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The Loss of a True Rotary Leader -- PDG Jim Goit
 
It is with profound sadness that we announce our District lost a true leader on Sunday, June 21, 2020. PDG Jim Goit, of the Rotary Club of Truro, died suddenly while doing what he loved... cycling with a friend. Throughout his 69 years, Jim had many passions – cycling, skiing, baking bread, being a proud Rotarian but most of all, his family.
 
He joined Rotary in 2005, was club president in 2011-12 and went on to be our District Governor in 2015-16. Throughout his Rotary career, Jim received many citations and awards, the most recent being the “Heart of the District in 2016-2017.
 
He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 47 years, their sons, Michael and Steven and their respective families.
 
The family asks that donations, in Jim’s name be made to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund. For Canadians, donations can be made to the Rotary Foundation of Canada. Please see a form that will be attached to an email to all district members, or go to the following link for more information: https://my.rotary.org/…/docum…/memorial-or-tribute-gift-form
Moving the Needle--A Year in Review
Beacon, my trusty Ro-terrier, and I have enjoyed our four-year journey of district leadership and we can highly recommend the experience to anyone looking to help “move the needle” on service!  It is fun – and it can be done while working full-time and balancing family and other activities.  It takes a collaborative approach and a great team!   
 
It was clear from the beginning  of the journey that change was happening in Rotary and so the timing was good – I am a shift-oriented person – a disruptor perhaps – and so the opportunity to help lead a team in a changing organization with lots of moving needles, was exciting. The very best thing about the experience has been witnessing the creativity that is happening across the district – clubs trying new things. That was a core goal – to support an environment in which clubs and Rotarians would do new things – or do old things in new ways – and know there is help available from the leadership team and that Rotary welcomes innovation.  Just try stuff! 
 
Here are a few areas where we tried to help L.E.A.D. in alignment with Rotary’s priorities – that is, Lead with impact, enhance Engagement, encourage Agility and support Diversity, inclusion and reach:
 
  • Purposeful change experiments: meetings, the title, the speech – and family-work-Rotary balance!  Your Board confirmed that the role of the district is to do one thing – help clubs thrive – and so everything we do needs to fit with that.  So, we focused on providing whatever clubs requested to help them to thrive and have impact.  Rather than schedule an automatic visit, we sought requests for help in any area and the team would respond with the best expertise we had.  The request could be for a traditional visit – or for someone to help write a proposal, or develop a partnership, or help with strategic planning, or hands-on help with technology – or whatever the club wanted to increase their impact.  This meant we needed to be a team – one person could not respond to all requests and so we developed a great team – and I am proud that we welcomed new voices to the Board table including our first “twenty-something” – a former Rotaractor. I also tried a different title to highlight the team approach – and we created a video speech that introduced the whole team and offered more education about Rotary’s structure through various voices. The experiments with the title and video were to demonstrate that we can try new ways to do things… and the sky did not fall! Yay!  What can you try?
     
  •  Proactive use of technology: This was something we wanted to do from the beginning and the pandemic gave it a boost. Engagement is an ongoing focus of attention and now, at this time of disruption, it is even more challenging. So your district purchased five licences for Zoom to support connection – and we offered multiple training sessions to help people become more comfortable with the tools.  During this time of physical distancing, we have been hosting a weekly “talk show” to bring RI leaders from around the world to our district. Technology allows us to do this – we would not be able to host top RI leaders in our district any other way and it has been fun to talk to them each week – and give all Rotarians an opportunity to connect.  I hope we will continue to leverage technology – perhaps through “hybrid” approaches to club activities.  How can you enhance your service, enabled by technology?
     
  • Partnerships: Rotary needs to broaden its reach and while it is always exciting to welcome a new member at any time, we recognized that broader partnerships may be helpful in growing our impact and visibility. We chose to start with Community Foundations and the PEI group was open to collaboration. This was exciting and the Vital Signs report that Rotary sponsored and the four community engagement sessions that I facilitated for the project, helped to spread more awareness of Rotary and set the stage for a different kind of relationship. It is wonderful to see collaboration of clubs with the PEICF recently with projects to support other charities on the Island with tulip sales, and with provision of tablets to seniors. We continue to explore opportunities in Nova Scotia with the CF and other groups such as Engage Nova Scotia – and we need to be nimble and able to respond quickly when opportunities arise for collaboration. What groups can you partner with to extend the reach of Rotary?
     
