th birthday in January. He joined the club as a young lawyer on April 2, 1945 and was president of the Club in 1950-51. That was the year that RI President Arthur Lagueux visited Truro, the first of only two occasions that an RI president has been to Truro. (The second time was John Kenny in 2010)
A Paul Harris Fellow since 1987, Lorne was awarded the Avenues of Service Citation in 2008-09.
Lorne is an inspiration to all of us. Congratulations Lorne.
Truro's Most Experienced Rotarian Receives Special Recognition from Rotary International
Years ago, Marilyn Fitzgerald learned valuable lessons about sustainability from an impoverished rice farmer in Indonesia.
(Photo) Marilyn Fitzgerald, right, meets with Muhammad Yunus, who wrote the foreword to her book "If I Had a Water Buffalo." Fitzgerald serves as microcredit adviser and economic and community development coordinator for District 6290.
Many thanks to PDG Chris Offer and DG Rebecca MacPherson, D 5040 for permission to reprint this article.
Here are some simple, proven ideas to help your club grow.
If your Rotary Club is like most, membership growth is a constant challenge. One month, you pick up one or two new members and the next month, you may lose one. Even if your club is active and successful, some members will leave due to job transfers, career changes or for a variety of other reasons. That is why every club must be continually on the lookout for prospective new members.
On January 19, 2013, the Rotary Club of Sackville and Area will celebrate our first year as a Chartered Club by hosting our First Anniversary Charter Dinner. Please join us at the Sackville Legion 45 Sackville Cross Rd, Lower Sackville (see map at http://goo.gl/I83i8) for dinner, entertainment and guest speaker Sgt Craig Smith, RCMP. Cost to attend is $40.00 per person. Registration and meet and greet will start at 5:00PM, with dinner being served at 6:30PM. Celebrate our successes as a new Club over the past year. RSVP by Jan 10th at the very latest.
By Robert S. Scott, chair of the International PolioPlus Committee
Rotary International joins the Government of Pakistan and our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in condemning the recent attacks that have killed and wounded health workers in Pakistan.
The Rotary Club of Yarmouth held a very different meeting on November 5th. Instead of meeting and having lunch on Monday at our usual venue we moved our meeting to the Yarmouth County Museum with box lunches to hear Rebecca Caine, Canadian Star of The Phantom of the Opera accompanied on the piano by Robert Kortagard, The performance was arranged in cooperation with Hear! Here!, a music society in Yarmouth dedicated to bringing live performance to the community.
Editors Note. The writer of this blog will be a guest speaker at the 2013 District Convention in Halifax in May.
As a 17-month-old toddler, I contracted polio. Burning up with fever, I was paralyzed from the waist down. It was July 1955, only 3 months after Jonas Salk's vaccine was released to the public. I was lucky to regain the use of most but not all of my leg muscles. Today, after multiple surgeries, braces, and physical therapy, I am able to walk with limitations.
Thanks to several Rotary clubs in D7820 there will be eleven schools in Cameroon’s Awing village that will receive their first latrine and Government approved school books. This work would not be possible if it wasn’t for the generous support of the following clubs: Kentville, Port Hawkesbury, Dartmouth East, Amherst, Halifax NW, St John’s NW, Straight Regional Interact club and our own District Simplified Grants.
Joe Donachie who is the GSE Program Chair (Outbound) tells us that the
recently selected members of the District GSE Team came together for the
first time in Halifax to participate in the orientation program in regard to the
exchange with District 3310, comprising Singapore, Brunei and parts of
Malaysia, which will take place in June 2013.
On Sat 1 Dec 2012, awesome Nerds Andrew Pritchard (Nerds Bridgewater), Mauricio Duarte (Nerds Valley) & Mud Creek Rotarian, Jonathan Lyons and Ben Wiper (Nerds Lunenburg/Chester) worked with Mud Creek Rotarians at the Wolfville SaveEasy to 'Fill their Beetles' with food for the Wolfville Area Food Bank.
On Fri Nov 30th, Mud Creek Rotary club was recognized at a Wolfville School assembly by the school Principal Steve Keddy for the club's enduring support of the schools Healthy Meals program.
As one of our local projects we are supporting the creation of a fully accessible play park. One source of funding comes from Aviva community grants. With your help we can generate $150,000 for this vital project. Please help us. No money necessary. Follow these simple steps:
Go to www.sackvilleplaypark.ca
Click on register in top right corner
Enter email address and password
Aviva will send your email and confirmation notice
On November 29, 2012, a cook team of six from Rotary St. John’s Northwest spent the afternoon at Ronald McDonald House in St. John’s preparing a sumptuous meal for that day’s complement of 32 residents.
In 1587 Sir Francis Drake “singed the beard of the Spanish King” by a pre-emptive strike on two of Spain's main ports, Cadiz and Corunna. During the attack he composed a prayer that began -
Past District Governor Dr. Reg Gunn 88-89 passed away recently at the age of 84. It was during his year as DG that District 7820 became a true international district with the charter of the Rotary Club of Saint Pierre & Miquelon. All Rotarians in District 7820 offer our deep condolences to his family. The full obituary may be read HERE.
Ninety Rotarian cyclists from clubs throughout the United States took part in the El Tour de Tucson on 17 November in Arizona, raising more than US$375,000 for polio eradication.
The following story has been translated from the Brazilian Rotary magazine and forwarded to us by Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Sanjeev Chowdhury,Consul General of Canada to Rio de Janerio, Brazil.
Rich Casey, president of the Los Altos Rotary AIDS Project, stands next to a bed at St. Joseph’s hospital in Monrovia, Liberia, where a woman has just given birth to a boy. Casey looks down, sees the baby receiving a dropperful of medicine, and knows that he and his fellow Rotarians have helped save a life. Without the medication – nevirapine – the baby, born to an HIV-infected mother, would have a high likelihood of also being infected, and probably would not live past the age of five. The drug, which costs US$1 per dose, helps prevent the transmission of HIV from the mother and dramatically increases the baby’s chances for a healthy childhood.
November is Foundation month for Rotary and making an on-line donation through the http://rotary.org website has never been easier. When you are making your donation please consider the annual fund and the SHARE program when you are selecting where you would like your donation to be directed. While there are many worthy programs to support in Rotary, it is ONLY through your donations to the Share Program that funds come back to the District for grants to clubs.
One of the easiest ways to stay in touch with what is happening with Rotary in our District and around the world is to follow the District Facebook page and/or the District Twitter feed. Many Rotarians already use social media on a regular basis so why not add Rotary to your favourites. You can even join the conversation easily by posting your clubs' activities to the sites and sharing those great tips with other rotary members and friends.
On World Polio Day (Oct. 24), Rotary International invites one and all to get online and participate in theWorld's Biggest Commercial, promoting the global effort to eradicate this crippling childhood disease.
Canadian pop star Victoria Duffield is slated to headline a high-energy awards show this month, hosted by Rotarians in British Columbia to recognize the next generation of community leaders.
It was chance that brought Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Wilfrid J. Wilkinson to Trenton, Ont., to start the local branch of an accounting firm in 1961. He told his wife that the family could move back to their hometown of Montreal in a year. But he and Joan fell in love with life in a small town, where Wilkinson could come home for lunch and Joan could bring their four sons to visit at the office in the afternoon. In 1962, Wilkinson was invited to join the Rotary Club of Trenton, and the family put down roots.
