A MONDAY MOMENT IN ROTARY
FOR DISTRICT 6580
NOVEMBER 19, 2007
Dear 6580 Rotary Leaders:
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! November is Rotary Foundation Month. This is the month to invite every Rotary member to make a contribution to OUR Rotary Foundation. The contribution form can be found at www.Rotay.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/123_write.pdf. If you have questions contact the Foundation Annual Giving Chair PDG Peggy Peter at prespeggy@aol.com our Foundation Chair PDG Steve Richards at srichards007@embarqmail.com.
~ To celebrate our Rotary Foundation Month, the International Computer Uses Fellowship of Rotarians is sponsoring an online discussion with Rotary Foundation Trustee Carolyn Jones. Ms. Jones is the first woman to reach this level of leadership in Rotary! She will answer your questions about the Foundation online during a 51 hour period beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 25 and ending at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27. Log on at http://www2.icufr.org. (Yes it is www2.) You must register in order to participate. You can register, at any time, by clicking on ‘Register” at the top section of the opening page of the Community Forums. A ‘Terms” page will next appear and, once you accept the terms, you will automatically go to the ‘Registration’ page. Please complete all ‘required’ information. When you register, make sure you make a personal, private record of the “User Name’ and “Password” you decide to use when registering in the Community Forums.
~ It is time for your club’s nominating committee to be developing your slate of officers and directors for the next year including your President Nominee or President Elect depending on your club’s bylaws. This information is due no late than December 31, 2007, however sooner is better. The Official Directory Data Form can be found at: www.rotary.og/RIdocuments/en_pdf/od_datafom_en.pdf. The current club president o secretary can update the information online by going to www.otay.og, clicking on Member Access, and using the Update Club Data link. The name and contact information of the 2008-09 Club President and Secretary should also be sent to our District Secretary Yvonne Oliger at yoliger@browncounty.lib.in.us o sec.6580@gmail.com and to DGE Bill Ryall at wfryall@aol.com.
~ Remember to update your club membership roll with RI. Use the website www.rotary,org to make sure your membership and officer lists are correct. I have been there and know some of you need to give this your attention. Please check.
~ Register now for the LA Rotary International Convention. Plan to join other District 6580 Rotarians at the June 15 – 18 2008 RI Convention. Registration information is available at:
www.rotary.org/en/Members/Events/Convention/Pages/ridefault.aspx. DGE Bill Ryall has tickets to the Mid American breakfast that is always a special gathering occasion. Contact Bill at wfryall@aol.com. Rotary Alumni who are within 7 years of participation, which includes past GSE team members and Ambassadorial Scholars, are being offered a special discount for RI Convention Registration of $60 to encourage attendance. Deadline for registration discount is December 15, 2007. Everyone who has attended an RI Convention will tell you there is no other Rotary experience that is as inspirational and educational as the one you have at an RI Convention. You will truly experience the International aspect of Rotary International. Do yourself and your club a favor by attending the LA Convention. Please promote this opportunity in your club. And, let me know you plan to attend.
~ Membership Moment: Did you know that Rotary Alumni is a classification and all alumni should be invited to become Rotarians. If you have a Walgreen Pharmacy in your community invite the manager to attend a meeting. On the wall of all Walgreen stores hangs a copy of OUR ROTARY 4-WAY TEST. Do you SHARE your copy of the Rotary 4-Way Test by proudly displaying it where others can read it and know more about your values?
~ PolioPlus: Polio NID (National Immunization Day) to Bangladesh is scheduled for December 2 – 17. The estimated cost is about $4,500. For further information, contact PDG Dave Groner from Dowagiac , Michigan at groner@locallink.net. Charlie Dewey, President of the Columbus Sunrise Club has been on an NID. Contact him to learn what a fantastic experience participating on an NID can be.
~ PR Tip: Calling all international volunteers! International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development is December 5. Celebrate your club’s outstanding members and their contributions to communities throughout the world by alerting your local media and share stories and photos.