  • Public Image: Other than “more members”, the next most common need identified by clubs is better public awareness. We have a great “image” and reputation – but still people don’t know what we do. We have traditionally not been great at telling our stories. Beacon and his 46 puppies were an idea to help with that and the hope was that a few clubs might use the opportunity to try some new things – that seems to have happened and it’s been fun to see the adventures of some of the puppies.  The point was simply to think about how to tell stories in new ways, whether with a puppy or not! We also encouraged clubs to have a fresh, contemporary look – the pandemic gave us another opportunity – to redirect funds for travel to something else of use and so we have purchased 45 new pop-up banners for all clubs, with current branding and a new look. The hope is that they will support our “re-introduction” back to our communities and replace some of the dusty blue felt that does not present a very contemporary or fresh look. It is also wonderful to see our first actual committee of about 6 people who are passionate about Public Image in place now – that team will help you move needles! A main role of the District is to help develop leaders and this team is a great example of that happening – we have a newsletter team and we created the first ever visual Annual Report.  How can you tell your stories in new and creative ways?
     
  • Polio:  An ongoing effort that unites Rotarians around the world continues and we aligned with a Zone and RI initiative to encourage clubs and individuals to continue to support this important effort.  Hillsborough and Kentville won contests for club dinners!  Hopefully we will be able to deliver soon!

So what did I actually do, you may wonder? I did actually visit over a dozen clubs in person for discussions of membership, strategic planning or other topics – and have virtually participated in quite a few more club gatherings during the spring. I was happy to attend a joint club gathering in Sydney at which representatives from all local clubs, and Rotaract, attended – and the Vital Signs project allowed me to spend a week in PEI in the fall and I was happy to attend 5 club meetings then. I was looking forward to spending two weeks in Newfoundland and Labrador this spring and am sad to miss that. I will always be happy to participate in any club meetings – virtually, or in person when I can, if you invite me!

I spent the first official day in this role in a pile of garbage. Literally. I actually enjoy my yearly role as “Garbage Goddess” for Harbourside’s Ribfest which happens over the Canada Day weekend – except sadly, not this year. Then it was off to Newfoundland for a great week on the west coast visiting Stephenville and participating in a parade and community meeting, and visiting Corner Brook and Humber Rotarians – and then back to NS for another fabulous Ribfest in Sydney.  Beacon and I helped with more garbage there!  Another highlight was a weekend in France… St. Pierre and Miquelon, that is.  It was exciting that for the first time, the Zone supported a facilitator, Lise Dutrisac, to join AG Jennifer, Jillian Gibson on behalf of our Foundation Committee, and me to offer a day of training in French for the dynamic club there…. well, actually, they offered the training and Beacon and I took photos!

A highlight of the rest of 2019 was spending a week in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in December. We were busy every day - attending several social events, participating in various service activities, and of course, flying to three coastal communities with Santa to deliver treats to children. What an experience of many needles being moved! It was also an incredible gift to see how the Rotary Club there fills such an integral role in the fabric of their community – and how quickly they respond to needs.   

What else? I spoke at the Premier’s Dinner event in Charlottetown and at their Charter Night Dinner, as well as participating in Amherst’s Charter night. I was happy to send Rotarian of the Year awards to various clubs – and to attend some fabulous social events – from Bollywood in Truro to an annual dinner with Halifax Northwest, to several community networking events in Sackville.  I have always loved the Youth Exchange program (it’s how I came to Rotary when my daughter was a YE student) and was excited to visit with this year’s crew at Camp Tidnish – and at their Halifax weekend event. I also had a tough decision to make about what to do on Polio Day – there were so many great activities across the district and I chose “Pegs for Polio”, which was a cribbage event with the Wolfville Club that was fun. I had another wonderful trip to the Valley to attend a celebratory event with the local Rotary Community Foundation team there. I also attended a few events with the Dalhousie Rotaract group.

I am also happy that conversations about new Passport Clubs and alternative membership models are happening in various places – and it was fun to  participate in introductory events in Halifax and Charlottetown – and to attend a “Discover Rotary” membership event in Charlottetown.  Let’s keep those conversations about alternative models doing!

