District Governor's Message
By: DG Bob MacKenzie, Kennebunk RC
I am so into spring and love the new beginnings for the year ahead! I can say the same with Rotary new beginnings. For those who attended the Northeast President-Elect Learning Seminar (NEPELS) in March, seeing our President-Elects preparing for the new year, as well as our District Governor-Elect, Nominee and Designee all come together to teach, learn and network for the upcoming Rotary year was truly inspiring. My compliments to our DGE’s, being led by PDG Claudia Frost, and all of the NEPELS committee members for putting on such a phenomenal seminar! It is going to be an incredible Rotary year ahead, as well as the two following years because we have a powerhouse District Governor Track in place! Emma Bodwell (Bridgton-Lake Region), Michele Bois-Gilbody (Freeport) and Michele Cole (Bethel) are going to take us to new levels based on what I have seen already. So be prepared, put on your seatbelts and stay tuned! April is Environmental Month for us Rotarians. I am not one that has traveled to third-world countries, at least not yet, but can only rely on the Rotary stories I have heard and read. But you/we have and continue to make a life changing, life-saving impact in the places we have served by way of clean water and sanitation. I could not be any more proud to be a member of an organization that does what Rotary does, world-wide. I want to pass along part of an email sent to me which you may find interesting and useful:
Be sure to check out Rotary's Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Rotary Action Group (WASH RAG) at their new website: wash-rag.org
The WASH Rotary Action Group was formed in 2007 by a group of Rotarians, recognized by Rotary International, and focused on WASH projects. Since then it has facilitated many hundreds of projects – helping clubs find partners, ensuring sustainability, stressing the importance of a needs-driven approach, and developing best practices. We encourage a holistic, integrated approach in which water is not the end in itself, but is rather the means to a better life and livelihood in the community.
Most importantly, WASH Rotary Action Group links water and sanitation to improved hygiene, better health, and empowerment of the community – especially women, irrigation and agriculture, education and literacy and, ultimately, child mortality.