Rotary Credit Card provides several paybacks: I hope your club members are aware that Rotary International has its own credit card. Any Rotarian whose application is approved will give their Rotary club a one time $25.00 gift after the new card holder has made a purchase of $75.00 or more. You will also begin earning one WorldPoint for every dollar spent. These points are good for free airline tickets, merchandise or up to 1% cash back. To apply for the card call 1-866-438-6262 priority code M17C. If you have been a card holder for many years, you are not earning WorldPoints since this is a relatively new program. WorldPoints accounts show the points balance on every statement. To obtain a card that has the WorldPoints feature, you must apply for a new card and after obtaining it, you can close your old account. The online application site with product information is http://s0b.bluestreak.com/ix.e?hy&s=4967812&a=5674350. The Rotary Foundation receives a portion of each purchase made with the card. This contribution now exceeds US $ 5.5 million.
~Rotary Security Tip: From Warrick Co. Club President Brad Mathis comes this message - RI has learned about a new e-mail phishing scam targeting Rotarians. The scam email claims that a deceased Rotarian has left money to the email recipient to be donated to philanthropic efforts. The sender, who claims to be the executor of the will, then asks for the recipient’s personal information, including a copy of the individual’s passport and driver’s license, in order to claim the inheritance. The organization mentioned that it does not solicit funds through email, nor does it ask that personal information be updated by email or other electronic means. RI encourages Rotarians to avoid becoming victims of these scams by deleting any email that appears suspicious. – Source: www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/071031_news_scam.aspx
~ Rotary Receives UN Association’s Humanitarian Award. Rotary’s emphasis on clean water and sanitation received a tremendous boost on October 25th. The United National Association of New York honored RI and The Rotary Foundation with its 2007 Humanitarian Award in recognition of Rotary’s significant efforts to provide safe water and sanitation and its commitment to sustainable development worldwide.
~ MEMBERSHIP Attendance: CONGRATULATIONS to the following clubs for achieving 75% attendance in October: Brazil, Brown County , Clarksville , Columbus Sunrise, Martinsville , New Albany and Vincennes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~ Membership Request: I am very concerned about the 3 clubs that had below 50% attendance in October. Is your club one of the 12 that is below 60% in member attendance for October? Please ask your club secretary in the November attendance report to provide additional information as to what your club is doing to encourage members to attend club meetings. There is a comment section for this purpose. I do read your newsletters and report information.
~ Club Membership Growth Numbers as of November 1: I think it important that you are aware of how things are in the district. Right now my mind is on membership. With all but two clubs reporting their October attendance and membership status the district has lost 37 members since July 1, 2007.
5 clubs have increased their membership
6 clubs have stayed the same from July 1, 2007 to October, 2007
21 clubs have lost members -- OOPPSS
I know many of you have membership applications working their way through the approval process. That is wonderful. These numbers are shared with you to give you the overall district picture. It reinforces the need for all of us to keep our eyes on membership growth AND retention. Being an optimist I know you will continue to do your best to invite and the Ask Ask Ask good community leaders to become Rotarians!
OFFICIAL VISIT SCHEDULE & General Travel
November 19 – Rotary Club of Greensburg
November 20 – Rotary Club of Jeffersonville
December 11 – Rotary Club of Bloomington – holiday party
December 12 – Rotary Club of Greenwood/White River – for presentation
December 18 – Rotary Club of Corydon
DATES TO REMEMBER
November 10 – Attendance Report due (now past due)
November 16 – Outbound Youth Exchange applications due to Chair Karin Harter
December 10 – Attendance Report due
December 15 – RI mails January Semiannual reports to club secretaries
December 31 – Prepare semiannual reports
December 31 – Dues Payments are due to RI
December 31 - Deadline for electing 2008-09 officers
December 31 – Deadline for submitting 2009-09 Election Report to RI, DGE and DG
January 1 – Clubs that have not paid July 2007 dues are terminated
FUTURE DATES TO REMEMBER
March 7-8 – President Elects Training Seminar (PETS) Required Attendance
April 25-27 – Joint Indiana/Ohio District Conference at Belterra Resort & Casino near VeVay , IN
May 17 – District Assembly for club boards & future leaders - Columbus
~ A Thanksgiving Message from RI Director Tom Branum: When President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving in 1863 the country was in the midst of a devastating civil war. Yet, with these words, he asked citizens to be thankful for what they had.
“To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.”
DG Judy