The opportunities to serve don’t end – I am happy to be involved in two important strategic priorities for our district – anti-racism and a new way to approach engagement in post-COVID times.  Stay tuned for more info on those important topics.  I am also looking forward to serving three districts in our Zone as an Assistant Zone Coordinator for Membership.

Beacon and I look forward to continuing to tell stories – and will stay focused on facilitating conversations about how people can participate in Rotary, and how Rotary can be irresistible, as people take action to make a difference in our communities, around the world and in ourselves – moving needles!

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June's Monthly Theme was Fellowships! Which One Applies to you? 
From bowling to beer, from metal-heads to magicians, from water polo to whiskey! This is Rotary Fellowships Month - that's right - Fellowships with an "S" - do you know about the many fellowships that you could be part of?
 
We have Rotarians in this district who are part of the Musicians one... and the Motorcycle one... and the LGBT one … and lots more!  These groups are a great way to connect with Rotarians around the world with similar interests – and when you travel, you have immediate friends! 
 
There are great stories of wonderful connections people have made – do you have a story?  Post it on our District Facebook page.
Here is a list of all the Fellowship groups ... there is something for everyone - check it out - then look at the RI site to get the web links to all of these.... https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/more-fellowships
 
4x4 vehicles
Amateur Radio
Antique Automobiles
Bathhouse
Beer
Bird Watching
Bowling
Canoeing
Caravanning
Chess
Computer Users
Convention Goers
Corporate Social Responsibility
Cricket
Cruising
Cultural Heritage
Curling
Cycling
Doctors
Doll Lovers
Draughts (Checkers)
E-Clubs
Editors and Publishers
Educators
Environment
Esperanto
Ethics
European Philosophy
Executive Managers
Fishing
Flying
Genealogists
Go
Golf
Gourmet Cooking
Hiking
Home Exchange
Honorary Consuls
Horseback Riding
Internet
Italian Culture
Jazz
Latin Culture
Lawyers
LGBT
Magicians
Magna Graecia
Marathon Running
Metalhead
Military Veterans
Motorcycling
Music
Old and Rare Books
Past District Governors
Peace Fellows
Photographers
Police and Law Enforcement
Public Health
Quilters and Fiber Artists
Railroads
Recreational Vehicles
Rotary Global History
Rotary Heritage and History
Rotary Means Business
Rotary on Pins
Rotary on Stamps
Rowing
Rum
Russian Culture
Scouting
Scuba
Shooting Sport
Singles
Skiing
Social Networks
Strategic Planning
Surfing
Table Tennis
Tennis
Total Quality Management
Travel and Hosting
Triathlon
Water Polo
Wellness and Fitness
Whisk(e)y
Wine
Yachting
Yoga
Young Rotarians
 
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Rotary Responds to COVID-19 in our District

You may recall from earlier communications, the Rotary Foundation encouraged each District to release funds early to support projects that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of $20,050 was granted after the District Grants committee met on April 30th. The committee focused on supporting projects within our District that will support citizens in the communities where we live and serve.

Nine grants to nine different clubs in the district were approved. The theme that repeated most often was addressing food insecurity for vulnerable populations – seniors, children, the homeless, and rescue animals. There was a grant to purchase tablets for seniors, to enable social connection while staying home. The need to support purchasing non-medical masks was a clear need that arose from the pandemic. Rotarians fundraised, sewed masks and delivered the final product to grateful front-line workers.

We are “People of Action”; we have it in our DNA to have a sense of pride seeing money converted into doing good in our communities. Doesn’t it seem like magic? Club members who attended the District Grants training to be certified know how that magic wizard works behind the Foundation curtain. When Rotarians in District 7820 donate to the Rotary Foundation, half of that money comes back to the District three years later. We spend that money in ways that are meaningful and even transformative for the lives touched by these projects.

Do you and your club members donate to the Rotary Foundation through Annual Giving, Every Rotarian Every Year, bequests, or Paul Harris Fellowship donations? If you did, thank you for helping with the magic this Rotary year! If you didn’t, I encourage you to give to the Rotary Foundation. You have a clear picture of how your money will be used – and how “Rotary Connects the World”.

Annual General Meeting
Have you seen our AGM report yet?
 
Check it out here!
 
If you see any errors, send a note to publicimage7820@gmail.com .
 
New Club Banners
The banners have arrived and are being distributed now! Watch for your banner to use at your first face-to-face gathering...
 
