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December Trivia 
Quiz
We started a quiz with the July newsletter, this issue has three more questions – and one might involve a little Christmas sleuthing.

Send your answers to rotarylouisa@gmail.com by December 17th when a draw of correct submissions will take place for another awesome prize!
December is Disease Prevention and Treatment Month
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.
Grant Training - Improve Funding and Impact for Service Projects with District and Global Grants
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.
Membership Resource Guide
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
 
RESOURCES
Name
Description
Audience
 
Find information and resources about the process of starting a Rotary club
Rotary members
This guide describes the benefits of corporate membership and how to use it in your club.
Rotary members
This guide describes the benefits of a satellite club and how to start one.
Rotary members
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.
Rotary members
Find examples of various club types linked, model descriptions, and their target demographics
Rotary members
Keep your membership committee on track with this checklist covering assessments, attraction, and engagement initiatives.
Rotary members
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.
Rotary members
 
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.
Rotary members
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.
Rotary members
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.
Prospective members
This guide lists each membership report available, explains the information it provides, and steps on how to find them.
Rotary members
Find tips and ideas for connecting with prospective members, and what you can do to ensure they have a positive experience.
Rotary members
Best practices for proposing new members to your club.
Rotary members
Step-by-step directions for using the Membership Leads database to track and manage member leads at the club level.
Club leaders
Step-by-step directions for using the Membership Leads database to track and manage member leads at the district level.
District leaders
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]
New members
Bi-monthly Rotary stories and the latest membership development ideas, strategies, and resources.
Club and district leaders
 
Use this guide and worksheet to help develop a vision, goals, and measurements for your strategic plan.
Club and district leaders
Alumni Resources
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!     
Keep Moving Your Club's Needle

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.
Recognition by R.I. for Annual Giving
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.
Save the Date
A Rotary First!  A partnership with the PEI Community Foundation
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?
 
 
Rotary Club of Lunenburg named Volunteer of the Year
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
Gander Club- 18th Annual Dinner & Auction
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.
Proof We Are Making A Difference

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

“Growing” Connections in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
“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!
Rotary Roundup - People of Action
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. 
Bulletin Editor
Kelly Hunt
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