Saturday Oct 13 2012 saw more than 50 Rotarians attend Rotary Leadership Institute sessions in Truro. Lively discussion and great participation resulted in a very successful day.
Over 50 Rotarians attend a successful RLI session in Truro
On October 2, 2012, the Rotary Club of Summerside presented Karen Thompson with a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of her contribution to the community. Joining her after the presentation are (left to right) Club President Nelson Snow, her husband/Rotarian Ralph Thompson and Rotarian Derek Key.
I am very pleased to announce that after several months of negotiations between the Canadian government and senior Canadian Rotary leaders, the Canadian government has agreed to match Canadian Rotarian donations to Polio through the Rotary Foundation. The match from the Canadian government is 1:1 but the other exciting news is that the Gates Foundation will also match 1:1 on the Rotarian donations to make it a 3:1 donation on behalf of Canadian Rotarians. There is a $1 million limit on both the government and Gates donations. The match is for donations made between 1 June 2012 and 31 March 2013.
What else can we do? Let's talk about polio, make the public aware and encourage their donations through our clubs to the cause. We must continue to be advocates to finally end this dreaded disease. We are "this close" to end. Please use this campaign to support the push to End Polio Now.
You may donate to End Polio Now and take advantage of the matching dollars at http://www.trfcanada.org/
We are please that Susan Knight, wife of Past District Governor Dennis Knight has been appointed to a very honourable position.
Congratulations Susan from all of District 7820.
When it comes to increasing membership, one size does not fit all, says Manoj Desai of the Membership Development and Retention Committee.
Understanding a region’s unique needs, customs, and historic trends can greatly enhance the ability of district leaders to bring in new members and retain existing ones.
In a year when the RI theme is all about peace, the annual gathering of Rotarians from both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border at the world’s first peace park takes on even greater significance. Click HERE for more
World’s first peace park celebrates its 80th anniversary
This is a 20 minute video that all Rotarians should listen to and apply to their clubs and dealings with Rotary.
A little revolutionary but to the point.
Click HERE
July 5, 2012 the Rotary Club of Truro made news headlines in the Tobago News local newspaper. Working through the Rotary Club of Southwest Tobago, the Rotary Club of Truro has brought help for fishermen in the form of two dinghies (small, well built row boats). These boats will be used by some 20 fishermen to get to and from their boats. Without a wharf, they were using a rubber tube to get out to their boats. Click HERE to read the whole story.
Rotary Club of Truro Make Headline News in Tobago Newspaper
Share your passion for Rotary with your family, friends, and community during August, Membership and Extension Month.
This year you’re invited to take part in the Rotary Membership Challenge. The challenge is designed to help you remember why you joined Rotary, what keeps you coming back, and why others should join.
DG Tom says "I encourage all clubs in district 7820 to consider joining this Rotary Peace Marathon on 21st September. As I have asked that all clubs commit to achieving the Presidential Citation this year, this event would be a simple way to fulfill one of the major requirements of this year’s citation that being a peace related project. Click HERE for details.
Join us for a fun filled scavenger hunt throught the historical Halifax Downtown. Your participation will contribute towards Rotary's projects in aid of Youth Development and Youth at Risk in the HRM. Click here to read all about it and register
DGE Tom has won a Rotary jacket as 1st prize in a small contest relating to his registration for the Zone Institute taking place in Vancouver on October 2012.
Congratulations Tom ! You are always a winner with D7820.
It’s here! Rotary Showcase, officially launched at the 2012 Bangkok Convention, is Rotary International’s newest social media tool that helps Rotarians share service initiatives with the Rotary family and beyond.
At this weekend's District Conference, Past District Governor Peter Smith was surprised when asked to step up to the podium and receive Rotary's Distinguished Service Award. The following are the introduction comments from DGE Tom McCaughey.
Every morning most of our school children in the Strait Area take it for granted that the big yellow bus will roll up to their driveway and take them to school. However, for rural Africa this is just a dream.
When we refer to D7820 we acknowledge that we are Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador AND Saint Pierre & Miquelon. But how many of us have ever visited Saint Pierre & Miquelon?
Please take a minute when considering your vacation this summer and think about a trip to France. 1½ hours away from Halifax and you are in a beautiful French setting. I've been there in the summer and the winter. Both were wonderful. Click here to learn more.
Although this warning refers to Asia area, two Rotarians already have reported it in North America. One in California and one in New York State. http://www.rotary9790.org.au/1112/News/spam.asp
Rotary International and ShelterBox, a grassroots disaster relief organization, signed a project partner agreement this month, allowing the two organizations to collaborate more closely to provide relief and temporary shelter to survivors of natural disasters. -Click here for more-.
Rotary International signs project partner agreement with ShelterBox
What is the opportunity?
For two young women from HRM to be the guests of the Rotary Club of Little Rock, Arkansas,
for five weeks - hosted by Rotarians families
Why is this happening?
To promote cultural exchange and international understanding... a unique learning experience!
Where is the travel?
Little Rock, Arkansas, with sightseeing opportunities across the state of Arkansas, ending with
3 days in Washington, DC (including tours of the White House and Capitol Building)
Who should apply?
Young women who are residents of Halifax – between the ages of 21 and 23 as of August 1, 2012
– who have an interest in learning about the US, especially Arkansas, and who would like to learn about
different career options and meet new people. You would serve as an Ambassador for Halifax as you
travel. You would give presentations both in Arkansas about Halifax and again when you return.
The Interact Club of South Colchester Academy officially received its ‘Certificate of Organization’ signed by Rotary International’s President Kalyan Banerjee and Rotary Club of Truro’s President, Jim Goit. Click for more
There are 10 of us from District 7820 who have registered for the convention in Bangkok, Thailand – The Land of a Thousand Smiles. It will be a fabulous experience.
The attached travel tips from a convention traveller pro will be helpful.
For those of you “on the edge” there are 60 days left. www.Trip Advisor.ca and other sites show return flights through Air Canada today at $2130 or less taxes included.
The Rotary Club of Summerside held its annual Pancake Breakfast and first annual Mardi Gras Curling Bonspiel this past Saturday, Feb 25. Club President Yolande Richard, who is a huge Montreal Canadiens fan promised to wear a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey at the Pancake Breakfast if the Bonspiel committee got more than 25 sponsors for our inaugural bonspiel. They got 30 so true to her word she wore the jersey but as you’ll see from the attached photo, her heart wasn’t truly in it.
NEW DELHI - India marked a major success in its battle against polio Saturday by being removed from the World Health Organization's list of countries plagued by the crippling disease.
Rotary Club of Wolfville president Jim Stegen talks with Nova Scotia Finance Minister, The Honourable Graham Steel. Minister Steele was in the Annapolis Valley to speak at a large gathering of all Valley Rotary clubs as part of his pre-budget consultations.
District Governor Bob Moffatt has appointed Foundation Chair Elva Heyge as the Future Vision Chair for the District. Elva has Rotarians in every Province who will assist her with the roll out of Future Vision. Elva and her team will be making a presentation at the District Convention in Charlottetown on May 26th, 2012. Seminars will also take place in various areas of the District in conjunction with the Assistant Governors. Thank You Elva for all you do for Rotary. DG Bob Moffatt
Elva Heyge to head upTRF Future Vision for District
See below the list of scheduled webinars on The Future of Grand Making. We encourage you to promote these webinars locally and invite your district and zone leaders to participate
The speaker for the Rotary Club of Truro's 86th annual Charter night celebration on Feb 20 2012 will be Rotary International Director Kenneth W. Grabeau of theRotary Club of Nashua West, New Hampshire, USA.