Virtual International Convention
Have you signed up for the Virtual International Convention? Follow the link to register for free! https://on.rotary.org/37682zA . There are breakout sessions all throughout July to participate in!
 
Make sure to visit the Virtual House of Friendship - our Port Hawkesbury Club's musical contribution from our AGM will be part of the music there!
 
 
Don Sword is our new Council on Legislation Representation --  What does our Council on Legislation Representative actually do?
 

The Council On Legislation (COL) is the rotary legislature. Meeting in person every three years it considers changes to the policies that govern Rotary International, and its members clubs and holds authority to amend Rotary’s Constitutional documents.  The next COL will be in April of 2022. The Council on Resolutions meets every year on proposed resolutions, which express opinions and make recommendations to the board. Don Sword was recently elected as our district’s voting member on each of these Councils. 

His role is to create awareness, educate and support clubs in the preparation of resolutions and enactments. He will present and discuss the proposals at District meetings. This requires a detailed knowledge of the constitutional documents and understanding of the attitudes of Rotarians and clubs in the district. He will give critical consideration to all proposed resolutions and enactments from the 539 districts from around the world and be able to present his views on those proposals. Each year there are approximately 30 to 40 resolutions considered and at the COL some 300 enactments which the representative must have researched and be knowledgeable about. Should a club or the district have an enactment accepted for review by the council, it is the representative’s job to present the proposal to the council during the meeting.

After each council the representative is expected to report on the deliberations.

A lot of detailed work and the requirement to familiarize oneself with the constitutional documents and to support clubs in the preparation of proposals that will be supported by the district and accepted by the Constitution and By Laws Committee for review by the Councils.

Zooming into Technology Together
For the Rotary Club of Gander staying connected during a time of social distance requires the bravery of trying new things! Some of us have conquered the hurdles of connecting via Zoom this Spring. 
 
Many thanks to Derek Hillier who has been crucial in supporting our membership through embracing this new way of meeting as a group. Derek has been able to set us up and keep us running with bi-weekly meetings. 
 
When it comes to staying connected, you don’t have to use Zoom technology to stay in touch with fellow members. In our meetings we encourage members to reach out if they know of someone who hasn’t been able to connect. Members of any club can do this by giving someone a call, sending them a text or an email.  Don’t forget about our Rotary family across the district during these challenging and often isolating times.
 
Shelter Box Update

Hello there! 

I’m a Rotarian in the RCHH and a volunteer with ShelterBox Canada. This year is ShelterBox's 20th anniversary, and I would love to present at one of your club’s virtual meetings to share the work ShelterBox (SB) has been doing with the support of Rotary. We are so grateful for the support of ShelterBox Canada from clubs like yours; SB could not do it without you!

Since 2012 SB has been a Rotary International project partner in disaster relief. And with SB itself being founded in 2000 as a Rotary Millennium project by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizzard, Rotary is always close to the heart of what SB does. SB works with people all over the world who’ve lost their homes to all kinds of disasters – floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, conflicts. It goes where people are vulnerable, so you’ll often find it in challenging places that are overlooked by others. It talks to families to find out what’s needed, and then it does everything it can to make it happen. Led by what it’s been told, SB provides tents, tarpaulins, tools, lights, blankets, water containers, mosquito nets and more – whatever’s needed to give people a place to call home. And because it’s 100% focused on emergency shelter, it knows what’s worked in previous disasters and it’s always looking for new ways to have even more impact on people’s lives.

COVID-19 is impacting the lives of families around the world and how SB delivers it’s services. Right now, SB is working even harder with it’s partners around the world to provide families with the emergency shelter they need now, more than ever.

I, or a SB staff member, would be more than happy to provide a live virtual presentation to your club to let you know how ShelterBox is supporting families during COVID-19. If this is something you would be interested in, please let me know when would be a good time to speak with your club online. I can be reached at: sjbeaufoy@yahoo.com, or at 902-444-0930 in Halifax. If you have any questions at all or would like to connect by phone, please do not hesitate to do so!

Mission Accomplished!
Over the past 12 years, Ian and Anne Doyle have logged a lot of miles. They have done so by helping others in some very remote areas of the world. Over this time, they have been involved in 10 international missions providing dental treatments, supplies, equipment, and mentorship in areas where help was requested and is desperately needed.  
 
