District Conference 2020:
Next month is our District Conference Part 2. We have a dynamite lineup for the day, featuring a highly recognized speaker, highlighting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the RI President's Representative, focusing on the new Rotary theme and priorities at the Paul Harris Lunch, where we will recognize all new Paul Harris Fellows, and Major Donors to the Rotary Foundation, and of course, I will present the State of the District. There are special Club presentations of projects, and you are invited to highlight your special projects. Contact Cecily Smith, to get your presentation booked. Here is a link to the Conference Program
If you couldn’t catch the Early Bird registration, because the Early Bird flew away at midnight of 29th February, don’t despair, the regular registration is here. And if you are reading this, and send an email to 7230rotary@gmail.com, you will receive a special code for a 10% discount. Only a very limited number of these codes are available.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA):
I hope you have already sent in your registration forms for your RYLA students. We expect to have a great RYLA event, surpassing last year’s highly successful event. Great presenters, intensive interactive learning activities and a boatload of fun. If you haven’t already sent in the forms for your kids, send them in anyway, and if there are spaces available, we’ll try to accommodate as many as we can.
I hope you have already sent in your registration forms for your RYLA students. We expect to have a great RYLA event, surpassing last year’s highly successful event. Great presenters, intensive interactive learning activities and a boatload of fun. If you haven’t already sent in the forms for your kids, send them in anyway, and if there are spaces available, we’ll try to accommodate as many as we can.
Innovative Clubs:
The North American Directors of Rotary, recently convened a one-day summit, to more effectively coordinate and promote a network of proven leaders in new club development. A select group of experts from each zone in North America, met to share best practices, discuss opportunities and resource needs, and set goals for a heightened and accelerated focus on establishing new club models, throughout North America. These “Innovative Club Advocates” will work closely with the Rotary coordinators and district leadership teams, to establish new and different Rotary clubs, and will report to their respective RI Director.
Our District has received a shoutout from the Membership Development Office of RI. The February Newsletter says, “In an effort to grow Rotary, districts are encouraged to think of, and create new and different club models and expressions of Rotary. District 7230 has heeded the call. For example, a daytime contingency of clubs might focus on a certain set of community issues that Rotary, the district, or the club has identified, whereas an evening group of clubs might target another. In addition, the district now has its FIRST official Satellite Club, adding 12 new members and another on the way. Great job, District 7230 for choosing flexibility to get the ball rolling.” Our second Satellite Club with 9 new members, has already been approved.
D7230 leads in Zone Membership: To top this off, here is some more encouraging news: Our District now leads both Zone 28 and 32, in overall percentage of membership growth. From July 2019 to date, we are up by 3.33%. We need to keep the momentum going, so please look into forming Satellite Clubs. If you need more information, or any assistance, please reach out to District Membership Chair Marty Schulman or me. Membership continues to increase through awareness and Rotarians personally asking people to join our fantastic organization. As we heard from RI President Mark, as he talked about Rotary, we need to build on people’s engagement in projects to get membership dividends. Rotary has something for everyone.
Service Above Self: As the year progresses, I am still being impressed and feeling overwhelmed every day as I see the incredible amount of community service that our clubs provide. This includes such projects as the ongoing food packing project at Yonkers-East Yonkers, the Blood4Rotary drive by Peekskill, the Library books and shelves by Ossining, the Broadway Theatre scholarship by Hamilton, Community Service Scholarship by North Shore, Books to take home from community businesses, by Tarrytown.
Monthly Rotary Focus: March is Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Month in Rotary. Have you noticed that Hygiene has now been added to this area of focus? What will you and your club do to honor this emphasis?
Rotaract Our Rotaractors will observe World Rotaract Week, 9-15 March. How better to observe and celebrate this week, than to have 3 new Rotaract Clubs in our District? We now have 7 Active Rotaract Clubs, with the 3 new Rotaract Clubs added since December – the Rotaract Clubs of Staten Island, Peekskill, and Bermuda. Congratulations to Rotaractor Emilia Guzman of the Rotaract Club at the UN, on being elected by the Rotaract Clubs in the District to represent them until June 30, 2020, and Rotaractor Faith Forde of the Rotaract Club of Manhattan on being elected by the Rotaract Clubs in the District to represent them for the Year 2020-21. Both, Rotaractor Emilia and Rotaractor Faith will be Co-Chairs of the District Rotaract Committee during their respective terms as District Rotaract Representative (DRR).
Presidents-Elect Training Seminar (PETS): As you read this, your Club President-Elect has begun preparations for the March 19-21 PETS weekend. This is a time when our Presidents-Elect gather with the Presidents-Elect from five of our neighboring Rotary Districts, to learn what it means to lead a Rotary Club and where to turn for the resources that are needed. This year PETS is different from years before. All of the Club Officers Handbooks, have been thoroughly revised to reflect the changing face of Rotary. Congratulations to each President-Elect, and best wishes for a great Rotary year. Will each of us, as Club members, help to make this happen? As you do so, I know that you will keep in mind my message to each Rotarian: “When you have the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.”
Rotary International Finance: There as been some disappointing news from the RI Finance Department. Apparently about 14 of our clubs overlooked their recent RI Dues Invoices. An analysis showed that most of this was due to clubs not listing a Treasurer, Secretary with the correct email address. It is important that your Club Officer listings are correctly entered into the District website, which will automatically synchronize the data with RI. Please check your next year’s officers and ensure they are listed on the District website with their correct email addresses. Need Help? Contact the Support Team at 7230rotary@gmail.org.
Club Corner: Have you checked out the Club Corner on the District Website? Want to feature your Club there? Easy to do.
Best wishes to all,
-DG Mahbub
“A person who never made a mistake - never tried anything new” -Albert Einstein