Thank you to all those at United -- including President and CEO
Jeff Smisek -- for their generosity and the opportunity to participate
in United's 10 Million Charity Miles Giveaway. And thank you to everyone
who voted for us. We couldn't have done it without your participation
and persistence.
For the miles giveaway, we officially came in second place and will
receive 2,488,070 charity miles from United. Rotarians will use the
miles for humanitarian missions, such as transporting sick children to
hospitals.
Although the giveaway wasn't announced in advance, Rotarians and
friends of Rotary quickly and enthusiastically got the word out through
social media, and we went from 18th place to second place.
This enabled us to receive a larger portion of the 10 million airline
miles that United was donating. In addition, we congratulate the
Shriners, who took first place.
Rotary receives about 2.5 million United airline miles for humanitarian projects
District Governor Bob Moffatt and over 90 people were on hand January 22 to officially charter the newest Rotary club in District 7820. The Rotary Club of Sackville and Area was presented it's charter by the District Governor and congratulated by other Clubs in the area. President Gina Byrne thanked everyone for all their support during the year leading up to the formation of the new club. Welcome to Rotary!
Rotary International has succeeded in meeting the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation’s US$200 million match in funding for polio
eradication, raising more than $202.6 million as of 17 January.
The Donald MacRae Peace Award is an annual award presented by Rotary Zones 24 and 32 to recognize and honour an individual or organization in each zone for outstanding achievement consistent with the ideals of Rotary as expressed in the Fourth Object of Rotary. Any Rotary Club or District in Zone 24 and 32 is entitled to submit the name of one candidate directly to the zone chair of the MacRae Peace Award.
Members of the Rotary
Club of Truro helped long time Rotarian Lorne MacDougall celebrate his
94th Birthday at their regular meeting on January 9th. He blew out the
candles on his cake and expressed thanks to the club members for
recognizing his birthday.
Message from the Chair of the Trustees - Bill Boyd - 20 Second Elevator Speech!
Today’s generation supports causes rather than organizations, and so we in Rotary should be able to clearly identify the causes that drive us. When somebody asks you what Rotary is, you do not have to fumble for words. Tell the person that "We are an organization of service minded individuals around the world who are working to make the world a better place with our efforts in water and sanitation, basic education and literacy, maternal and child health, disease prevention and treatment, economic and community development, and peace and conflict resolution."You can say that in 20 seconds!
Editors Note: I have personally known PDG Doug Vincent for over 15 years and the work that he has done in the Phillipines is extraordinary...Gord
Hi Rotarians and Friends:
Further to my previous email regarding the flood and devastation in the Philippines, below are details on our Rotary Club’s Disaster Relief effort. I hope that you can find it in your heart to participate and share this opportunity with others, to bring some hope and help those in great need. It does not have to be through my club. Other options may be are equally good.
Yolande Richard, President of the Rotary Club of Summerside presented a cheque for $12,500 to Bill Thompson, Chair of the Prince County Hospital Foundation. The donation represented the proceeds from the Club's annual golf tournament.
Summerside Rotary Club Makes Donation to Local Hospital
A number of Rotarians have received phone calls from someone
impersonating RI President Kalyan Banerjee or his assistant, claiming he
was stuck at an airport and needed the recipient to send money to help.
How many times has a colleague, friend, or new contact asked you what
Rotary is? If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can now respond by showing
a one-minute video that explains Rotary in the words of everyday
Rotarians.
The Rotary Club of Middleton is proud to be the major sponsor of the Nictaux Christmas Light Show 2011. The proceeds from this show will go towards building a water splash pad in Middleton for the children of the community and surrounding areas.
The display is located in Forest View Estates Subdivision in Nictaux. If you are not in the area, have a look at the attached link. It is worth viewing!
There is a donation box outside and people drop cash donations in it throughout the month of December and into January.
The work that the homeowners did to put on this show is incredible!
Here’s a tale of the power of partnerships, the legends of
Rotary. We connect Rotary in St. Pierre with St. John’s Northwest; with
Emberley’s Transport, with the volunteer power of Deloitte and we all impact
upon the Boutique of Marguerite’s
Place!
Members of the District team meeting this weekend were so impressed with the story that follows that a collection was made and an amount of $205 was sent to support this project. Click "more to read the story.
World Polio Day is simultaneously a celebration and a call to action.
It’s a celebration because in the past 20 years, polio cases are down
99 percent, thanks to one of the most ambitious global health campaigns
in history. Through a vast partnership, we’ve delivered polio drops to
children in impossible circumstances—in active war zones, in remote
mountainous regions that are unreachable for months at a time. It’s a
great achievement.
District 7820 Ambassadorial Scholar, Sanjeev Chowdhury, was nominated by the Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest. Since that time he has held numerous important positions in the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs. For more information click "more" below.
Recognition point changes and other Foundation updates
Rotary International News -- 19 September 2011
Starting 1 October, Rotary Foundation recognition points will be awarded for contributions to the Annual Programs Fund , PolioPlus, or
the sponsor portion of a Foundation grant. One Foundation recognition
point will be given for every U.S. dollar contributed to these funds,
which can then be extended to others to help them become a Paul Harris
Fellow. Donors will no longer need to be a Paul Harris Fellow themselves
before Foundation recognition points are awarded.
A number of Rotarians have contributed
significantly to the tremendous progress so far achieved in the global effort to
eradicate polio. The tireless efforts of these Rotarians on behalf of the
PolioPlus Program are worthy of great praise and recognition. An excellent means
to communicate appreciation to them is through The Service Award for a
Polio-Free World. The Award was created to recognize outstanding active personal
service since 1 November 1992.
Did you know that there is an easy and fun way for Rotarians to make new friends outside of their own club, district, or country? Joining a Rotary Fellowship is a great way to do this and as June is Rotary Fellowships Month, now is the perfect time for Rotarians to explore the possibilities that these groups have to offer.
District 7820 is participating in a Group Study Exchange with Distict 3460 Taiwan in March 2012. Led by PDG Doug Logan, we are now actively looking for team members.
This District includes: Provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the Magdalene Islands of Quebec and The French Islands of Saint Pierre et Miquelon
It was soon after Logan MacGillivray spoke that the word spread that contributions were being collected to helps his efforts. Challenges between Clubs, groups and individuals began. By the end of the conference in excess of $6000 was raised. Rotary At Work!
Rotarians generously made online contributions of more than US$2.57
million to PolioPlus during the week of 24-28 October, in observance of
World Polio Day on 24 October. The Rotary Foundation offered double Paul
Harris Fellow recognition points for online contributions of $100 or
more.
The Rotary Club of Wolfville, Rotaract Club at Acadia University,
family and friends helped to staff a water station at the recent Valley Harvest
Marathon. See photos, click on 'more'
As part of a Put Polio on Ice event in December, Robert Moffatt, now
governor of District 7820, made a ceremonial puck drop at a Quebec
Major Junior Hockey League game between the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
and the Prince Edward Island Rocket.