Ian is a member of the Sydney-Sunrise Rotary Club. In July 2020, he will become District Governor of 45 Rotary Clubs in P.E.I., N.S., Newfoundland and St. Pierre and Miquelon. Ian and Anne’s dedication to Rotary is evident as they both take on this new responsibility.   They have truly lived Rotary’s motto of “service above self.”
 
Over the past decade, Ian and Anne have travelled to Guyana, Peru, Nicaragua, Haiti and Honduras. Each mission has been supported financially by the Sunrise Club. Their support has also helped to leverage funds from other Rotary Clubs. Through Ian’s dental connections, the International College of Dentists, the Cape Breton Island Dental Society and the Dental Assistants of Cape Breton have all contributed.   
 
It all started about 12 years ago, when a fellow Rotarian urged Ian to “just do it now” when they began planning their first mission...

 
Their focus has been on bringing much needed dental services and equipment to areas in desperate need. The missions have also focused on teaching younger professionals new skills—an aspect that Ian particularly enjoys. The missions have included local dentists, auxiliaries and even their own children and daughter-in-law who are physicians. Most recently, in May, Ian was asked to mentor some medical residents from Maine while on a medical mission in Honduras.
 
The conditions they face when delivering care can be challenging. Often, the demands far out pace their capacity to deliver—but they do their best to provide as much as possible in whatever area they’re visiting. The facilities are very basic. Sometimes there is no electricity, so they travel with a portable generator. In some areas, they travel from village to village providing much needed care. 
 
“Some people criticize us and ask why we aren’t doing more at home,” Ian says. “The fact is, we do help out at home in various ways. We are keenly aware how profound the needs are in both areas, so we do our best.” 
 
To prepare, they work with local governments, health boards, church groups and non-governmental agencies. During one recent mission, local governments supplied two military armed guards to travel with them. “We have never felt unsafe,” said Ian, “but having them with us gave us extra security to be sure.”  
 
In Honduras, Ian set up three tables as operatories so he could move among them and interact with the local professionals and new graduates. In this way, they can see as many patients as possible and facilitate skills and information transfer. Treatment ranges from providing sealants, fluoride, treating decay and providing dental surgery when possible. “Dental problems in these areas are quite common,” said Ian, “and the more equipment we can leave behind, and skills we can transfer to locals, the better.” 
 
Ian is quick to point how valuable Anne’s participation has been on their missions.  “Everything from registering the patients, translating assisting and teaching children and adults good oral hygiene, help to make the clinics run as smoothly as possible. “Anne starts the registration process, I can then triage, and the clinics really run quite well."
 
Anne remembers one patient from Guyana in particular. “Robinson was about 13 years old.  He hung around the clinic on our last day as we were packing up. He could speak very little English, and didn’t enter the clinic, but she could see in his eyes he was in pain and was seeking help.  Anne asked if Ian could look at him before they left. When Ian looked in his mouth he could see an abscess tooth, but there was something more.
 
Robinson kept pointing deeper in his throat, and when Ian looked closer, he could see a fish bone was lodged in his tonsil. With Robinson’s head on his lap, Ian was able to remove it as well remove the abscess tooth.  “He left with a smile on his face, and no more pain in his eyes,” said Ian. “That’s the kind of experience that draws you back.”  
 
Anne says the missions embody everything that she and Ian are about. “We work with like-minded people, we’re visiting new countries, we’re out in nature and we’re helping those who truly need it.”  
 
A medical-dental mission to Armenia is now being investigated, as is a Rotary Foundation grant. Before then, Ian and Anne will be busy fulfilling the role and the myriad responsibilities that comes with taking on the role of District Governor. Ian modestly estimates the impact their missions have had on the people they touch.  “I think we may have changed some lives for the better,” says Ian. We’re sure the smiles they have brought to their patients’ faces—particularly Robinson’s-- would attest to that fact.
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Gold Mine 50/50 Fundraiser
Rotary Club of Middleton is pleased to report that it has been able to restart its Gold Mine 50/50 fundraiser. It's off to a nice start with the presentation of a $5,533 cheque to Terry Drummond of Lawrencetown, Anna. Co., after not having a winner in the previous week's draw. Pictured here is Rotarian and Gold Mine Committee Co-Chair Jim Balcom presenting the cheque to Terry.
 
Bulletin Editor
Kelly Hunt
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