DG Loren's NewsLetters
Fellow D7230 Rotarians and Rotaractors:The good news is that we are continuing to grow, and the enthusiasm is spreading throughout the District! Allow me to share my month of October.
I had the privilege of visiting several Rotary clubs and the honor of sharing what I see as the future of District 7230, which just so happens to be the most diversified district in the world. I believe that we can teach the world that diversity makes us better, it makes us stronger, and it brings us together in unity.
During October, I visited eight (8) of our 50 clubs. One visit was with the Blooming Rose Rotary Club, where I presented them with
their club charter. Blooming Rose was chartered on July 19, and was the 32nd club chartered worldwide. It was truly an historical as well as a joyous celebration.
The Scarsdale Rotary Club celebrated their centennial year with a spectacular gala held at the Scarsdale Golf Club. Not only did they have dignitaries from around the county, but a table of our fellow and district Rotarians from Bermuda were also present.
One of our newer members (Roslyn Costabile) from the Yonkers-East Yonkers Rotary Club, accepted a challenge I presented and held a fund raiser for Michael Bailey, a homeless artist who lives by Yankee Stadium. She was able to raise enough money to pay for a mobile scooter he needs to get around. Truly an example of giving service above self!
I also had the honor of continuing and solidifying the committee we formed to address mental health in our district. Our Rotary International President, R. Gordon R. McInally has challenged the world-wide network of Rotarians to make this a focus of our efforts this year. We are responding to that charge. Keep your eyes and ears open for various events and training sessions that will be designed to assist clubs to address this pervasive illness.
Finally, I attended a birthday celebration for an ex-Rotarian (Dr. Steve Nicholas) who initiated a project in my first term as president in 2006. That project treated woman who were HIV positive, pregnant, and living in the Dominican Republic so that their babies would be born HIV free. That project continues today by the government of the Dominican Republic. On the day of his birthday celebration, I was introduced to the man who owned the laboratory who donated over $1 million in lab work for that project, a fact I only learned about in September.
Whatever you do as a Rotarian, no matter how small or trivial it may seem, will not only give you a personal sense of satisfaction, but has the potential to impact the lives of people in ways you could never have imagined. Seventeen years after the Dominican Republic project, I found out that over $1,000,000 had been contributed anonymously, and the lives of the children born HIV free never got sick or died because of AIDS. Who knows what they can contribute to society?
If you have ever thought that your contributions to the projects with your Rotary Club doesn’t matter, or that they can do it without you, I want you to keep that Dominican Republic project in mind. Seventeen years after the project and I discovered that the impact was far greater than I ever imagined. One Rotarian decided to engage a project that gave service above self, his club joined him, and we are still experiencing its impact!
Yours in Service,
J. Loren Russell
Rev. Dr. J. Loren Russell
District Governor 2023-24
District 7230
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