Each club is invited to nominate candidates to serve as District Governor
for the year 2014-15. Each individual nominated must have consented to accept
the nomination on the applicable Nomination Form as attached and submit it
to:
Please ensure eligible members of your club are made aware of the potential
to serve as District Governor and encourage suitable candidates to offer
themselves.
What follows are the requirements for District Governor:
Learn about "Using Social Media to Promote Your Club or District" in one
of our social media webinars. The free one-hour webinar will offer
Rotarians information and ideas on maintaining and effectively using
social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
The Clarenville High School Interact Club raised $ 1,900.00 to be directed towards the Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. The donation was made to a local Red Cross Volunteer, Dennis Squires on May 19, 2011
In my role as district 7820 ambassador for the 2012 Rotary
International Convention to be held in Thailand, I encourage every Rotarian to
consider attending this wonderful event. This would be an opportunity to see a
part of the world that we would otherwise possibly not get to experience.
On Sept 27 2011 Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Port Hawkesbury along with invited guests visited the Alexander Graham Bell home in Baddeck, Nova Scotia.
A great history of this Rotary Club on Prince Edward Island since incorporation in June 1979... outlines past major fund-raising events and charities that received over $3M in donations.....
Katie Ischkin, past president and founder of the Rotary Club of South
Metro Minneapolis Evenings, Minnesota, USA, believes in a new approach
to Rotary.
The Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict
resolution program offers individuals the opportunity to pursue a
master's degree in international studies, sustainable development, peace
studies, and conflict resolution at one of the seven Rotary Center
university partners.
A group of Rotarians is helping make a difference in a small village in the
Dominican Republic. The Amherst Rotary Club provided $600 to the project last
year that helped provide food bags, school supplies and products for a men’s
shelter
Part 2: Online
District Grant Training – Participation required to be certified to apply! 
Part 1: Online
is a future-thinking leader who spends a great deal of time coaching and mentoring people to be the best that they can be, with a particular interest in youth.
“Rotary Connects the World” is not just the Rotary theme for this year, it’s a phrase very familiar to the members of the Rotary Club of Bridgewater & District who know full well the benefits of connectivity. In its 23-year history, this “not-so-large” Club (as members like to say) has seen the benefits that come from connecting with other organizations to work on projects in the local community. None of these partnerships, however, have been as successful as the relationship the Club has developed with the Town of Bridgewater, especially when it comes to food security for residents.
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The Rotary Club of Lunenburg was honoured to be selected as Volunteer of the Year by the Lunenburg Board of Trade at their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, November 18. The award was presented to President Rebecca Crouse and Past President Donald Gray by Tim Lekhi, President of the Board of Trade and her Honour Mayor Rachel Bailey..JPG)
The Rotary Club of Westville (District 7820) received a heartfelt thank you from the Rotary Club of Santiago de los Caballeros in the city of Merida, Venezuela (District 4380). The thank you was one of the most encouraging and heartwarming accounts of how our donation to the folks of Venezuela was used. The members of the Rotary Club of Westville made a difference with minimal funds yet they made a huge difference to people in need in Venezuela. 
It is not every day the Rotary Club Halifax North West receives a visit from two of our District Leaders. Barbara Pate, our visiting speaker on behalf of Louisa Horne, District Leader, and Stella Roy, Foundation Leader.
On November 7th, the Gander Rotary Club hosted its 18th annual dinner and auction. The event was fantastically entertaining and very well attended. Funds raised from the nights event went to the Central Northeast Health Foundation’s purchase of KangooFix systems for ambulatory care in the Central Newfoundland Region.
It was a real privilege to bring this column to the readers of the Cape Breton Post for the first time. We are truly grateful to the Post for giving us the time and space to share our stories. 
In November, the first provincial Vital Signs community checkup was launched in PEI, in partnership with Rotary Clubs of PEI – the first time a partnership of its type has happened in Canada. Implemented by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, Vital Signs measures the vitality of communities and identifies significant trends in a range of areas critical to quality of life.
A quick and easy way to measure the needles that you club wants/needs to move!
Alumni of Rotary programs are often an untapped resource for clubs and districts. These individuals have experienced the giving power of Rotary, and what the organization can accomplish here and around the world, however, we don’t call on them to share their time, knowledge and experiences as much as we could..JPG)
Thanks to all the participants in the recent cycle of Grant Qualification Opportunities for 2020-21. This year, the in person and GoToMeeting training has been revised to accommodate great courses in the My Rotary Learning Centre: Rotary Foundation Basics for all participants, and the addition of the Grant Management Seminar for Clubs with an interest in Global Grants. There are still some in person Grant Qualification Sessions coming, and two GoToMeeting opportunities: Tuesday, December 3 at 7:00pm AST and Wednesday, December 7 at 7:00pm AST.
Every month is dedicated to one of the major themes of Rotary - this month it is one which Rotary is perhaps best known for, at least among non-Rotarians.
And the winner is…three winners actually! 
Calling All Rotarians who have Creative Landscape/Garden Talent ... A Contest just for you! Being Green and Enhancing Rotary’s Public Image all at the same time!
On October 12th, the Rotary Club of Dartmouth committed $25,000 to Dartmouth General Hospital Redevelopment. President Don Penwell, Donna Upham, Reid Harrison and Robert Earle are pictured presenting the cheque to Steve Harding, and Jenna Joyce of the General Hospital Foundation.
The Neville J. Gilfoy Wing, has been added on the back of the hospital and will house:
We are thrilled to announce that we have a successful applicant for the 2020 Rotary Peace Fellowship program. This prestigious professional development award is given to only 50 people around the world – and our very own Nora Didkowsky from Hants County is one of them!
A number of years ago they were faced with decling membership and were struggling as a club. Just as Phoenix rose from the ashes, the Rotary Club of Yarmouth met their challenges head on to become the great club they are today! Over this past year, as your District Governor, I recognized the incredibly significant contributions the club made to their local community as well as international projects.
Helping clubs thrive...
The Rotary Club of Truro is proud to support a new Rotaract Club at Dalhousie University, Agricultural Campus.
DID YOU KNOW?
In September, Rotary Club of Sackville and Area did their semi annual Adopt - A - Highway initiative from Exit 1K to Fultz House in Lower Sackville.
t’s been three years since health officials last reported a case of polio caused by the wild poliovirus in Nigeria. The milestone, reached on 21 August, means that it’s possible for the entire World Health Organization (WHO) African region to be certified wild poliovirus-free next year.
The Public Image team is looking for a Rotarian to join the team as an EDITOR for the monthly newsletter! This role would include collecting and editing articles for the monthly newsletter.
Do you know that Africa is the youngest continent and is Rotary’s biggest opportunity to invest in Youth? Youth populations are growing quickly in Sub-Saharan Africa, with its youth population expected to expand from 1/5 of global youth today to 1/3 at mid-century and 1/2 by 2100. Despite being the home to so many of the world’s youth, Africa is significantly underrepresented in Rotary Youth Exchange. (Youth exchanges from Africa skew to South Africa and Namibia.)
