Did you know that the 2025 Rotary Presidential Peace Conference being held this month in Istanbul, Turkey is sold out?
This conference will be an opportunity for the Rotary community and our partners to build on Rotary’s contributions to promoting peace by exploring:
Peace in a polarized world
Technology, media, and peacebuilding
Environmental issues in peacebuilding
Making peace last
The conference will also recognize the launch of the new Otto and Fran Walter Rotary Peace Center in in Istanbul.
Clubs in our district sponsor refugees, carry out service projects and support peace fellowships and scholarships. In this way our district’s clubs and members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
If you want to financially support Rotary’s efforts to support peace and conflict
prevention/resolution, go to https://my.rotary.org/en/donate and choose “Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention” under Areas of Focus.
At the upcoming District Conference in Halifax, we will have a significant focus on peace, so please watch your inbox for details. You won’t want to miss this fantastic opportunity to meet with your fellow district Rotarians, enjoy great programming and great speakers, celebrate and have fun, exchange ideas and get ready to take action in your local communities and around the world.
Yours in Rotary Service,
District Governor Don Sword
February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month
"Today, over 70 million people are displaced as a result of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations. Half of them are children."
We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.
Rotary creates environments of peace.
By carrying out service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, our members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
Our commitment to peacebuilding today answers new challenges: how we can make the greatest possible impact and how we can achieve our vision of lasting change. We are approaching the concept of peace with greater cohesion and inclusivity, broadening the scope of what we mean by peacebuilding, and finding more ways for people to get involved.
Rotary creates environments where peace can happen.
Important Dates in February:
The month of February is also very special in the Rotary calendar because it includes the anniversary of the first meeting of Rotary held on February 23, 1905.
We need YOU to help shape the future of Rotary District 7815! With multiple positions available, now is your chance to bring your ideas, passion, and leadership to the table. Whether you're experienced, or just looking to make a bigger impact, there’s a place for you on our District Board. Together, we can strengthen our clubs, amplify our community efforts, and create lasting change. Be a part of something bigger—step up, make a difference, and help lead our District to new heights!
“One Stop Shop” for District 7815 Club Strategic Planning Information
District 7815 is encouraging every club to do more in terms of checking in with members and creating strategic action plans, and this effort is being supported by our Rotary Zone and Rotary International itself. We have created a new folder called Club Action Plan Resources on our District Website District DocumentsList of Documents | Rotary District 7815
This folder contains information on the Rotary International Action Plan and member survey and planning resources for individual clubs. Have a look at the 2023 Growing Clubs Survey Presentation or the Rotary Club Health Check. There is also the Barre, Vermont Rotary Club Strategic Plan, prepared by a club of about 30 members in a small community not very different from some of our own. If your own club has prepared a strategic plan recently, please share it in the District Documents folder by sending it along to smithrsx@yahoo.ca
As part of our Magical Major and Planned Gift Campaign, District 7815 is working to raise $1 million in promised or legacy gifts for the Rotary Foundation. With the Rotary International Convention in Calgary this June, now is the perfect time to make a lasting impact on our mission to change lives. Whether through major gifts, planned giving, or designating life insurance or retirement assets, your contribution will help ensure the future of Rotary's vital work worldwide.
Based on feedback and to provide each club with the opportunity to submit their projects for review, the deadline for the One Magical Project submission is Friday, February 28, 2025.
Complete the One Magical Project Criteria document attached to this email and submit your Magical project into the Rotary Project Centre on rotary.org. Alternatively, you can find the document on the district website under One Magical Project.
Building a Strong Rotaract Network in District 7815
“…Service organizations and clubs have been in a free fall for at least two decades…Aging membership, inability to attract younger members… and lack of new ways to attract younger people continue to be major service organization problems.” (source: 12 Ways for Service Clubs to Recruit and Retain Members).
Click read more to see how you can contribute to the growth of Rotaract!
The Youth Services update for February 2025 highlights the exciting activities and initiatives underway in District 7815. Recently, Rotary Youth Exchange students gathered in Halifax for a memorable weekend of cultural exchange, community impact, and fun. Meanwhile, Interact Clubs are continuing their efforts to support education in Kenya, and RYLA is gearing up for an engaging leadership event in May. Additionally, District 7815 will host a Youth-to-Youth Truth and Reconciliation Experience, with students engaging in meaningful discussions and learning opportunities.
Read on for more details and how you can get involved!
Join us in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from May 30 to June 1, 2025, for a magical weekend filled with fellowship, innovation, and insights on how to make a greater impact in our community and beyond. We are beyond thrilled to announce keynote speaker Ramesh Ferris, and Dr. Susan Hartley, with more wonderful speakers to be announced!
A team of 11 Rotarians from District 7815 is set to embark on an exciting Friendship Exchange (RFE) to District 4455 in Lima, Peru this month. Their itinerary includes exploring historic sites, learning about local culture, and experiencing Rotary projects and hospitality in both Lima and Arequipa. The journey will culminate with a visit to the wonders of Machu Picchu. Meanwhile, the team that recently visited District 9350 in South Africa shares fascinating stories of adventure, hospitality, and the impactful Rotary projects they encountered.
Read more to hear about their incredible experiences and future RFE opportunities!
Get your cowboy hat. Your Rotary pals in friendly Canada are excited to welcome you to signature convention events, including dinner in their homes, a country music jamboree, and boot-stompin’ celebrations of the Western culture in Calgary.
“We’re a big small-town city, and so the hospitality we have, the ticketed events, the experiences — they will be fantastic,” says Mark Starratt, co-chair of the Host Organization Committee for the Rotary International Convention 21-25 June.
(If you have any comments or questions, please contact the editor)
This bulletin was sent to our French-speaking clubs in French. If you received the English version, but would prefer the French version, please send an email to our Bulletin Editor.
February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month
Membership Monday!
A team of 11 Rotarians from District 7815 is set to embark on an exciting Friendship Exchange (RFE) to District 4455 in Lima, Peru this month. Their itinerary includes exploring historic sites, learning about local culture, and experiencing Rotary projects and hospitality in both Lima and Arequipa. The journey will culminate with a visit to the wonders of Machu Picchu. Meanwhile, the team that recently visited District 9350 in South Africa shares fascinating stories of adventure, hospitality, and the impactful Rotary projects they encountered. 
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