Rotary has designated themes for each month to help clubs think about a range of ideas to develop meeting agendas, projects, or public image campaigns. .png)
My Big Fab Rotary Dinner
There's no feeling quite like the one that comes with the experience of putting those two drops under a child's tongue. Knowing that those two drops have now taken the risk of a life with Polio out of the cards for their future. The look on their mother or father's face knowing that their child is protected. The youngest children are in ignorance of the significance, and are just pleased to receive their treat at the end, but many are old enough to know someone affected by the disease, and know how important these efforts are.
Musa Muhammed Ali, a farmer in Borno state, Nigeria, has had to deal with the many ways polio has affected his life. For instance, he used to have to pay for transportation when he needed to buy feed for his animals. But after receiving a hand-operated tricycle funded through Rotary’s PolioPlus grants, Ali (pictured above) can now spend that money on other necessities. His life was changed by the “plus” in PolioPlus.
Your district has a variety of committees with dedicated volunteers who are People of Action, working to help your clubs thrive – these include Healthy Clubs/Membership, Foundation (with various sub-teams), Youth Services, Training/Leadership Development, and Public Image. We also have nine Area Governors who serve as the first line of support to help clubs access resources – and again, to help clubs thrive, and we have a Secretary and Treasurer (and Finance Committee) to keep us on track. These dedicated people all generally serve for three years.
September 19-22, nineteen Rotary Youth Exchange students attended the joint Inbound Student Orientation for District 7820 and District 7810. Orientation was at beautiful Camp Tidnish, the Easter Seals camp owned and operated by the Rotary Club of Amherst.
Our visitors from District 5110 in Oregon have returned home but with fabulous memories and rave reviews about their experience here in our district. They had been toured and hosted by Rotarians from Sackville, Halifax, Lunenburg, St Pierre, St John’s, Clarenville, Gander, Corner Brook and assisted in their travels by several others..jpeg)
This is a relevant question for this month, with a theme that involves economic development. Why? Because the Four-Way Test, one of the world’s most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor when he was asked by creditors to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy – the Club Aluminum Products, a distributor of cookware and other household items.
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The Rotary Club of Waterford Valley had our most successful car show to date on July 27, 2019.
Join the Rotary Club of Bridgewater and District for the 1st Annual Walk for Water at 9am on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, at the Woodland Gardens Pond at the Desbrisay Museum, Bridgewater. 
Thanks to North Sydney, Sydney Sunrise, New Minas Sunrise, Halifax Northwest and Harbourside, Sackville, Kentville, Exploits, St. John’s and St. John’s East (and their partner Clubs) for the 2019-20 District Grant submissions. These were reviewed by Stella Roy, Miriam MacLeod, Fred Hayward and Brian Smith (District Grants Sub-Committee Chair), forwarded to Rotary International, and approved in July. Projects include local youth centre facilities and programs, youth education and experiences, upgrades to community facilities, helping the homeless and international community assessment and water supply.
The Atlantic Division of the Rotary Leadership Institute's (RLI) fall session will be held in Truro on October 26th 2019. All registration will be on our new website 
Would your club like a club visit from a district team member to help “move the needle”?
August is Membership Month! How will your club celebrate this theme?
Kudos to the Annapolis Valley Rotary Clubs for this fantastic example of how you can utilize RI brand tools to enhance your club's (or many clubs!) public image. Remember, you can find the template for this, and much more, on the RI 
Top ten reasons…with some reflections from Hamburg
Editor's note: This letter was circulated to all Districts earlier this month. More details will follow.
The time is getting closer for our visitors to arrive from Oregon and Australia to participate in our Friendship Exchanges. These are wonderful opportunities to meet Rotarians from other parts of the Rotary world, to exchange ideas and to gain new friends.
2021 marks the centenary of Rotary in Newfoundland and Labrador, and to recognize this milestone the District Conference will be held in St John’s. The District Board would love to hear from members interested in being part of the conference planning committee. We promise hard work and lots of fun. You don’t have to be based in St John’s to part of this committee. Please contact Alex Twells (Chair of District Leadership Team 2021) on 
DYK why…The Rotary year begins on July 1?
One of the goals of your District Membership Committee (DMC) is to share resources with our AG’s and their clubs. We’ve heard you say that sometimes there is too much information online (causing information overload 101) and other times it’s hard to navigate our sites to find what you want. Your DMC Chair recently received this article and shares it with you hoping that Rotarians find it clarifies the new types of clubs we are permitted (by RI) to have. Here it is:
A few thoughts from Doug Logan, Zone Assistant Coordinator for Membership, about Leadership
A good time was had by all who attended the 7820 District Conference this past month in Pictou County.
On May 25, a reunion was held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Avalon Northeast. A large turnout that included current, former and charter members plus lots of special guests got together at the Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre to celebrate.
From the Rotary International website
Opportunities are available to learn and network with some great Rotary colleagues, and develop new skills that are useful in your professional life. The District Leadership Team is always looking for talented people to offer their skills to the many district committee and teams. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in a District leadership role, please let us know so we can discuss committee opportunities and learn about the talents and time you have to offer. Contact 
Talk about a busy year for the members of my home club, the Rotary Club of Pictou! Not only did they coordinate the staging of the extremely popular musical “Mamma Mia”, they also were a key part of the organization of this year’s District Conference in Pictou. For three nights the “Mamma Mia” musicians and cast performed for sold-out audiences who were thrilled to hear the music and see the talented young musicians of Pictou County. Proceeds from the production will go to support projects in our community, as well as around the world. Rotarians in this club are very supportive of the Shelterbox program and continue to fund the purchase of the boxes. Pictou has been beautified in part through the planting of a red maple in the downtown area with six more plantings to follow. Our local 4-H club is supported through the purchase by the club of two baby changing tables. Our club recognizes the value and importance of contributing to community projects.
May is Youth Service month across Rotary International, so it’s a great time to reflect on Youth Service in our District. We should be proud of the range of programs our Rotary clubs offer youth. Equally, we should be proud of what young leaders can accomplish with a just a little support and input.
The deadline for the district conference registration has been extended until May 3, 2019. Please note that all registrations must now be paid by credit card, as there will be insufficient time to receive cheques by mail.
The 2019 R I Convention in Hamburg is just a month away, so, to refresh your memory and your longing for the lovely port city which will be hosting the convention, here is a link for you to see. 
Rotarian Lawrence Furbish has created more short membership videos which have been a huge hit at membership seminars and club meetings. The videos are a fun way to provoke conversation about important membership engagement topics. I encourage you to share these videos with club leaders who might use them as reflections on what we do. 
At a recent Ronald McDonald House Charities Volunteer Gala, the Rotary Club of St.John’s Northwest was presented with the Ronald McDonald House Charities NL 2019 “Helping Hand” Award - House Programs. These awards honour Dr. Jack Hand who worked tirelessly to make Ronald McDonald House a reality in Newfoundland and Labrador. There are 6 categories of awards that are presented to volunteers who reflect a dedication and commitment to Ronald McDonald House and its mission of helping families of sick children when they need it most.
Each and every year NSCC Student Life honors and celebrates the work of its student leaders in the College by hosting the Student Appreciation Awards.
The 1989 Council on Legislation vote to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide remains a watershed moment in the history of Rotary.
March has been busy for the District Team! TLC training days were held in Corner Brook, St Pierre et Miquelon, Sydney and Halifax last month. Response overall has been very positive on the new format, especially the hands on computer training in Clubrunner and MyRotary.
Imagine somewhere in the world, perhaps not far from where you are now, a Rotary Peace Fellow sits, listening to a lecture or learning about different paths to community development. And as they do, inspiration arrives. That idea – their solution to making the world a more peaceful, prosperous, and stable place – will move from thought to action one day. And when it does, when that fellow takes the skills and knowledge they learned out into the world, it might just change the world.
We’re just a few months away from the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany, 1-5 June. To help you plan your convention experience, we’ve included important program updates in this issue of Convention News.
For interest of District 7820, members of the Rotary Clubs of Halifax and Calgary helped set up these 4 clubs in Australia and New Zealand 98 years ago.
Introducing "My Big Fab Rotary Dinner". Rotarians are asked to invite non Rotarians (minimum 4, maximum 8) over for dinner on April 3, 2019 (with alternate date of April 20, 2019). Each non Rotarian guest will be asked to donate at least $30 (payable to the club to benefit the Polio Plus Campaign) for a fantastic candlelight wine and dine event hosted by the Rotarian and Partner. Photos during dinner to be posted online. A great opportunity for public image, to introduce guests to Rotary, Foundation, and Polio...and have a lot of fun. With 1500 members x 6 guests each paying $30, potential for $270,000 to End Polio. If matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at 2-1, total for night could be $810,000...a great dinner event for a fantastic "Rotary Day".
Friday, May 10 – 8:30-12:30
An enthusiastic group of Harbourside Rotarians braved freezing rain to go on a field trip meeting to the Dalhousie School of Engineering. We heard from Dr. Graham Gagnon who holds the NSERC/Halifax Water Industrial Research Chair in Water Quality and Treatment. His team works with Halifax Water and Cape Breton Water and many others - and they are researching a disruptive UV-LED technology. Did you know that water issues kill more people than violence? The slide from UNICEF is a powerful image. 
Help us eradicate Polio while having a meal with your friends!
Past District Governor David Muise, who passed away in late 2017, was a Rotarian for over 40 years. A lawyer, former member of the provincial legislature and mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM), his life was a true example of service above self. His fellow Rotarians in the CBRM are working to create a lasting legacy in his memory by partnering with the community to provide an important piece of recreational infrastructure in Dave’s home town.
The Rotary Club of Clarenville has a lot to celebrate this holiday season! Not only have they had a very strong year with many successful community projects and a great online auction fundraiser, they have also created long lasting and impactful partnerships with other groups in their community, such as the Girl Guides. Most recently a major partnership with the Kiwanis club has not only brought the local music festival into the fold of the Rotary Club's projects but has also brought an influx of new members to their club.
By Rotary Service and Engagement Staff, 
Whether you’re ringing in New Year’s Eve from some fabulous party, or having a quiet evening at home in front of the fire, you probably have a New Year’s tradition or two. Common traditions in Canada include singing “Auld Lang Syne” to greet the New Year, and kissing someone you love as the clock strikes 12. Around the world, cultures welcome the rolling year with unique New Year’s traditions of their own. Here are some interesting practices you may wish to add to your list this year:
November 28 was a red letter day for Rotary St. John’s East member Kristina Ennis. On that day, she was named the first ever recipient of the St. John’s Board of Trade Emerging Young Professional award, sponsored by RBC, at the Board’s 2018 Business Excellence Awards.
Last year, the president of the Rotary Club of Wolfville, John Horton, passed away from cancer. Although John had been a member of the club for only six years, he was very active, already serving as Treasurer, Club Service Director, and Vice President. During the short time between his diagnosis and death, he received numerous blood transfusions in an effort to stabilize his condition, but sadly, John passed away on June 9, 2017.
The project had its origins in a discussion at the 2017 District 7820 Conference in Wolfville NS. At a breakout discussion on youth, chaired by District Youth Chair Michael Craig, it was recognized that the vast majority of current Rotary programs in support of youth were directed at high-performers. Out of this discussion was born the idea of developing a project that would provide developmental opportunities for youth drawn from economically challenged communities, or other demanding circumstances. 
We’re looking for stories for our December newsletter, to highlight some of the fun and meaningful ways in which your club celebrates the Holiday season. It can be an event held in November or it can be promotion of an upcoming event in December that people shouldn’t miss! Remember to send interesting photos (in jpeg or png format please) with your prepared article (as a Word attachment) to Editor Alana – 
I am pleased to provide an update on what our clubs in District 7820 have been doing since July 1, 2018:
November 11, 2018 will mark a sombre anniversary; 100 years since the end of World War I, the “War to end all Wars”. As I read through the related articles in the November issue of The Rotarian, I was struck by the magnitude of Rotarians’ influence during that war and in the years since, especially in relation to the Rotary Representative Network and its work with the United Nations and other international organizations.
Of the many things we learned at the Zone Conference in September, one of the best take-aways for me was a list of tools that may be used to create fabulous documents such as posters, social media posts, PowerPoint presentations, etc. The list is lengthy, so I’m going to introduce you to three here which I think you’ll use frequently. I hope you enjoy checking them out as much as I did!
On October 25th District Governor Rob Christie officially announced the Nominating Committee's unanimous choice as nominee for the position of the District Governor-Nominee Designate for RI District 7820:
Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation create opportunities to help individuals and communities thrive financially and socially, such as:
Is your club looking for an interesting international project that has high impact, excellent accountability, ease of funds transfer and the potential for a great program? Here you go…
September is Literacy and Basic Education Month. Rotary.org reports that more than 775 million people worldwide over the age of 15 are illiterate. That’s 17% of the world’s adult population. Rotary’s goal is “to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.” Many programs are in place to support this goal, including training teachers and other professionals who work with vulnerable populations, formal student mentoring programs, and community based literacy programs.
Clubs are invited to suggest eligible Rotarians for the position of District Governor Nominee Designate, “DGND” - the Rotarian who will advance through the District Governor chain of offices to become District Governor for 2021-22. 
All but two Clubs in District 7820 use Facebook as an element of their Public Image efforts.
Carrie Jones, Zone Public Image Coordinator has announced the Public Image Citation for our Zone 24 East. The awards will be given out during the Zone Institute in Montreal.
Happy New Year!
Greetings from the beautiful Northumberland Shore! We are thrilled to be able to serve Rotary in the second largest District in the world.
Rotary International President Ian Riseley's theme for the Rotary year 2017-18 is "Rotary: Making A Difference" and DG Don Sword recognized several "Difference Makers" in our district at the 2018 D7820 District Conference held May 25-27 in St. John's.
One of the purposes of the District Conference held May25-27, 2018 in St. John's was to celebrate the accomplishments of D7820 Rotary Clubs.
The Rotary International Club Significant Achievement Award is given to recognize a particular club’s service project or activity that has had an exceptional impact. Rotary International stipulates that only one club per district, per year, is eligible to receive this award.
Past District Governor Stella Roy is a member of the Rotary Club of Halifax Harbourside, in Nova Scotia.
All Rotary clubs have the power and resources of Rotary International and its award winning charity, The Rotary Foundation behind them. But how do you know if your club is one of the best?
Rotary International’s Council on Resolutions (COR) meets online each year to vote on proposed resolutions submitted by clubs, districts, the RI Board, and the general council or conference of RIBI. The COR has the authority to adopt resolutions. Most adopted resolutions are then considered by the RI Board or the TRF Trustees.
Mark your calendar for June 17th!
The Deadline to make your club's initial application for a District Grant has been extended to May 1st!! 
What if you could participate in a full day professional leadership session on “Transformational leadership in times of change” by someone who trains MBA students and business executives and not for profit leaders on programs costing thousands of dollars - and attend for FREE or for the cost of a nice lunch?
The 2018 District Conference is six weeks away and the excitement is building. Registration numbers show a great turnout from all around our District. You won't want to miss the opportunity to "Join Leaders - Exchange Ideas - Take Action!"
For just $20 you can buy a chance to win a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey autographed by 2017-18 Rotary International President Ian Riseley - just in time to go to the Rotary International Convention in Toronto June 23-27, 2018.
In February/ March 2018 our District 7820 was well represented in District 6990 (South Florida & Grand Bahamas) during our outbound exchange there. It was a very busy exchange. Our hosts were wonderful, and we stayed in several delightful homes and met a myriad of wonderful Rotarians.
Earth day is April 22, 2018 and that is the day that RI President Ian Riseley marked on the calendar for Rotary Clubs around the world to aim for in his "Plant a Tree" Challenge. He asked every club to plant one tree for every member in their club. The final deadline is the end of this Rotary year - June 30, 2018. 
Inducting New Members
It is with sadness that we report that Past District Governor (87-88), member of the Rotary Club of St. John's Northwest, Aiden Maloney passed away March 17th, age 97. He was very fine man and a great Rotarian. He had an award at his club for Young Professionals named after him. He will be sorely missed.
The Rotary International President's Representative to the 2018 District Conference is Michael Webb from the Rotary Club of Mendip, England. Mike is a current director of The Rotary Foundation. You won't want to miss him speak. He will deliver an inspirational address on the 2017-18 theme "Rotary: Making A Difference" as well as a report on Rotary worldwide. 
President Paul Crant of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown is pleased to announce that the club has sponsored a school based Rotaract Club at the University of Prince Edward Island. The club’s charter is on its way from Rotary International. The new club is meeting in the Don and Marion McDougall Hall at 2:00 pm on Fridays.
The Halifax Harbourside Rotary Club is looking for partners and support to undertake a mechanized borehole water project in Bawiu, a small village near Navrongo, in the Northern-most part of Ghana. This is the driest part of the country. The community is among the poorest in the region and lacks the necessary infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers.
Are you tired of winter yet? Looking for an early Spring?
WASH in Schools (WinS) Challenge Grant awarded jointly tO
In a few days, our outbound team representing Newfoundland, St Pierre and HRM will be beginning our exchange with D6990 in Florida and the Florida Keys.
Led by the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty, our District has for the past 15 years worked with our partners in China and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea/North Korea ("DPRK") to demonstrate the goals and purposes of Rotary International and our Rotary Foundation in promoting world understanding, goodwill and international peace. During that time 11 humanitarian, sanitation and/or educational projects have been completed in the DPRK.
Love to have dinner? Like wine with a few friends? Laugh? Do all this and help eradicate one of the most detestable disease on the planet.
The Rotary Club of Summerside, with support from the City of Summerside, recently had a new sign created and installed at the entrance to the Rotary Friendship Park. The park, especially in the winter with the freshly fallen snow, is perfect for a peaceful stroll with family or with a canine friend!
Starting with Rotary Club of Clarenville on July 10th and finishing with the Rotary Club of Happy Valley - Goose Bay on December 20th, I visited all 47 Clubs in District 7820 (48 including the E-Club). Pat joined me on over half of those visits. We have a very large and diverse district - NL, NS, PEI and St. Pierre et Miquelon - but it is filled with wonderful Rotary clubs in great communities.
Holy Spirit High School in Conception Bay South, is the fourth largest high school in Newfoundland and Labrador and up until this year, had never held a career fair.
Happy New Year to All from the District Foundation Team!
Vocational service is the very essence of Rotary.
The 2018 Convention in Toronto is the best opportunity in years for Rotarians from District 7820 to experience a Rotary International Convention. Many members say that they joined Rotary when they were inducted into membership, but didn't truly become a Rotarian until they had attended a Rotary International Convention. You won't want to miss the opportunity to join tens of thousands of Rotarians "Making A Difference" in Toronto. 
Once in a World - A City Like Vancouver!
This time of year can be a very lonely, emotional or sad time for many. For many elderly, in poor health, alone following the loss of a loved one, or living through a personal or family tragedy this time of year can be anything but joyful.
We Rotarians are, by and large, a pretty privileged bunch. Most of us are free to choose any menu item at our favourite restaurant, relishing the pleasure and freedom of dining out. Unfortunately, far too many within our district don't have that option. Their option may be whether to buy groceries or to pay rent. No one should have to make such a choice.
The Rotary Club of Port Hawkesbury enjoyed its annual visit to the Coady International Institute where we met several wonderful international students who spoke passionately about their causes and projects in their respective home countries. They also spoke enthusiastically about the invaluable tools they were acquiring at Coady for peace and community economic development. In attendance were the Coady students, Rotarians and guests (including DG Elect Rob Christie), Richmond Academy Interactors and St. FX University Rotaractors. 
The Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) program is a wonderful and rewarding experience of visiting other districts and cultures, guided by friends in Rotary. Exchange participants take turns hosting and visiting one another, forging friendships that last a lifetime.
Remembering PDG David Muise 
The Rotary Foundation recognized eligible clubs within District 7820 for their support for The Rotary Foundation in 2016-17.
Join the over 115 District 7820 Rotarians already registered to attend the 2018 Rotary International Convention in Toronto 23-27 June 2017.
Do you have a great Rotary story and great photos? Then, please share! 
District Governor Don Sword is pleased to announce that Dr. Ian Doyle, Rotary Club of Sydney Sunrise has been selected as the District Governor Nominee Designate (DGND), to serve as District Governor in Rotary year 2020-21.
The last Friendship Exchange visitors have returned home to District 5020 (Vancouver Island & western Washington State and by all reports, their experience in Nova Scotia was much better than they had anticipated.
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Halifax Metro Rotary Clubs are welcoming about a dozen Boston Rotarians and guests during a the week of December 6th, the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion.
At the time of this writing, the Rotary Friendship Exchange team from D1420 (Finland & Estonia) is halfway through their visit. A wonderful group of very interesting Rotarians and their guests with a diversity of backgrounds. This group has visited the Annapolis Valley and Prince Edward Island and along the way, the RC of Truro warmly welcomed them with a great BBQ lunch. Currently they have visited Pictou County and are on their way to Cape Breton. This group is overwhelmed with the generosity and hospitality of everyone that they have met.
Have you read your September issue of the Rotarian yet? 
Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19. He will be declared the president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
One of the most important roles of the District Governor is to visit the clubs to deliver the messages from the current RI President including the 2017-18 theme Rotary: Making a Difference and to help promote healthy and vibrant clubs. 
Clubs are invited to suggest eligible Rotarians for the position of District Governor Nominee Designate, “DGND” - the Rotarian who will advance through the District Governor chain of offices to become District Governor for 2020-21. The Nominee shall assume the title of Governor-Nominee-Designate upon selection and shall assume the title of Governor-Nominee on July 1, 2018. The selection shall be made by Nomination Committee procedure as per RI By-Laws and District Manual of Policies and Procedures, Section 8.
Since 1949, Rotary International has had an annual theme which focuses our activities as Rotarians for that year. This is more for internal use than for the general public, for whom Service Above Self is a constant explanation of what drives us. According to RI President Ian Riseley, the 2017/18 theme of Rotary: Making a Difference represents what Rotary is and Rotary does, every day and in many ways. All those people who benefit from our great programs appreciate that Rotary exists to make a difference. Further, Rotary makes a difference to ourselves as Rotarians. We are improved as people by following the guiding principles that come from our mission statement and the Object of Rotary.
The Co-Chairs and the Program Chair of the 2017 District Conference District were Awarded Paul Harris by DG Elva Heyge.
The Rotary Foundation Regional Service Award for a Polio Free World was established by the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation in order to recognize outstanding contributions to the polio eradication effort and to encourage participation in the final eradication efforts.
Selecting “Club of the Year” is a difficult challenge for a district Governor. So many of you are doing great work in your communities, and many of you deserve the recognition. After much thought, I have selected the Rotary Club of Summerside to receive this recognition for 2016-17.
Garth Gordon
Louisa Horne
The HEART OF THE DISTRICT AWARD is given to a Past District Governor who provided great service to the district during his/her year as district governor and who continues to contribute in an outstanding way to the work being carried out by District 7820.
Registration activity for the 2017 District Conference is very busy right now, with only a few weeks remaining until we gather as Rotarians at the Old Orchard Inn in Greenwich, Nova Scotia. Drawing upon all the Annapolis Valley Clubs for volunteers, District Governor Elva and our Conference Committee are ready to educate, connect, entertain and feed delegates from across our District and beyond. Please check the 
There was a small but interested group for the first of the technical sessions that was held on April 12. We shared tips on how to more effectively use Clubrunner to better manage member information or communicate with Rotarians. We also talked about website design and integrating Facebook with the Club's site.
PETS & SETS has evolved to be a Professional Development opportunity for all leaders and aspiring leaders – and the content is not just for your Rotary life – it’s for your whole life!
Interested in learning how to more effectively use Clubrunner to better manage member information or communicate with Rotarians? Need to spruce up your club's website? Want to learn how to easily use RI's Rotary Club Central to help meet the requirements for the RI Presidential Citation? 
Come to Greenwich this June to be inspired and meet your District 7820 Rotary friends and family at the 2017 District Conference. We have over 40 delegates registered now, and the Inn has been busy taking accommodation requests. Put away that snow shovel, read through our Conference Program and make your plans to be with us for Apple Blossom Time (well, just after) now - Just go to the District 7820 Home Page and click on 
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The deadline for early registration discounts for 
Some grade five Sydney students at Brookland Elementary gasped with joy when Luke MacDonald and Neil Clarkson arrived at their temporary location at Shipyard Elementary School. 
Rotarian Diane Griffin, a member of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty, has been appointed to the Senate of Canada.
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The impact of Hurricane Matthew will be felt in our district as well as in Haiti & the Bahamas for a long time. Many Rotarians have asked how they can help.
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The Board of Directors is pleased to announce some changes in the administration of District.
Update on 2016 Council on Legislation Changes
It is said that the journey is more important than the destination and in the case of the District Governor "journey", that is certainly the case. It has been a journey to remember.
Rotary Serving Humanity
Presidents / Secretaries 
This is my last DG message for the 2015-16 Rotary year and Barbara and I thank everyone for a great experience during my time as District Governor. We have had some truly outstanding experiences travelling to visit all the Rotary Clubs in District 7820. It is both humbling and eye opening to see all the great work that Rotarians are doing in our local communities and around the world.
I'm sure that many of you know that the Council on legislation has recently met and that there were significant changes proposed to the way Rotary Clubs could operate. 
We have all witnessed the drama and devastation of the ongoing fires in and around Fort McMurray and many people in District 7820 have direct connections to people impacted by the fire.
It is the practice for the district to name one of our clubs for the Outstanding Club of the Year Award. This is a very difficult task as there are so many great clubs doing extraordinary things.
Always busy, PDG Pete Smith (Rotary Club of Port Hawkesbury) is the 2015-16 recipient of the District 7820 Heart of the District Award. The presentation was made at the Governors's Gala banquet at the District Conference on May 14th by DG Jim Goit.
Rotarians can help in Equador by responding to the medical needs of those suffering from the recent earthquake.
The Board of Directors for District 7820 established a task force to review the approach to district conferences in response to a request from the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty. The District Conference was last studied in 2002 and the recommendations in the report written at the time had largely been adopted.
The April 1st deadline for completion of requirements to qualify for the 2015-16 RI Presidential Citation is rapidly approaching. As all is recorded on Rotary Club Central, it is easy to see that many clubs are closing in on meeting the requirements.
A new Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group - ESRAG has been formed that may be of interest to many in our district.
District 7820 has a 
Are you getting all the news from Rotary clubs in Atlantic Canada? Are you using Facebook? There is an easy way to get a summary of the most interesting news from the clubs in our District and from Rotary International. Like the 
The long battle to eliminate polio from the world is paying off. The World Polio update as of the week of November 25, 2015 is as follows:
You and your organization rely on the smooth flow of communication between members to share important information. If your emails are being blocked or identified as spam, it creates a disconnect in your organization because important details may be missed. All email clients now have automatic spam filters that rate every incoming message according to set criteria to determine whether or not they might be spam.
In November 2013, a group of singers from Halifax Harbourside got together to rehearse some Christmas carols that would be performed at Costco to raise funds for the Salvation Army Red Kettle drive. They had so much fun doing this that they decided they should continue rehearsing a broader repertoire and invite members from the other clubs of the Halifax area. The goal would be to promote Rotary through music and they would call themselves Four Way Harmony.
If your club is intending to participate in Rotary Youth Exchange for students departing/arriving in September 2016, please confirm with Michelle ASAP as student interviews and selections will need to be completed by mid-December. 
It is with great sadness that the district announces the passing of PDG Joe Whalen 90-91.
Facebook is one of the three primary Social Media tools that Rotary Clubs find most useful to communicate their messages concerning the good works of Rotary, both internally to other Rotarians as well as to external audiences. 80% of Clubs in District 7820 have their own Facebook pages while 25% have Twitter accounts.
On June 12th, District 7820 welcomes its newest Rotary club to a century-old tradition. The Rotary Club of St. John’s After Hours hosts its official charter event on Friday, to become the forty-seventh Rotary club in the District and the sixth in St. John’s
Get your own Rotary Cycle Jersey and join DG 2015-16 and other cyclists work towards ending Polio. The Jerseys are made to order in batches and will take six week to be delivered after the site closes. Go to 
A few of us are looking at trying to organize bicycle events for Rotarians and friends to be held in the Truro area in the early summer of 2015 and then again in 2016. We are thinking about offering different rides at each event, perhaps 25, 50 and/or 100 km and proceeds going toward the End Polio Campaign. There could be team jerseys like the one shown. 
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District Rotarians visit Scotland
A group of Rotarians is helping make a difference in a small village in the
Dominican Republic. The Amherst Rotary Club provided $600 to the project last
year that helped provide food bags, school supplies and products for a men’s
shelter
